Sam Gennawey's Blog, page 17

USH Transformers Review

One of the most anticipated new attractions in the world of Southern California theme parks has been the opening of Transformers: The Ride 3D at Universal Studios Hollywood. Transformers is an immersive experience that puts guests in the middle of a war between alien robots that can morph into common objects such as cars, trucks or planes. The good guys are the AUTOMATS and the bad guys are the DECEPTICONS. The ride is based on the Hasbro toys, first introduced in 1984, and was developed by Universal Creative and Industrial Light & Magic (ILM). Film producer Michael Bay was hired as creative consultant.The queue is designed as the headquarter for N.E.S.T. (Nonbiological Extraterrestrial Species Treaty), a maximum-security battle command center built by the humans to protect themselves from the DECEPTICONS. Throughout the queue guests watch videos filling in the story. They get to hear from Commanding Officer General Morshower and get to push lots of buttons and switches that do nothing. I have said before that by the time you finish the queue you will be able to write a dissertation about the world of the Transformers. It is that long and complete.We learn that our primary mission is to protect the last remaining All-Spark. According to Transformers mythology, the All-Spark is an awesome source of pure and ancient power and the origin of life for all TRANSFORMERS, capable of bringing mechanical and electronic objects to life and turning everyday mundane objects into living robots.We get to ride along with a new Transformer character named EVAC whose job it is to protect the All-Spark. Of course, you know something is going to go terribly wrong.For me, the highlight of the ride is the incredible ride vehicle that Universal has chosen to use to take us on this journey. They have reused the 12-passenger mobile, motion-based simulator ride platform that has been in use at Spiderman at Islands of Adventures for more than a decade. Each vehicle travels along its 2,000 feet of track and weighs 12,000 pounds. They can pivot in all directions with a 360-degree rotation in precision synchronization with the 3D-HD media. The vehicles move through a 60,000 square foot building and the track is on two levels and includes two lifts. Sound is provided by a 5,000 watt, 14 channel audio system.To fully immerse the guests, ILM claims to have used “the largest collection of 3D screens ever assembled in a single theme park ride.” There are 34 projectors and 14 screens of various sizes throughout the ride. Some of the screens are over 60 feet tall. Each projector has four times the resolution of your typical HD television. ILM was responsible for producing the HD-3D CGI images and used a specially-devised high resolution, sphere-shaped still camera, shooting 360-degrees of panoramic imagery that captures 75 images every 50 feet within a designated square mile area of a major metropolitan city. They wrapped these images around a three-dimensional wire-frame to produce the photo realistic films. ILM visual effects person Richard Bluff said, “When you put photo realistic images on the screen, people immediately start to believe they’re actually there.” ILM Visual Effects Supervisor Jeff White said, “It’s important for us that the screen disappears and the characters move seamlessly between the environment and back into the media.”One of the challenges for ILM was to produce 3D visual media that could ‘shift’ from one point of view to another as the ride vehicle moves along the track. The objective was to create a photo-realistic world where the projected images and the practical sets blur. Even the glasses contribute to this illusion. Notice that the ‘Protective Battle Eyewear’ have blinders built into the sides of the frames specifically to limit the guests’ field of vision. Other special effects have been integrated including wind, heat, water, and smoke. Jeff White of ILM said, “This is the most complex and technically challenging project we have ever worked on.” Was it worth the effort?

CityCenter Las Vegas

I finally got a chance to visit the humongous CityCenter development in Las Vegas. As an urban planner with an interest for these type of giant projects (after all, I did write a book about Walt’s EPCOT and a chapter in that APA book about malls), I wanted to see what happens when you go big and roll the dice to create something unlike anything people have seen before.  CityCenter is a gigantic, $11+ billion (that is with a ‘B’), 67-acre, mixed-use resort destination project on the Las Vegas Strip between Bellagio and the Monte Carlo. The facility dominates the Strip with more than a 1/4 mile frontage. The project was developed by MGM Resorts International and construction began in 2004. The project opened in 2009 just in time for the economy to collapse. MGM brought together eight of the world’s most famous architects and one of the largest architectural firms in the world as master planners to create a something unique in Las Vegas. Something truly of its time. What they have attempted is to insert a ultra modern, forward leaning urban experience into the heart of the Las Vegas Strip. CityCenter is not themed to a mythical past or another contemporary location. MGM has tried to create an experience that seems to feel like a truly indigenous piece of work in a land where being authentic is looked upon with suspicion. What they have tried for is not an easy challenge in the land of the ‘decorated shed,’ the industrial building with a pretty face. As we shall see, for the most part they are successful. But it is those little details that have been overlooked that remind me of the true genius of Walt Disney and how he would have overcome the project’s shortcomings.To give you an idea of the scale of the project, imagine placing Disney California Adventure or Disney’s Hollywood Studios under one roof. Yes, it is that big. CityCenter brings together hotels, residential units, a casino, restaurants, and a high-end shopping center in a climate controlled pedestrian friendly experience. Parking has been hidden below or adjacent to the complex. The property is so vast that it comes with its own fire station, a PeopleMover transit system, and on-site power plant. When I am evaluating a urban-planning project, I try to determine if the overall project and its various components are either Exceptional, Acceptable, or Regrettable. I will try and apply those standards to CityCenterThe first impression is quite impressive. From the street, it appears like the Emerald City in the Wizard of Oz. Unfortunately, the most prominent feature at street level is a giant exposed driveway. Why this could not have been decked over creating a new public space is a truly missed opportunity. It looks like the car has won. Got to love the tram high above giving the pretense that public transportation has been integrated into the project even if that tram doesn’t really go anywhere. Arrival experience verdict: Regrettable.Let’s say that money is no object. You just won big playing Keno. Crystals at CityCenter shopping center is for you. With elite brands like Tom Ford, Tiffany & Co., Versace, and Louis Vuitton, the mall is pure eye candy. The 500,000-square foot mall was designed by Daniel Libeskind in his signature style. The exterior is impressive from the street with its crystalline, glass-and-steel canopy. It’s just not very inviting. Inside, the mall is a vast open space filled with hard surfaces and warm colors. One of the best touches is the inclusion of exotic materials embedded in the floors. At the center is a seafood restaurant suspended inside of  what appears to be the skeleton of a ship or whale. There is an attempt at folly with a water feature designed by WET that will capture a child’s interest for a few minutes. Otherwise, this mall is all about the business of shopping. My biggest complaint may get resolved over time. For me, a successful shopping center has quality, variety, and surprise. Although the brand quality is there, there is a lack of variety and surprise. These stores are at every high end mall in Las Vegas. Verdict: Acceptable.The 47-story Mandarin Oriental, Las Vegas was designed by Khon Pederson Fox and combines a 400-room hotel with 207 residential units. The firm is best known for its Post-modern towers and they have shown a great deal of restraint with this hotel. The architecture does not compete with the other towers. The entrance is not obvious reminding the casual visitor that this is an exclusive club and you may not be welcome. Verdict: Acceptable.Helmut Jahn’s Veer Towers is an experiment in bending the public’s expectations of a structurally sound building. The two 37-story glass residential towers contain 337 residential units. Jahn has always played at the leading edge of building technology and frequently showcases the structure as part of the design. Here he placed two inclined towers at opposing angles. Your first thought is “How is that standing up?” The interplay between the two towers is a delight. The sleek facades have a playful rhythm that is created by a well-thought out use of horizontal steel awnings.The base of the structures act like a pedestal lifting the residential units high above the complex. I would guess you get a sense of security and inclusion. I would imagine the views of the Las Vegas Strip are first-class. How you adapt to having 4,000 hotel rooms having a view of your residence is something you may want to consider. Verdict: Exceptional.The 1,543-room Vdara Hotel and Spa is a smoke free, all-suite hotel designed by Rafael Vinoly of RV Architecture. The tower sits at the rear of the property and compared to most hotels on the Strip, this one seems to have a feeling of intimacy amongst all the steel and glass. Behind the front desk is a work by Frank Stella. I especially liked the lobby bar with its innovative outside seating area. What I did not like about the hotel was its placement in relation to the rest of CityCenter. They claim that the hotel is directly connected to Aria and Bellagio. True enough in the case of Bellagio. Just follow the signs to the back end of that property. But most guests want to pass through Aria on the way to the Strip. Seems simple enough. The front door is right there. However, right there is across a huge traffic circle with a giant work of public art by Nancy Rubins featuring canoes arranged as a flower or something. To get from one front door to another means skirting along the edge of the traffic circle. You dare not cross or you will get smashed by a cab. During a very hot day the walk is just long enough to turn a lot smiles into a lot of frowns. You feel disconnected and are reminded that in Las Vegas, the car is still king. Verdict: Love the hotel but not the entrance - Regrettable.If you are a fan of Mid-Century modernism then prepare to be in heaven when you visit the Aria. This is my vision of what the Contemporary Hotel at Walt Disney World would look like if it were built today. The 61-story hotel was designed by Cesar Pelli and has 4,004 rooms. From the street, the structure appears to be a gentle glass and steel crescent with each bay of the front facade skillfully set back so that the alternating repetition creates a shimmering effect. In keeping with the theme of the here and now, the industrial size lobby features an elegant front desk and a massive window overlooking the entrance to the shopping mall. The lobby furniture features stone slabs and plenty of earth tones. At a hotel, one way to save energy is to reduce the need for air-conditioning while the guest is out of the room. Instead of relying on the guests, the Aria relies on technology. As you open the door, the room will come alive. The shades will automatically retract and the lights will come on. When you are ready to leave, all you have to do is push one button right at the door to reset the room. Heck, just playing with the power curtains is a reason to stay here. You can adjust the lights, the curtains, the temperature and the television through a panel near the bed. The beds and the bathroom fixtures are what you would expect at a five-star hotel. Our room was configured so that the bathtub looked out through a floor to ceiling window at the Strip.So far the experience is Exceptional. There is just one thing. The view when you look down. While many of the rooms have a view of the Las Vegas Strip (and the airport, which can be hypnotizing at times), the magic is lost when it comes to the view of the HVAC equipment on the top of the Casino and the primary parking structure adjacent to the Mandarin. Of course, the roof of the mall is a work of art. Maybe that is why I was let down with the rest of the complex. Walt Disney knew better. In his vision for EPCOT, hotel guests would have been looking down at an exercise deck with gardens. CityCenter should cover the top deck of the parking structures and plant gardens. They should cover the equipment with better screening. And then they should think even bigger. Cover the massive entry driveway with a pedestrian deck. CityCenter suffers from something rather simple - benches. If you want to sit you better be gambling or eating or drinking. Otherwise, pedestrians are not welcome here. The 165,000-square foot Casino was also designed by Cesar Pelli. Earth tones dominate and all of the hard edges have been softened through the use of fabrics and other organic materials in all of the right places. Throughout the facilities are nice spots to get away and people watch. The Casino is one of the highlights of the entire property and the one that will influence all of the other casinos to come. Verdict: Exceptional.There is one tower on the corner across the street from the Cosmopolitan that currently functions as a billboard for the Elvis show inside the Aria. The Harmon Hotel was designed by Foster and Partners and never opened. The building was deemed unsafe and has been condemned. Structural issues with regards to the rebar was cited as one of the reasons and the building could collapse in an earthquake. Another fun feature is the public art program. The developers wanted to make a statement and invested more than $40 million in public art. They have gathered works from some of the most renowned sculpture artists, including Maya Lin (a metal ribbon behind the Aria front desk), Claes Oldenburg (a giant eraser), and one of my favorites, the scrolling text of Jenny Holzer in the valet parking area. A special mention must be paid to the water fountain at the front driveway from WET, which puts on its own miniature version of the World Of Color. You can pick up a guide to the art at the Concierge desk. I was impressed by CityCenter but something did not seem right. In the end, the complex does not contain that timeless quality of building. It has all of the efficiencies of a theme park without any of the emotional connection. This conflict is embedded into the design. If you have been there what did you think?

The Non-PC Mouse

HAPPY BIRTHDAY DISNEYLAND!

To celebrate the Mouseketeers 50th anniversary in 2005, they invite a bunch of us to become honorary Mouseketeers and pose for this picture. If you look really closely you will see me right at the ear. Well maybe not.

SNOW WHITE SCARY ADVENTURES

While I was in Florida, I took a trip to the Magic Kingdom specifically to pay my last respects to the soon to be removed Snow White’s Scary Adventures. After 41 years, Snow White and her mighty little troop are being evicted by a coup made up of Snow White’s fellow princesses who were jealous she got so much space. Once again, our fair maiden has been banished outside of the Castle walls to fend for herself while trying to share space with seven men of varying temperaments. Maybe it is all for the better. Maybe not.I like the Florida version of Snow White. The rooms seemed huge compared to the one in Anaheim. In Florida, they had enough room to tell the complete story. The attraction was made for bigger crowds and the three-row ore cars featured seating where the back row was higher than the front row. I do not know if this really mattered but I always thought it was pretty cool. As my ore car made that final turn toward the exit doors, I tipped my hat toward the ear waving Dopey on the bridge one last time and realized that an era had ended. It is up to Werner Weiss and Yesterland to write a proper obituary. I am grateful that I can still visit Snow White in Disneyland.As I was walking away, I was reminded that this type of dark ride was another Disney innovation. In 1955, the combination of story, space, and black lights (Ultraviolet) was as revolutionary as Audio-Animatronics and motion vehicles would become in later years. In the mid 1950s, black light was a novelty. Walt’s Imagineers were at the forefront using black light in their arsenal of presentation technologies to aide in the storytelling process.Prior to the opening of Disneyland, the use of black light in rides was sporadic and usually reserved for scenes meant to scare. Imagineer Claude Coats noted, “Skeletons rattled around, but there was never a theme or a story to be told.” Imagineer Bill Martin described these early rides “like the Tunnel of Love, for instance, where boats followed each other through a canal...that was a dark ride. When we went back East to visit all those amusement parks, all we saw were the ‘iron rides’ and midway attractions, but no dark rides like we were planning, using “black light.”Coats summed the Disney innovations, “The big improvement we made over what had been done before was the way we left people with a little two-minute experience within a certain story that they had known from our animated films. Now they got to see it in a more dimensional way, and these were interesting ways of doing it. In a very small space you can make things look larger, using forced perspective in paintings.” Coats added that “black light is a better illusion than it would be if it were painted like a mural in incandescent light. The rides wouldn’t be nearly as good if they were incandescent, regular light, because they’re not large enough.”“The opening and closing scenes in the dark rides are incandescent light instead of black light, for instance,” said Imagineer Tony Baxter. “We felt that lighting them that way would segue more effectively from the real world into the fantasy world.” With the exception of Peter Pan, each of the Fantasyland dark rides is driven by the negative elements within the films. As you are being chased by the villain or your own folly, the walls appear to get progressively tighter and tighter. The only relief comes when we are released into the sunlight. Coats recalled, “At that time, most of the little scare rides (at other parks) had very little mood or storytelling qualities. Ken Anderson’s storyboards had shown that Peter Pan or Snow White could be told in, not quite a story, but at least a mood that gave you more than you had if you just went through and saw scary things.”Ken Anderson suggested, “One thing we intended was that everybody on the ride would understand that they were  Snow White. As you rode the attraction you were taking Snow White’s place...you were the girl that was being threatened.”Martin noted, “Ours were the first dark rides as such. It’s my feeling that our first three rides in 1955 (Snow White, Peter Pan, and Mr. Toad) were original and kind of breakthrough.”The original version of Snow White’s Scary Adventures opened on July 17, 1955. Ken Anderson had worked on the original 1937 film and he was put in charge of the Disneyland project. He said, “There wasn’t a lot of pre-planning and artwork done on this ride. We mostly just went down to Disneyland and built it.” Bill Martin did the track layout and most of the sets were just painted flats with the exceptions of a Witch holding the apple, some of the scary trees, and the “Falling Boulders” scene at the end. The original thirteen mine cars ran on a single rail guide track and were built by Arrow Development. They were meant to look like they were hand carved by the dwarves. There was no lap bar, just a rope that hooked across the door of the vehicle. Even in those days, parents would complain and Coats said, “We got some letters about the witch scene in that ride. Walt never seemed to mind. He thought that children would sometimes have to learn that things were scary, you know.” The Snow White attraction changed substantially when Fantasyland was reopened May 25, 1983. The exterior changed from a two-dimensional tournament tent facade to a fully realized three-dimensional German Gothic manor. The scary apple that was activated by touch, the Evil Queen peering down from the upper window (an effect inspired by Disneyland Paris), and a dungeon laboratory scene was added to the queue. Baxter said, “We knew from Florida that we needed a way to discourage people with little kids who get scared, before they get on the ride. Now we never get complaints about Snow White ride being too frightening, because those people are weeded out by the scary pre-show area.”The Imagineers expanded the show building and extended the track 100 feet. One major concession was the rider’s point of view. As you recall, you were meant to play the role of Snow White. But Ken Anderson said, “Nobody got it. Nobody actually figured that they were Snow White. They just wondered where the hell Snow White was. One of the biggest reason we had for redoing it in 1983 was to put Snow White in there...which we did.”The loading area now features a three dimensional Seven Dwarfs cottage with a chimney that is designed to hide a support pillar. Once again you enter the Dwarfs cottage in incandescent light but that quickly changes to black light once you leave the safety of the room. One thing that has not changed is the abrupt ending. Over the past couple of years, the attraction has been upgraded with additional light effects. Snow White remains a splendid way to spend a couple of minutes with the film that saved Walt’s studio.

WIU Magic Kingdom Tour - Part 2

Last time I began to describe a walkabout of the Magic Kingdom at Walt Disney World with a class of honor students from Western Illinois University (WIU) back in March 2010.The class was called Communication Around the World and was put together by David Zanolla from the Communications Department. The my challenge was to help them “discover the layers of non-verbal communication utilized by the Disney Imagineers.”The walkabout was focused on the west side of the park and included Liberty Square, Frontierland, and Adventureland. I talked about Liberty Square in the last article and it is amazing how the Imagineers used the language of architectural styles to create a sense of time and place. Then they clustered the facades by region (Hudson Valley, Philadelphia, New Amsterdam, Williamsburg, etc.).By the time you have walked over to the Diamond Horseshoe Saloon you have metaphorically reached the edge of civilization and are about to cross into wild frontier. So let’s begin our journey at that edge. Welcome to Frontierland.Stop 10 - Diamond Horseshoe SaloonIt is said that Frontierland is the most distinctly American statement in the park. This is the land that is influenced by Davy Crockett and Tom Sawyer. A walk through Frontierland is a walk through time and space. As you travel east to west, on one side you are skirting the vast wilderness represented by the Rivers of America and on the other side is a row of facades that represent geographic locations along the frontier trail. In a sense, you are recreating the great American westward migration.Let me explain. The Diamond Horseshoe Saloon is representative of a typical dancehall found in St. Louis around 1840. At the time, St. Louis was considered the gateway to the new frontier and the perfect place to start your adventure. Our trip will take us from the midwest through the Southwest and end up in a ghost town in the far west. We will see the landscape change from a forested frontier to the desert.As you cross over a small bridge that is barely noticeable you will be making the leap across the mighty Mississippi River. Notice that the pavement even changes as  you cross from one land to another. Many of the buildings along the corridor have the dates when they were supposedly built. For example, the Town Hall is dated 1867. Let’s go deeper into the woods and see what is up at Grizzly Hall, home of the Country Bear Jamboree.Stop 11 - In front of the Country Bear Jamboree closer to the riverIf you look above Grizzly Hall you will notice sculptures of what appears to be Western Longhorn cattle. What you don’t realize is that these animal heads are actually in Adventureland. From that vantage point they appear as Asian Water Buffalo. A pretty clever solution and a way not to interrupt the immersive theming.  The Country Bear Jamboree’s Grizzly Hall represents Colorado in the mid 1800s. Grizzly Hall was founded by Urus R. Bear (1848-1928) and has apparently been running daily shows ever since. Look down at the floor of the lobby and you can see how scratched up it is from the paw prints.The attraction was first proposed for the Mineral King ski resort in California. The show was the brainchild of Marc Davis. Marc tells a touching story of his last encounter with Walt Disney. One day, after Walt had gotten out of the hospital, he went into Marc’s office and asked him to run through the bear show. Marc knew Walt had this one down but went through it anyway. As Walt left the room, he turned to Marc and said good bye. This just hit Marc like a ton of bricks. Walt never said good bye. He might have said, “See you later” or something but not good bye. That was the last time the two men talked. Stop 12 - Down on the Boardwalk by the Rivers of AmericaWalt knew that children needed a place to burn off that extra energy and a spot for spontaneous, unprogrammed play so he came up with the idea of a themed playground called Tom Sawyer Island. He thought that the children would love to run around and pretend they are part of the story while the parents could sit, relax, and know there was only one way on or off the island. There was no way they could get lost. At the Magic Kingdom there are two islands that were connected by a bridge in 1973. There are two islands and they were connected in 1973. The plantings were meant to look like the native woods of the untamed Midwest. The island features hardwoods like maple, oaks, and sycamores.While we were standing in this spot, I had the class look down the Frontierland corridor at Splash Mountain. I reminded the class that something much different and far more grand was originally planned for that spot. At one point, the far west edge of Frontierland would have been the home to the Western River Expedition.For those not familiar with the proposed attraction, it sure would have been a doozy. Marc Davis was a brilliant Imagineer and animator who worked on such iconic Disney attractions such as the Jungle Cruise, the Haunted Mansion, and Pirates of the Caribbean. With those successes under his belt he decided he really wanted to out do himself so he came up with a Western themed version of the Pirates attraction.The Western River Expedition project was started back in 1968. The Imagineers felt the real New Orleans was not far from Florida and would not prove to be exotic enough of a setting for a major "E" Ticket attraction. What the proposed was to build a huge show building dressed as a mesa for the end of the corridor. The building would be so large that Splash Mountain and Big Thunder Mountain Railroad could fit inside. In fact, the show building was going to be so large, it would have been so big they were going to cover part of it with runaway mine train (designed by Imagineer Tony Baxter).Like Pirates, guests would have sat in boats floating by highly detailed, comic scenes. For example, one scene had bank robbers wearing masks. The strange twist was their horses were also sporting masks. Another scene featured Native Americans doing rain dances (and only getting themselves wet). Everything would be tied together with a catchy song. An incredibly detailed model was constructed and put on public display. In fact, some of the show elements had already been fabricated before the project was cancelled. The buffaloes and some of the other animals in Epcot's Living With The Land attraction were repurposed from the proposed ride. In the end, the demand by the public was so strong for Pirates of the Caribbean that the Western River Expedition was shelved. You can still see evidence of what could have been in some early guidebooks and maps.Stop 13 - Boardwalk in front of Splash MountainThere is one exception to the time and space journey of Frontierland and it is Splash Mountain. Splash Mountain was kind of stuffed into the Magic Kingdom. The attraction is set in the rural South in the 1870s and based on the 1946 film Song of the South. It opened in 1992, takes 11 minutes to make a full circuit, and is the fastest ride in the park when the logs get up to 40 mph during its 52.5-foot, 5-story drop. Splash Mountain was inspired by Knott’s Berry Farm’s Calico Log Ride.Tony Baxter and Bruce Gordon, among many other Imagineers created this attraction for Disneyland. Along with the need for a thrill ride, Splash Mountain addressed another need...what to do with the Audio-Animatronics that were going to be torn out of America Sings. America Sings is a fun, odd Marc Davis production that replaced the Carousel of Progress when it was moved to Florida. The idea was to take advantage of the American bicentennial in 1976 but the show was considered past its prime and the audiences kept dwindling. The show featured a tour of American music sung by really great Audio-Animatronic characters. The design team knew that there were going to be dozens of very sophisticated characters about to be retired. So the story goes that each character in the attraction was matched up with a character from the movie and the left over characters were put on the showboat at the end. While the original name for the attraction was the Zip-A-Dee-Doo-Dah River Run, Michael Eisner was in a synergistic mood and suggested that they integrate a new character - Madison the Mermaid from the film Splash - into the ride and rename the attraction Splash Mountain. The mermaid did not make it but the name stuck.In Florida, traffic was so congested in this area that the park added the boardwalk in 1999. Personally, I enjoy the interaction between those who have been splashed and those who are about to.Stop 14 - The intersection between Splash Mountain, Big Thunder Mountain Railroad, and the Frontierland train stationThe railroad represents the closing of the frontier. In Liberty Square we started at the beginning of our nation’s history along the East Coast. As you walk west, you travel across the country and through time. You end up at a Ghost Town after the gold rush.I am a train geek and this was a chance to get in a bit of train trivia. There are four locomotives and they were purchased from the United Railways of Yucatan. They were the first attraction to be completed at the Magic Kingdom. If you go from Frontierland station (set in the 1880s) to the Main Street USA station (set in the 1890s) you will have just cycled through American history.Big Thunder Mountain Railroad was built in 1980. What many people don’t realize is the mountain is 197 feet tall. That makes it taller than Cinderella Castle. The little mining town is called Tumbleweed and it seems that a flood brought on by a cursed mine has brought havoc. A lot of attention has been paid to the plant materials. They include spineless yucca, Texas ebony, mesquite, and many other succulents. The mountains are based on Monument Valley in Utah.Stop 15 - Walking past Pecos Bill on the way to AdventurelandAs we walked toward Pecos Bill, I point out yet another example of the Imagineers using a common architectural language shared by two different eras to tie together two very different themed areas. Pecos Bill is firmly planted in the American Southwest and is based on the Spanish Mission style popular around 1870. However, when you turn the corner to enter Adventureland, you notice that the same details fit in nicely with the Caribbean theme. A natural fit. Some things change, the materials change from stone to wood. The surrounding landscape starts to intrude as you move deeper into the islands. What you experience is a smooth cross-dissolve that is not jarring and helps to set the mood...for Pirates! The landscaping creates the energy for the land. You are meant to feel that you are on the edge of civilization as the surrounding plant materials feel unkept, wild. What you don’t notice is that this area was built on a clay landfill and most of the large trees are in pits due the world famous Utilidors  underneath. Stop 16 - Sitting outside of Pirates of the Caribbean during a storm similar to the skeleton piloting the ship in the caverns.The plaza area in front of Pirates was not part of the park when it opened. As I mentioned earlier, the attraction was opened very quickly in 1973. When the park first opened, Adventureland was a cul-de-sac. The opening of the attraction was a chance to create a self contained mini-land within Adventureland. The entrance is modeled after the el Castillo de San Felipe del Morro built in the early 1600s. The fortress was built to protect Havana from pirates but the crow’s nest that defines the pirates plaza tells a different tale. The tower is called the Torre del Cielo (skytower) and was considered the gateway to the “New Spain.”Stop 17 - A Walk Through AdventurelandAt this point, the class was treated to a talk by an Imagineer about the changes inside of Pirates and the group went for a ride. Safely back on land we quickly ran through Adventureland as the skies opened up. Disney’s Animal Kingdom pioneered a new king of intensive ground theming. Adventureland was the first area in the Magic Kingdom to be retrofitted. There are a couple of transition underpasses similar to the one that separates Fantasyland and Liberty Square. The portals look like a carriage entryway on the Frontierland side and a romantic Polynesian in style on the Adventureland side. This was a good chance to remind the students about the Asian Water Buffaloes and Western Longhorn cattle high atop the tower. To create a sense of life, the set designers have decorated the area to suggest that you just missed the people who lived here. Even the shops reinforce the theme.Other Trivia? The camels that spit on you while riding the Magic Carpets of Aladdin were used in the 1995 Aladdin’s Royal Caravan Parade. The camels lived in a restaurant at Disney’s MGM-Studios until 1998 until they became part of this attraction in 2001.I just love the Swiss Family Robinson Treehouse. I am not fond of the Tarzan overlay in Anaheim. Based on the 1960 film, the tree contains more than 300,000 polyethylene leaves that cost $1 each in 1974. There are 1,400 branches and real Spanish Moss. The foundations are buried 42 feet into the ground. Overall, the tree is 60-feet tall and 90-feet in diameter. They even gave it a Latin name - Disneyodendron eximus, which means “out of the ordinary Disney tree.” This is also the only attraction in the Magic Kingdom with a foreign flag overhead (Switzerland). As you leave the attraction notice how many of the benches are made out of scraps from the ship. And they left their carving tools near the exit.Finally, the gateway from Adventureland is yet another example of the visual cross-dissolve. In this case, the Victorian era Crystal Palace, which was inspired by greenhouses such as the San Francisco Conservatory of Flowers, Kew Gardens in England, and the Crystal Palace in New York fits within both realms. The only difference is that the jungle edge gets much closer in Adventureland.Whew. Thank you for taking the tour.

HAPPY BIRTHDAY AMERICA!

WIU Magic Kingdom Tour - Part 1

Imagine you are an honors student at Western Illinois University (WIU) and you ran across this advertisement back in March 2010:“Not only is the Walt Disney World Resort in Orlando, Florida, one of the most popular vacation destinations in the world, it’s also a great example of effective communication by a multinational corporation. Communication of messages and information is planned is the smallest detail yet it is blended seamlessly so that the casual visitor never notices the flurry of communication going on around them.This Study Abroad Course allows participants a glimpse inside these carefully thought out communication processes. Three main areas of communication will be studied: nonverbal, organizational, and computer-mediated. By experiencing various tours and attractions at the resort, students will discover the layers of non-verbal communication utilized by the Disney Imagineers. Study of Disney’s organizational communication will be compared to actual on-site conditions. Specialized guest lecturers will round out the first-hand experiences.”Sounds pretty cool, eh?Luckily for me, I was selected as one of those ‘specialized guest lecturers. The class was called Communication Around the World and was put together by David Zanolla from the Communications Department. It was limited to Undergraduate Honors students. The course was limited in size and carried a pretty hefty reading list. David worked these students like they were rented mules and they seemed to really enjoy it. And may I say, what a great group. They came informed, excited, and curious.So let’s go for a walk through the Magic Kingdom. What follows is an abbreviated version of the tour.Stop 1 - The entrance plaza outside the turnstiles The sunrise over the Seven Seas Lagoon while standing in front of the Magic Kingdom void of guests is a beautiful site. Simply breathtaking. The only other people were those waiting for the Steam Train tour. While we waited for the waves of guests arriving for the Rope Drop I introduced the notion that the Disney theme parks are effective in non-verbal communication through the application of cinematic techniques on the design and construction of three-dimensional environments. This concept is at the heart of the design process and a signature Disney element. Since many of the early Imagineers came with theatrical backgrounds it makes sense that they would try to achieve Walt’s vision with what they knew.While standing the empty open space overlooking the lagoon, I reminded the class that the arrival experience to the Magic Kingdom was meant to unfold in stages in order to heighten the guest’s anticipation while removing them from the influence of the outside world. It is no accident that the theme park is at the very northern edge of the Disney property and you had to drive a long way from the Interstate to reach the parking lot. Walt Disney was very frustrated with the area surrounding his park. He called it a “second rate Las Vegas” and he always regretted not being able to purchase more land. If he got the chance to do this again he would make sure he had plenty of land in which to mold his dreams. I get into great detail about this experience in Magic Kingdom: A Grand Entrance Indeed . Another way to understand how and why things are laid out the way they are is to remember that visiting the Magic Kingdom is the same as walking through a movie. That was the effect that the Imagineers were trying to achieve. So the Main Street train station acts like the movie theater marquee while standing on the red bricks in front of the Mickey planter is the equal to standing on the red carpet of the “theater” lobby. The ‘show’ begins when the ‘curtain’ rises as you pass through the tunnels underneath the train tracks. As is my habit, I entered through the left hand tunnel.Stop 2 - Town SquareThe movie metaphor continues as you walk through the tunnels under the tracks. In order to create a smooth, seamless transition between scenes, the editor would typically create a cross-dissolve. One piece of film would fade while another shot subtly takes its place. Walking through the tunnels simulates that same effect very effectively. Your mind is fooled and you are transported from one environment into a completely different one. As you enter Town Square, you become throughly immersed within a very rich environment. Then you turn the corner and take the long shot down Main Street. Guests are further delighted by the contrast of a castle from medieval Europe as the view terminus to an American town from the turn of the last century. We took the Omnibus down Main Street and hogged the entire top bench. This gave me a chance to talk about other cinematic techniques that have been applied to the built environment including forced perspective and paying respect to the artists and administrators through in the form of tributes (the movie ‘credits’) in the upper windows along Main Street. The students identified other ways the Imagineers used visual and physical tricks to communicate to the audience in very subtle, yet very real ways. All of these tools are evident along Main Street USA.Stop 3 - The Plaza HubAt the Plaza Hub, I pointed out some of the urban design patterns that are embedded into the environment including the way the park is organized and how architecture can facilitate crowd distribution. As many know, the park is laid out in a radial plan called the “hub and spoke.” Along with the single entrance, this was a revolutionary way to organize an amusement park. The Plaza Hub is the crossroads and the paths radiate out from this hub. At the end of the corridors is an architectural element that acts as a view terminus or a “wienie” in the Disney nomenclature. Each path is marked with a gateway marker that imparts additional story information. For example, the bridge leading into Liberty Square is modeled after the Concord Bridge, which is also known as the Old North Bridge. This is the spot where the Minutemen faced off with the British in 1775. This is the moment when our nation changed and a appropriate start to our journey through America’s past. According to the Imagineers, the bridge is “deep” in meaning and represents crossing the ocean from the Old World to the New World.These are just three examples of the urban design patterns that have been echoed in virtually every other Disney theme park.We walked up the ramp on the left of the Castle into Fantasyland.Stop 4 - Where the Fantasyland Skyway station used to be. The next objective was to illustrate how the Imagineers use the language of architecture and archetypal truths to tell a very specific story.Let’s start with this example. How do you take people from Fantasyland to Liberty Square without creating a jarring transition? What does London (Peter Pan), Switzerland (The Skyway station), and  Colonial America have in common? They all share a common architectural language and the Imagineers only have to adjust the surrounding context to create the environment they desire. From this spot, you can see that the buildings feature heavy timber framing typical in the Tudor architectural style commonly found in Germany, Switzerland, Bavaria or England in the 1500s into the 1600s. The signage also helps to set the timeframe. Look at the entrance door to the Columbia Harbor House in Fantasyland and the signs are simple illustrations of fish and chickens that represent what is being served inside. Pass through the passageway between the two lands and you end up in New England some time in the mid-1700s. As it turns out, the same romanticized Tudor design language was a very popular style in the Colonies as well. On the Liberty Square side, the sign leading into the Columbia Harbor House are in English text and adorned with eagles. The language of Tudor design crosses the centuries and ties the two areas together. By changing the details and context just enough, the Imagineers have created a seamless transition, another cross-dissolve. There are a lot of examples within the Magic Kingdom where this happens. Liberty Square is rich in architectural details. The regions along the Atlantic seaboard are represented by clusters of buildings in the appropriate style. For example, there is a section representing New England in the Cape Code style, which is defined by a low, broad frame buildings that are generally a story and a half. They feature steep, perfectly pitched roofs with end gables, a large central chimney, and very little ornamentation.These clusters were not random. There is order in the form of the address system. The story goes that if you add “18” to the house number, you will reveal the year that architectural style was popular.Other details include the window above door 26 where you will see the two lanterns that Paul Revere has left behind, the wall at the end of the alley where you will see four interlocking fists, the symbol of trade unions or the sagging shutters and the leather straps. You know that story, right?One amusing quirk about Liberty Square is the lack of bathrooms. True to the theme, there are no indoor bathrooms. Now I can hear some of you saying “but Sam there are bathrooms inside of Columbia Harbor House and the Liberty Tree Tavern.” Technically, the Harbor House bathrooms are inside of Fantasyland (remember the doors?) and the ones in Liberty Tree Tavern have been place toward the back in Main Street. Stop 5 - In front of the Haunted MansionThe Haunted Mansion is set in New York’s Lower Hudson Valley. This is the land of Sleepy Hollow, The Headless Horseman, and Ichabod Crane. The exterior of the Haunted Mansion was designed by Imagineer Claude Coats who felt that he wanted it to look a bit scarier then the one at Disneyland to give parents a warning. He felt that Walt’s direction to keep the Haunted Mansion super clean was a bit tame. The effects for this attraction were built at the same time as Disneyland’s and was ready six months before the park opened.The Haunted Mansion is in the Dutch Gothic Revival style also known as Victorian Gothic or Neo-Gothic. This trend was started in England in the 1740s. The stone and brickwork is common to the English Tudor style as well. See how the common elements tie things together and prevent unseemly transitions? This style is defined by arches that thrust upward toward the sky and large stone foundations and cornerstones. The building has strong vertical lines to make it seem tall and forbidding. There is almost a claw-like appearance. If you look on top, some have suggested that the ornamentation is similar to chess pieces. Every piece is represented except the Knight. The Haunted Mansion is influenced by Harry Packer Mansion (1874) in Jim Thorpe PA and the Lyndhurst Mansion (1838) located in Tarrytown NY. Lyndhurst was the setting for the 1970 movie Dark Shadows.Stop 6 - The Hall of PresidentsThe Hall of Presidents is set in Colonial Philadelphia during the time period around 1787 when the United States Constitution was ratified. The buildings in this area are in the Federal Style. You see low-pitched rooflines sometimes with a balustrade. The windows are arranged symmetrically around a center doorway. Many times, there are narrow side windows that flank the doorway. Along the cornice are dentil moldings. They kind of look like teeth. You will also find elliptical or circular windows as well as oval rooms and lots of arches.Stop 7 - Footbridge areaThe cluster of buildings on the north side adjacent to the Liberty Square entry bridge are example of architecture popular in Dutch New Amsterdam (the forerunner of New York).Speaking of beginnings, the idea for Liberty Square was first proposed for Disneyland but never realized. In the early planning stages for the Magic Kingdom, the Imagineers recreating New Orleans Square at Disneyland would not work. The real city was too close to Florida to be truly exotic. With the America Bicentennial on the horizon, a patriotic themed seemed like a good idea. Here we are at the edge of a new society. Within Liberty Square, the gardens are rather formal in tribute to Thomas Jefferson and George Washington. The surrounding landscaping is informal and wild. The contrast is very deliberate. Look closely at the crates on the bridge you will notice they are marked TEA.Stop 8 - Ye Old Christmas ShoppeAcross the way from New Amsterdam is Colonial Williamsburg. The Ye Old Christmas Shoppe is three structures that are combined into one shop. The three interiors have very distinct themes. There is a music teacher’s shop, a woodcarver’s shop, and the home of a Pennsylvania German family named Kepple. Walt Disney’s grandfather was named Kepple Disney. If you look closely, you can see where there are smellitizers that can pump in scents into the area.Stop 9 - The Liberty TreeAt the heart of Liberty Square is The Liberty Tree. The tree represents the spirit of 1776 with each of the thirteen lanterns representing a different colony. The original Liberty Tree was the communal meeting place for Boston’s Sons of Liberty who were protesting the imposition of the Stamp Act. Early patriots replicated the tree in their communities as a symbol of their right to freedom of speech and assembly. The British troops were so threatened, they tried to cut down the Liberty Trees.This particular tree is very special. This tree is a 130-year old Southern Live Oak found by Bill Evans on the property about eight miles away.Bill Evans is the legendary landscape designer for Walt’s home in Holmby Hills, Disneyland, and the Magic Kingdom. The plans to move the tree started a year in advance. The tree weighed 38 tons and had a root ball that was 18 feet by 16 feet by 4 feet deep. It was the largest tree transplanted at that time. To move the tree, holes were bored through the trunk. However, the holes got infected and larger plugs were drilled and filled in. Another Southern Live Oak was grafted into the base of the tree.Another bit of trivia is the Liberty Bell. The bell was cast in 1989 and is the only one ever created from the same mold as the original.We walked toward the banks of the Rivers of America to talk about the one thing that does not fit in Liberty Square, the Liberty Belle steam paddle wheeler. This type of ship came much later than the time period represented in Liberty Square. Oh they try to hide it with the loading dock but we all know it should be over in Frontierland. The ship was originally named the Richard F. Irvine and was renamed the Liberty Belle in 1996. Once upon a time, there was a second paddle wheeler named the Admiral Joe Fowler. However, a dry dock accident crippled the ship and it was removed. More trivia? How deep is the Rivers of America? Would you believe about 7 feet?We have made it to the edge of the Frontier again. We need to head west into Frontierland. Come back next time to see how the Imagineers use their tricks to take us on  a journey through time and space.

THE NON-PC MOUSE PART 6

Book Review: Sunrise Over Disney

SUNRISE OVER DISNEY
By L.N. Smith aka Bert
L.N. Smith Publishing2011474 pages$16.95
http://amzn.com/0965331636
There are a number of books on the market that combine the real world of the Disney theme parks with the fantasy world of a good fiction book. Some examples that come immediately to mind include Nancy Temple Rodrigue’s Hidden Mickey series or Ridley Pearson’s Kingdom Keeperbooks. You can place Sunrise Over Disney by “Bert” in that category. However, Bert goes one step further and tosses in a Disney history lesson along with a personal philosophical journey that takes where no other Disney book has gone before.
The book introduces us to a family of self-claimed “intellectuals” from Madison, Wisconsin. In 2003, a joke becomes serious and the family decides to take an elaborate trip to Walt Disney World in a couple of years. Let the planning begin. I love the City of Madison and the location is frequently mentioned and compared to Walt Disney World.
As fate would have it, Dad would get a pink slip just before the big trip.
Once they decided to go the parent enter education overload and learn everything they can about the history and development of the Florida resort. They tell the kids bedtime stories about Walt’s early days going all the way back to Alice and Oswald. The author becomes conflicted with his passion for Walt. He quotes Disney biographer Bob Thomas, “[Walt Disney] had an uncanny capacity for reaching the human heart, hence causing nervousness and distrust among intellectuals.”
The history lessons are not limited to all things Walt Disney. There is discussion about the 1893 World’s Columbian Exposition in Chicago and the company town of Pullman. For me, I thought the comparisons to the World’s Fair and Walt’s vision for Disney World was a treat.
The book is also filled with good Disney trivia bits. For example, Mom (Mary) says this about Main Street USA in the Magic Kingdom; “Each peak has an American flag on it because every day is Independence Day here. But how do you suppose Disney raises and lowers all those hard to reach flags each day, in accordance with proper flag etiquette? The answer is, they don’t. Each flag is a forgery of misplaced stars and stripes, allowing Disney to sidestep the rules.” And then they get into a discussion about the names on the windows. They are even inspired by the book Queens of the Kingdom by repeating their observation that Splash Mountain features and awful lot of butt shots. They even go on about the Cast Member training programs and the way Disney delivers services to their customers. This book covers a wide range of topics.
Like Zelig or Forrest Gump the family tends to find itself in wonderful and mystical places while visiting Walt Disney World including the apartment in Cinderella Castleand on a monorail that catches fire.
At one point, the father comes to realize his mission in life is to write a book. A book very similar in tone and style as the one I am reviewing. Is this fiction or an autobiography? Don’t get me started on the Jungle Cruise section of the book. Welcome to world history 101.
The connection for me was the family reflecting upon what could have been at Walt Disney World. The author’s interest is similar to mine and look what happened. I wrote a book with a touch of autobiography. Go figure.
If you enjoy blending fact, fiction, a bit of theology, history, philosophy, personal self-reflection, and almost everything else in one volume then I think you will enjoy Sunrise. The book is well written and it will make you think.
What is quite amazing is the bibliography tops out at 8 pages for a fiction book.
I received a copy of this book for free from the publisher for the purpose of this review.