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Roundtable
Contributors: Elizabeth Caran (Outlander
Travel), Estelle Hallick (This Happy Place), Eric Hoffman (Netmongrel), Alan Mize, Melissa Sue
Sorrells Galley (Mouse on the Mind), Blake Taylor (BlakeOnline.com),
Andrew (Disney
Hipsters Blog), and yours truly.
Andrew (Disney Hipsters
Blog)
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It has been a slow week in the
"community," especially where parks are concerned. But, hurrah! We do have some fabulous
extra-curricular Disney news! A stage
adaptation of the 1992 animated classic Aladdin is set to debut on broadway in
2014! Probably making its run at the New
Amsterdam theater, current home of Mary Poppins, this new show will be loosely
based on a similar truncated version at Disney California Adventure. While not our favorite attraction at the
park, by any means, we were surprised at how well it has held up after ten years
of continuous shows. Out of all of the
1990's comeback era Disney films, this one makes the most sense as a broadway
musical. It has terrific songs, lovely
exotic setting, and plenty of legitimate humor. (where, say, Beauty and the
Beast or Little Mermaid did not) I'm super excited to see how this plays out.
Estelle Hallick (This
Happy Place)
Disney Broadway news has been flying high
lately, even with the Sunday closing of Peter and the Starcatcher. (The play
will reopen Off-Broadway at the New World Stages on March 18.) That’s right!
Disney Theatrical officially announced Aladdin the Musical will be making its
home at the New Amsterdam Theatre in 2014. A new script, new tunes, and set
design will first seen in Toronto for a pre-Broadway tryout in the fall of this
year.
As exciting as a new musical is, I’m
hoping Disney is considering past blunders (The Little Mermaid) and putting
their thinking caps on (ala The Lion King) when it comes to presenting their
first big budget show in a few years. (Newsies only cost a few million compared
to the $12 million budget of Aladdin.) With such great songs and a story that
encompasses romance, comedy, and friendship, I’m truly hoping for a hit.
Food and Beverage and Flowers... Oh My!
Eric Hoffman (Netmongrel)
It was announced that the 2013 Epcot International Flower & Garden Festival will feature edibles for the first time in the 20 year running of the event.
According to the Orlando Sentinel there will be a dozen eateries throughout
World Showcase with regionally inspired foods.
Of all the offerings mentioned, one that many Disney fans will find
particularly intriguing is a Dole Whip with Spiced Rum. Once again, a Dole Whip with Spiced Rum.
This mash-up of the Flower/Garden and Food/Wine festivals sounds like a
great thing to me. A Dole Whip and some
outdoor dining are perfect for admiring the transformation that overtakes Epcot
during the Flower & Garden Festival.
Sign me up!
Blake Taylor (BlakeOnline.com)
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A simple search of "Limited Time Magic" on the Disney Parks Blog
makes clear the differences that Disneyland and Walt Disney World have partaken
in this celebration thus far. While each resort has indeed lived up to its
promise of bringing new magic into its Parks for a limited time only, the
qualifications for that magic seem to be on vastly different scales. Disneyland
has seen elaborate festivals, small shows, and even the return of the legendary
Golden Horseshoe Revue. The only truly exciting offering for WDW thus far came
this week, with vintage characters returning to the Magic Kingdom for exclusive
photo opportunities, from the semi-regular (like Pinocchio) to the rarest of
the rare (like Ludwig Von Drake... !).
Granted, it's still January and there's a lot of 2013 left for WDW to prove
this statement wrong, but Disneyland has definitely gotten the better end of
the deal here. However, it's interesting to note that the majority of
Disneyland's Limited Time Magic events so far are nothing new. They happen
every single year, but are just more heavily promoted this year to tie in with
the promotion. Disneyland regularly plays host to smaller, shorter holiday
events like Mardi Gras and Lunar New Year, while WDW hardly ever recognizes
anything less than a major holiday. That being said, it brings to light a
fascinating possibility: could Limited Time Magic be testing grounds for WDW to
implement more intimate, Disneyland-esque events? The characters from this
week's Long Lost Friends lineup are pretty close to the characters my family
met in Town Square in 2003 before they were "long lost." Could the
success of initiatives like this encourage WDW to have more randomly selected
character greetings throughout the Parks like it once did, like Disneyland
still does? It is certainly too early to wager any guesses to these questions,
but I think they're worth considering. Limited Time Magic might just be the
start of a new face of WDW entertainment.
Elizabeth Caran (Outlander
Travel)
This week, at the Sundance film festival, Escape From Tomorrow has created
a bit of a buzz. It's not a Disney movie at all, but rather a film that was
created in both the Florida and California parks without the knowledge or
permission of Disney. According to Slate, even guests who might have passed by
during filming may not know they are in a movie. On top of that, the movie is
not necessarily the sort of story Disney wants associated with their brand.
It will be very interesting to see how Disney handles this, or even if they
have to handle it at all. As the article points out, with the power of Disney's
brand and influence simply existing, it's unlikely most distributors would pick
up the film. I must admit I am intrigued by it, however. The parks make an
excellent setting for drama of all sorts, but especially drama around a family
vacation. National Lampoon danced around it in 1983 with their infamous movie
about the journey to Walley World. We know that some fantastic stories (both
true and fiction) could be set in and around our favorite vacation destination.
In this case, the reviews are mixed and it's possible that the most
interesting thing about this movie is how it was made and the fact that it was
made at all. Even if it never gets anywhere, I'm sure we'll be seeing it on a
You Tube channel somewhere if we really want to see it. And I think I kind of
do want to see it...
Alan Mize
Sunday February 2nd isn’t just any Sunday, it’s Super Bowl Sunday. Even though my favorite team (Go Skins!) has
been knocked out of the playoffs, I’m still looking forward to getting together
with friends and family and watching the game.
Now, since I’ll be at home, my plans are pretty easy. However, for those of you down at Walt Disney
World that week, it may not be as easy for you.
Sure, there are plenty of sports bars in Orlando that you could go to,
but if you want to stay on property, your options are somewhat limited. Most of the resorts will probably show the
game in some public setting. Generally,
that’s the pool area. There’s always the
ESPN Club on the Boardwalk. They’ve got
great bar food and tons of televisions so I’m sure you’d have fun there. But this year, Disney is offering up something
new. Over at the newest addition to
Downtown Disney, Splitsville Luxury Lanes will be throwing a Super “Bowl-ing”
Party. With 40 flat screen TV’s in the
building, it would be nearly impossible not to see the game. Plus they will be having complimentary
appetizers and an open bar. There are a
few things worth mentioning here. This
event is for guests 21 and over, and there is a $75 cover charge which sounds
like a lot, but part of the proceeds of the event go to the Clean the World
Foundation which donates soap and shampoo products to impoverished nations
around the world. So, not only do you
get to watch the game on 40 televisions, eat all of the appetizers you want,
and drink enough rum drinks to make Captain Jack Sparrow jealous, you also get
to support a local charity which helps those in need. So, if you’re at Walt Disney World the
weekend of the Super Bowl and you don’t already have plans, check out the Super
Bowl-ing party over at Splitsville Luxury Lanes.
Melissa Sue Sorrells Galley (Mouse
on the Mind)
Yesterday, Disney Parks Blog officially announced that A Pirate’s
Adventure: Treasures of the Seven Seas is coming our way, and I'm looking
forward to playing it in Magic Kingdom's Adventureland. Of course, I miss the
Adventureland Challenge—the CM-hosted treasure hunt around the jungles of the
world—but this seems like an even-more interactive version of those old time fun
times. Let's shoot off some cannons and be answerin’ to no man or stinkin’
go’ernment. Plan For As Soon As It Comes Out: Get my face painted at the
Pirates League, and then raid the Kingdom!! Care to join me?
Ryan P. Wilson (Main
Street Gazette)
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A pirates life may be a wonderful life,
but we’ll find out for sure one way or another when the Magic Kingdom unveils A
Pirate’s Adventure: Treasures of the Seven Seas. The game will include a
talisman which helps guests complete five missions, grab treasure from the
Seven Seas, and fight off the foes of Captain Jack Sparrow. This makes the
fourth interactive game launched in Walt Disney World, behind Agent P’s World
Showcase Adventure, Sorcerers of the Magic Kingdom, and the recently announced
Wilderness Explorers coming to Disney’s Animal Kingdom.
While I would love to fight alongside
Witty Jack, I am greatly concerned about the saturation level of Adventureland.
The land has always been an intimate, small land filled with great nooks and
crannies. To see the cramped nature of this land you need look no further than
Fire Portal for Sorcerers of the Magic Kingdom, tucked away along a walkway in
a cabinet that makes it very difficult for other guests to maneuver by. I’ve
seen some of the Seven Seas locations and while there does appear to be more
space for each of these ports, long lines and Adventureland’s everyday
congestion do have me worried.
My second concern is when does Disney’s
Hollywood Studios get its interactive game? I’d love to see a Star Wars game,
it doesn’t really work to turn loose a Stormtrooper on the Hollywood Tower
Hotel. The Muppets, however, who already have a great game aboard the Disney
Fantasy known as The Midship Detective Agency, are primed for a run at a Great
Muppet Caper in the land of Hollywood.
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