When you wish upon a star

This past Saturday I spent 14 hours at the Happiest Place on Earth…yes, that would be Disneyland. It’s true; you walk through those gates and a smile magically comes upon your face. You can’t help but to feel like all your troubles are gone and Mickey will make everything better. I think of all the thousands of people there I heard only 1 kid crying…just that alone makes it a place you would want to go.

But…yes there is a but…I really think they should get rid of some old rides and bring in some new. My list of rides that should be banished from this kingdom are-

1. Star Tours- It has to do with Star Wars…was that even a Disney movie.
2. Honey I Shrunk the Audience – With all the new 3D Disney movies this one is now ancient.
3. Winnie the Pooh ride – And this one is new…I think an intern designed this one. Wake me up when it’s over.
4. Innoventions – Big mistake…I want Carousel of Progress back.
5. Tarzan’s Tree House – Could have been so much better…not much imagination used on this one.
6. Nemo – You can so tell this is a 100,000 Leagues Under the Sea leftover.

I think if Walt were alive he would agree with me on my list. If anyone in Disneyland Development is reading I am available for employment. I have ideas! Oh…and KUDOS to whoever thought of Buzz Lightyear…now that was genuis!!

Let me know what rides you think should leave and which should stay.

When you wish upon a star…

Looks like Disney is having some trouble with boys 6 to 14…they don’t like princesses or Hannah Montana. Way back in the day of Davy Crockett the boys were interested but lately Disney has paid more attention to girls (wow, that’s a first for society). Disney has hired Kelly Pena aka, “the kid whisperer” to dig inside the complex minds of these boys. Good luck to her…does anyone really understand boys/men??? It appears that the media companies have a difficult time trying to figure out the boys’ entertainment market.

Research shows that guys hop around more than girls from sports to TV to video games. And since girls are more willing to talk about their feelings it’s harder to understand the male mind. Seriously, is Disney just learning all this now? Walt is turning over in his grave now…for some reason I think he would have had this dilemma figured out; Walt was a man of vision.

Are boys different now than they were 40 years ago? I think both boys and girls are different; they are growing up faster and not as innocent as before. I think now when most boys over 10 hear Disney they do think it’s for girls…they do overdue it a bit with the princesses.

What’s the answer…I wish I knew. If I could figure out the answer to Disney’s problem I would be rich and be able to see all the princesses all the time!!

The Hills are Alive

I did end up watching both The Sound of Music and The Ten Commandments this past Easter weekend (well, most of the movies…they are both so damn long). I had to laugh because I watched The Sound of Music with a 12 year old that has never seen it.  She kept stating how “predictable” it was, she knew right away the governess and captain would get together. She also knew the exact moment the captain would have a change of heart. I think what she didn’t realize was that the predictability was only because all the movies in her time have been copied from the classics. This was made in 1965…was it predictable then?

 She did know a lot of the songs but unless you were born under a rock you have to know Doe a deer, a female deer. Gwen Stefani made The Lonely Goatherd known by the youth of today from her re-make which is wonderful. But what this 12 year old didn’t guess was that this story is true and that this family did not want to support Hitler and at the end hikes over the hill to Switzerland. (In reality the real Von Trapp family walked to the local train station and boarded the next train to Italy, from which they fled to London and ultimately the United States). And for some strange reason I doubt the governess made all the children clothes from the drapes…even the Von Trapp kids would have to know how geeky they looked.

I do know that Julie Andrews was perfect for this role, she had both that old time Hollywood beauty and an innocence that made it all come together to help the movie win the Oscar that year. How can you not like Julie Andrews…her voice is still heard at Disneyland every night on Main Street. She is a classic among classics.

It’s a changed world afterall

Living only an hour from Disneyland I have visited my favorite theme park at least a dozen times or so. Next time I go I will keep an open mind although I’m not pleased with what I have heard about the remodel of “It’s a Small World”. This ride is one of those traditional rides where you just sit back with the family and enjoy the somewhat corny song “It’s a Small World” while traveling through the different countries of the world. This ride debuted in 1964 at the World’s Fair in NY as a benefit to the U.N. Children’s Fund and later moved to Disneyland two years later.

As for the changes that have taken place, they have added characters from movies such as Stitch (the blue alien), Ariel, Aladdin, and some Toy Story characters. To me they took a generic boat ride that was all about kids from around the world and turned it into a Disneyland cruise when they added their characters. I didn’t think they should have added Johnny Depp to the Pirates ride but I dealt with it. I really hope they didn’t ruin this one…the classic!

Disney states it hopes adding what it calls “new magic” to the 43 year old attraction will attract more riders and create new traditions for young families who don’t identify with “Small World” as strongly as previous generations. This statement irritates me, if you want to change a ride then change Mr. Toads Wild Ride but don’t mess with a ride that was from the World’s Fair. Why can’t a “young family” identify with a ride dedicated to kids from around the world, I would have to guess Walt would not like this. If Disney owned the Statue of Liberty would they add Mickey sitting in the Crown just to attract “young families”.

If you’re not a true Disney fan then you just won’t understand.

The dreaded season

Two months from today will be Christmas Eve, the night that presents are put under the tree. I would have to bet that in most households there will be a lot more room under that tree. Yesterday I was at the mall and yes it was a Thursday but still it was dead, in some stores I could hear that clothespin hit the floor. In Macy’s I couldn’t find a pair of shoes and the salesperson said “please, don’t give up, we are so bored”.  If anyone is familiar with the Brass Plum department in Nordstrom, well I was the ONLY person shopping at the time…it is usually packed with young women. It was actually an eerie feeling.  JC Penney had all their Christmas decorations at 50% off already, that’s early. Oh, and we know the recession is hitting Abercrombie, have you seen the latest poster at the front door to lure you in…the guy might as well be naked. The pants are getting lower and lower, you can see his groin area. They are also spraying more of that obnoxious perfume at the door that lingers out into the mall that makes me gag. And why is it so dark there…do they not want you to see the merchandise or prices?

I know this year my list is basically nothing and maybe it’s a good thing. Christmas has gotten out of control…it seemed like you had to buy everyone, including the person at the DMV who took your photo for your new license a Christmas present! I know it’s corny but present’s are not the reason for the season people! One year my kids and I decided that you had to buy your gift on ebay and the limit was $20.00…that made it fun and a challenge; we all loved it! I know one family who are not exchanging presents this year, instead they are all spending the day together at Disneyland…now something like that is cool. So start thinking now of a fun way for you and your family to save money. Feel free to comment with suggestions!