Thursday, July 31, 2014

Disney Parks Blog - Banner Headers, part 8

Which is better: Disneyland or Disney World? I think how one answers that question more shows one’s own biases than a well-considered, impartial conclusion.

On the west coast, Disneyland Park is the original and the park that Walt worked on from start to opening trough its successful first eleven years. Disneyland Resort also includes the second Park, Disney California Adventure, hotels and a shopping district is spread out over about 400 acres not including parking and non-entertainment developments. If you were to check out Disneyland site, the Original Park has 53 listed attractions.

On the east coast, Walt Disney World is a huge complex blessed with size at over 27,000 acres that’s comprised of four major theme parks, water parks, resorts, shopping districts and more. The Magic Kingdom, its first park and mostly Disneyland Park analog has 43 list attractions on its site today.

I won’t attempt to offer any type of answer here. You can find plenty of other sites who run through comprehensive and exhaustive compare and contrasts lists on the matter.

However, to my core statement, if every answer to the question is subjective, does the Disney Parks Blog reveal any sort of bias between the two resort complexes? I think that they do post more about Disneyland than the other parks. The blog definitely posts about the Disney Cruise Lines the least. I think the topic distribution has to do with the the blog being a portal for new things, and Disneyland probably introduces more new things, mostly in the form of events and merchandise, to cater to the sizable percentage of guests who live in Orange County and regard the Park pretty much as their playground. Judging by the headers in part one of this series, Disneyland is represented most. Almost conspicuously on the low end is Disney’s Animal Kingdom (DAK).

— DISNEY’S ANIMAL KINGDOM —
— Walt Disney World, FL —


— DISNEYLAND PARK —
— Disneyland Resort, CA —

— DISNEY CALIFORNIA ADVENTURE —
— Disneyland Resort, CA —

These Banner Headers appeared in rotation earlier this year. The DAK headers bolstering for a grossly under-represented park, even if about half of them look like some body else’s vacation photos - some body else’s professionally shot vacation photos.

The Disneyland Frozen Meet-and-Greet might be a good reason to usher in new Disneyland themed headers, as perhaps one for the stage-show Mickey and the Magical Map. However, since, as a whole, randomizing banner headers need not be an attempt to show everything that’s a blog has, and therefore they needn’t represent more of Tomorrowland or Critter Country, the new Disneyland headers end up being nice additions because they’re pretty.

 Disneyanadocious rating so far: (8/10): D D D D D D D D - -


For an interesting analysis of how Disneyland is designed for its size, read The Awkward Transitions of Disneyland! on Passport To Dreams blog.

All images © Disney Enterprises.

Wednesday, July 23, 2014

“Marry You” Cannon



Published by ScottBradleyLovesYa Dec. 29, 2012
on YouTube

An alternate universe of pop music.

Violinist David Wong stopped by to help Scott create some 21st century wedding music: a mashup of Bruno Mars’ “Marry You” and Canon in D, Wagner’s “Here Comes the Bride” Wedding March, “Jesu, Joy of Man's Desiring,” and Mendelssohn’s “Wedding March.” 

http://youtu.be/HFQrHE2H8Ho?list=PLtgRxzvQqsdTfP2OmLcVBb4DNAch0f7Ze

blog: http://www.postmodernjukebox.com

Edge of Tomorrow

Edge of Tomorrow [PG-13] - Action/ Sci-Fi
June 6, 2014 - Village Roadshow
Directed by Doug Liman

Grade: B+
Up-graded from B.

Par: Cast: Tom Cruise (Major William Cage), Emily Blunt (Rita Vrataski), and Bill Paxton (Master Sergeant Farell).

+1: Dark comedy of a war-time “Groundhog Day”.

Par: Alien (Mimics) design and animation.

Par: “Cut the head off, the body dies” battle strategy.

Par: Screenplay: Christopher McQuarrie, Jez Butterworth. John-Henry Butterworth.



Rapture-Palooza

Rapture-Palooza [R] - Comedy/ Fantasy
June 7, 2013 - Lionsgate
Directed by Paul Middleditch

Viewed on Netflix

Grade: B+
Up-graded from B

+1: Cast including Craig Robinson (The Beast), and Anna Kendrick (Lindsey).

+1: Foul-mouthed crows and abusive locusts.

Par: Strangely functional post-rapture society.

Par: Terrible songs sung by Craig Robinson.

-1: Conclusion.



Tuesday, July 22, 2014

Disney Parks Blog - Banner Headers, part 7

Fireworks in the night over a Disney castle. It’s been a Disney iconic image ever since it was depicted in the animated opening scenes of the black and white ABC anthology series Walt Disney Presents (1958-1961). Then the image became indelibly Disney with the series’  move to NBC and the move to color (!) in the opening sequence of Walt Disney’s Wonderful World of Color (1961-1969). It continues in to the present in Walt Disney Pictures’ vanity titles for its feature films with a fly over pan of a computer generated three-dimensional fantasy castle (c. 2006).

Well, Disney Parks Blog had them too (either in July or for the new year).

— FIREWORKS OVER SLEEPING BEAUTY CASTLE —
—Disneyland, Disneyland Resort —

— FIREWORKS & THE MATTERHORN —
—Disneyland, Disneyland Resort —

— FIREWORKS OVER CINDERELLA CASTLE —
—Magic Kingdom, Walt Disney World, FL —

Disneyanadocious rating so far: (8/10)  D D D D D D D D - -

All images ©Disney Enterprises.

Tuesday, July 15, 2014

Word Animals


Australian designer Dan Fleming created 20 animal designs using the letters their names. The collection was featured on Buzzfeed and “crocodile” was selected for the inaugural logo pond book.

[the word animal portfolio]
[Dan Fleming’s site]
http://danfleming.co.uk/#/

About Dan Fleming (2013): I am a tall, half British/ half Australian graphic designer, currently working for 829 Studios, a digital design agency in Boston, USA.

Found on Logoblog
http://www.logoblog.org
[article]

Saturday, July 12, 2014

Disney Parks Blog - Banner Headers, part 6

In 2012, Cars Land and the completion of a renovated Disney California Adventure were great for the west coast resort. That same year, a new resort complex in the form of Disney’s Art of Animation wasn’t a bad addition for the east coast resort. But in December 2012, came the highly anticipated official opening of the Magic Kingdom’s “New Fantasyland.”

The renovations included several new attractions. “Under the Sea: Journey of the Little Mermaid” was complete with Prince Eric’s sea-side palace façade. “Pete’s Silly Sideshow” in the Storybook Circus area replaced the State Fair themed “Mickey’s Toontown Fair” along with a relocated “Dumbo the Flying Elephant” carousel-type attraction that re-opened with two(!) side-by-side spinners. This year, with the grand opening of the “Seven Dwarfs Mine Train” roller coaster, the expansion was completed.

Unfortunately, “Snow White’s Scary Adventures” was closed and it’s place now stands “Princess Fairytale Hall” meet and greet location. Several figures from “Snow White” have been used in the “Mine Train” attraction.

And a section themed like the village from Beauty and the Beast is home to two restaurants, “Gaston’s Tavern” and the “Be Our Guest Restaurant” table service restaurant. The Beast’s castle visible atop not too distant mountains. And guests can enjoy “Enchanted Tales with Belle” in recreation of Maurice’s (and Belle’s) cottage.

Lastly, a rest area has a Tangled theme with a recreation of Rapunzel’s tower home in the distance.

— NEW FANTASYLAND (2012) —
— Magic Kingdom, Walt Disney World, FL —




 Disneyanadocious rating so far: (7/10): D D D D D D D - - -

All images ©Disney Enterprises.

Thursday, July 10, 2014

11 Times Mickey Mouse Was Banned

posted by Stacy Conradt on MentalFloss.com, July 7, 2014

Despite being one of the world’s most recognizable and beloved characters, it hasn’t always been smooth sailing for Mickey. A number of countries—and even U.S. states—have banned the cartoon rodent at one time or another for reasons both big and small.