Disney Parks Blog - Banner Headers, part 5

Photography plays a hugely important part of the Disney Parks Blog’s presentation, which may go without saying. The Parks themselves are designed and landscaped in such a way that they’re quite photogenic and of which are difficult to take bad shots unless one truly isn’t trying.

Unfortunately, photo credits are not widely presented on the blog. However, I’ve noted these few photographer/ contributors: Gene Duncan, Garth Vaughan, Paul Hiffmeyer, Tom Bricker, Matt Stroshane, and Ali Nasser.

To-day’s topic of the blog headers: the 2012 opening of Disney’s Art of Animation Resort.

— DISNEY’S ART OF ANIMATION RESORT —

— Walt Disney World, FL —

Disneyanadociaous rating so far: (6/10): D D D D D D - - - - 

[read part 1: Standard Banners]

[read part 2: Castles]

[read part 3: Cars Land]

[read part 4: Star Wars Weekends]

[read part 6: New Fantasyland, WDW]

[read part 7: Fireworks]

[read part 8: Disney Animal Kingdom]

[read part 9: Anniversaries]
[read part 10: 2014 Events]

Samples from the photographers:

Gene Duncan (Walt Disney World)

http://disneyparks.disney.go.com/blog/2009/09/fantasyland-forever/

Garth Vaughan (WDW)

http://disneyparks.disney.go.com/blog/2010/01/walt-disney-world-photography-cinderella/

Paul Hiffmeyer (Chief Photographer for Public Relations, Disneyland Resort)

http://disneyparks.disney.go.com/blog/2010/08/one-stop-searching-paul-hiffmeyer/

Tom Bricker (WDW)

http://disneyparks.disney.go.com/blog/2014/06/disney-parks-after-dark-beasts-castle-after-sundown/

Matt Stroshane (WDW)

http://disneyparks.disney.go.com/blog/2014/05/interactive-image-360-degrees-of-disney-characters-at-disney-parks/

Ali Nasser (WDW)

http://disneyparks.disney.go.com/blog/2012/07/exploring-disney-parks-after-dark/

All images © Disney Enterprises.

Maleficent

Maleficent [PG] - Action/ Adventure/ Family

May 30, 2014 - Disney

Directed by Robert Stromberg

Grade: D

Down-graded from C.

par: Maleficent (Angelina Jolie) character development.

-1: Characters who are not Maleficent, incl. Pixies (Imelda Staunton, Lesley Manville, and Juno Temple) and King Stefan (Sharlto Copley).

-1: Story as inspired by Walt Disney’s classic animated feature.

-1: CGI creature effects.

par: Story tone and art direction.

[synopsis on IMDB]

15 Stunning Disneyland Foods and Drinks Worth Waiting in Line For

posted by Dominique Zamora
on FoodBeast.com, April 2, 2014

Disneyland: home of fantastical fireworks, rip-roaring rides, more souvenirs than you can shake a four-fingered glove at — and, it so happens, some of the best theme park food this side of Arendelle.

1. Peanut Butter & Jelly Soda 
(Carnation Cafe, Main Street, Disneyland Park)

2. The Uh-Oh!
(Trader Sam’s Bar at the Disneyland Hotel)

3. Wine and Cheese Box
(Medocino Terrance, Pacific Wharf, California Adventure Park)

4. The Zombie
(Cove Bar, Paradise Pier (behind Ariel’s Grotto Restaurant) California Adventure Park)

5. Matterhorn Macaroon
(Jolly Holiday Bakery, Main Street, Disneyland Park)

6. Dole Whip, Salted Caramel, Strawberry Cream-Flavored Churros
(California Churro Cart, Downtown Disney (near The LEGO Store))

7. DoleWhip
(The Enchanted Tiki Room, Adventureland, Disneyland Park)

8. Chocolate Covered Peanut Butter Sandwich
(Pooh’s Corner, Critter Country, Disneyland Park)

9. Beignets
(Mint Julep Bar, New Orleans Square, Disneyland Park) (also the Jazz Kitchen in Downtown Disney)

10. Lobster Roll
(Harbour Galley, Critter Country, Disneyland Park)

11. Carnitas Nachos
(White Water Snacks at The Grand Californian (by the pool))

12. Broasted Chicken
(Plaza Inn, Main Street, Disneyland Park)

13. Barbecue Chicken Stuffed Baked Potato
(Harbour Galley, Critter Country, Disneyland Park)

14. Lobster Nachos
(Cove Bar, Paradise Pier, California Adventure Park)

15. The Monte Cristo
(Cafe Orleans, New Orleans Square, Disneyland Park)

Honorable mentions: Corn Dogs at Little Red Wagon and Corn Dog Castle, Red Velvet Push-Pops at Hearthstone Lounge, Cookie Bakes at Big Thunder Ranch Barbecue, Bacon-Wrapped Asparagus at Bengal Barbecue, Elote (chili-lime corn on the cob) on the Boardwalk, House Biscuits at Carthay Circle, Chorizo and Eggs Breakfast Scramble Cone at Cozy Cone.

[read the whole article with descriptions and pictures]
http://www.foodbeast.com/2014/04/02/the-top-15-must-eats-and-drinks-at-the-disneyland-resort/

Disney Parks Blog - Banner Headers, part 4

1987 - Star Tours, a motion simulator attraction, debuts at Disneyland, CA. It is billed as “from the creative forces of Disney and George Lucas.”

1989 - Star Tours opens in both Tokyo Disneyland and Disney-MGM Studios (now Disney’s Hollywood Studios), Walt Disney World.

1992 - Euro Disneyland (now Disneyland Park, Paris) opens with Star Tours as one of its original attractions.

1997 - Disney-MGM Studios (now Disney’s Hollywood Studios) hosts the first of its “Star Wars Weekends,” a festival featuring appearances of characters from the Star Wars franchise, a parade and stage shows.

2011 - Star Tours is updated to Star Tours: The Adventure Continues in 3-D in both Disneyland Park, CA and Disney’s Hollywood Studios. Tokyo Disneyland’s is updated in 2013.

2012 - Disney buys Lucasfilm including the Star Wars franchise from George Lucas.

I like Disney and the Disney Parks. 

I like Star Wars. 

I like Star Tours. 

So, why after a 27 year old association, does a electric tickle of irony arise in the back of my brain when I see Darth Vader and Imperial Stormtroopers in a Disney Park? 

Probably it has to do with one word, “wars.” Because in my lifetime experience, the quintessential Disney stories were about personal growth and heroic journeys of a few friends in fantastic settings. While that squarely describes Luke Skywalker in George Lucas’ space-fantasy, it’s the charismatic Darth Vader and his Stormtroopers that are the centerpieces of Star Wars Weekends. For the uninformed, Darth Vader is the bad guy.

Oh well.

This weekend is the last of Star Wars Weekends for 2014.

These are 20 special banners from Disney Parks Blog celebrating SWW:

– STAR WARS WEEKENDS —

– Disney’s Hollywood Studios, Walt Disney World, FL –

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

[read part 1: Standard Banners]

[read part 2: Castles]

[read part 3: Cars Land]

[read part 5: Disney’s Art of Animation Resort]

[read part 6: New Fantasyland, WDW]

[read part 7: Fireworks]

[read part 8: Disney Animal Kingdom]

[read part 9: Anniversaries]
[read part 10: 2014 Events]

All images © Disney Enterprises.

Quiz: 20 PIXAR Thingamabobs for

20 PIXAR Thingamabobs for You to Identify:
posted on Disney Insider June 12, 2012.

Are you up to the challenge?
[take the quiz]
http://blogs.disney.com/insider/2014/06/11/quiz-20-pixar-thingamabobs-for-you-to-identify/

[take the quiz Disney with Disney thingamabobs]
http://blogs.disney.com/insider/2014/05/01/quiz-thingamabobs-weve-got-twenty-for-you-to-identify/

Disney Parks Blog - Banner Headers, part 3

In the summer 2012, Cars Land opened in Disney California Adventure (DCA), Disneyland Resort, CA. The themed addition is located on what was once the “Timon” parking lot, designated with the creation of DCA in 2001, both of which, of course, were built on a parcel of land that once was the guest parking lot for the original Disneyland park.

The district or “land” added three attractions and three restaurants/ food service areas and a few shops to the park. As small as it is, it may yet have been the most successful real life recreation of a Disney (or Disney/PIXAR) film, looking and feeling like the main drag of Radiator Springs - like the “actual” Radiator Springs that might have inspired the events of the Cars films.

This may have over shadowed the official completion of DCA’s five-year long redesign of that summer including the unveiling of Buena Vista Street, formerly Sunshine Plaza. The new themed land also features the Carthay Circle Restaurant, a re-creation of the Los Angeles Carthay Circle Theatre, which in 1937 showcased the premiere of Walt Disney’s Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs. The new building may well be a proper iconic landmark in the way that castles serve other Disney parks - better than the now removed Sun icon in the plaza or the Grizzly Peak bear head.

Disney Parks Blog, being what it is, updated itself with Cars Land themed banner headers and new shots of DCA.

Here are ten gorgeous DCA headers:

– CARS LAND –

– Disney California Adventures, Disneyland Resort, CA –

– BUENA VISTA STEET –

– Disney California Adventure, Disneyland, CA – 

– MORE DCA – 

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

[read part 1: Standard Banners]

[read part 2: Castles]

[read part 4: Star Wars Weekends]

[read part 5: Disney’s Art of Animation Resort]

[read part 6: New Fantasyland, WDW]

[read part 7: Fireworks]

[read part 8: Disney Animal Kingdom]

[read part 9: Anniversaries]
[read part 10: 2014 Events]

All images ©Disney Enterprises.

Godzilla, Vol. 6, No. 1

Godzilla [PG-13]
Action/ Sci-Fi/ Thriller

2014 - Warner Bros.

Directed by Gareth Edwards

Grade: B

Up-graded from B.

+1: Giant monsters (Kaiju) fighting in cities at night.

Par: Humans including Joe Brody (Bryan Cranston), Dr. Serizawa (Ken Wantanabe).

Par: Monster designs.

-1: Story convenient placement of characters incl. Ford Brody (Aaron Taylor-Johnson)

Par: Movie physics.

[synopsis on IMDB]

X-Men, No. 5

X-Men: Days of Future Past [PG-13]

Action/ Adventure/ Fantasy

2014 - 20th Century Fox

Directed by Bryan Singer

Grade: B+

Up-graded from B.

Par: Character development.

+1: Mutant action including Blink’s (Bingbing Fan) teleporting and Peter’s (a.k.a. Quicksilver, Evan Peters) speed dimension.

-1: Curious rules of time travel.

Par: Political intrigue and espionage story over civil rights story.

+1: Franchise serial installment.

[synopsis on IMDB]

Par: Bonus teaser clip following end credits of next X-Men movie, “Apocalypse”.

What Disney Parks Snack Do You Crave?

Posted by Pam Brandon, Disney Parks Food Writer on DisneyParksBlog, June 6, 2014.
http://disneyparks.disney.go.com/blog/2014/06/what-disney-parks-snack-do-you-crave/

Brand New

Brand New is a division of UnderConsideration. Its sole purpose is to chronicle and provide opinions on corporate and brand identity work. We cover redesigns and new designs of well-known products, companies, and organizations. Brand New is edited and 99% written by Armin Vit.
http://www.underconsideration.com/brandnew/

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