Disneyland To Close Attractions For Star Wars Land Renovation

So, here's the thing.

In order to stay "new" and "fresh" and "exciting," theme parks have to change: old rides have to be updated, outdated film references have to be re-imagined (RIP Twenty Thousand Leagues Under the Sea ride....and Maelstrom), and new technology has to be utilized.

I get it.

The theme park industry, after all, is highly competitive. Launching a shiny new roller coaster is a big deal, and why would anyone want to keep going to a theme park if it's exactly the same as it was the last time? (...she said (somewhat) sarcastically; I think there's something comforting in the familiar.)

And Walt Disney himself would seem to agree:

And anyone who's ever been to a Disney Park and seen the "Pardon Our Pixie Dust" signs with the inspirational Walt Disney quotes knows that Disney parks are never completed: they're constantly changing.

(c) SRisonS @ Flickr

And, for the most part, the Disney pixie dust gives us magical, wonderful things. We may have gotten rid of the cable cars from Fantasyland to Tomorrowland (a staple of my childhood!), but we got the most beautiful Tangled-inspired bathrooms (eventually). We may have gotten rid of Snow White's Scary Adventures in the Magic Kingdom, but we got New Fantasyland. My favorite ride in all of Orlando -- Tower of Terror -- was not an original part of MGM/Hollywood Studios/whatever the new name is. (However, I'm still intensely skeptical of the new Frozen ride that's replacing Maelstrom.)

But I have to draw the line somewhere. And that line, for me, is changing the infrastructure of Walt's original park to make way for something un-Disney. (And, yes, I know we can debate the fact that Star Wars is "un-Disney. Because, yes, Disney bought LucasFilm and the new Star Wars films will be Disney films. But the original trilogy was George Lucas's creation and not Disney Studios'. Star Wars isn't Disney the same way Marvel isn't Disney -- someone else came up with those stories. And, yes, you can make the argument that all of Disney's stories are someone else's -- Pixar excepted, of course -- but that's a digression for another day. Disney retold those stories, and the parks celebrate the Disney version. It's complicated.)

So Disney bought Marvel and LucasFilm--fine. However controversial it may be, they wanted to appeal to boys and create an empire that rivaled (and maybe even surpasses) the girl-dominated Disney Princess market. 

I get it.

But changing Disneyland -- Walt's original park -- to make room for Star Wars Land? I'm just not okay with that. 

Maybe it's because I've been to Disneyland recently and, for someone who is as fascinated by the man and the company as I am, it's kind of amazing to walk through the park and know that 50 years ago, Walt did the same thing. I love walking into the park and and seeing the light in the apartment above the fire station. I love walking through New Orleans Square and knowing that it was his favorite spot. And, yes, I know that some things have changed over the years -- after all, Fantasmic wasn't a show you could watch in 1966 and there wasn't a Pixie Hollow where you could meet Tinker Bell and the fairies -- but those changes reflect Disney stories. 

And Star Wars just isn't a Disney story to me. I know that's a minority opinion, but there it is. I wonder if I'd be as bothered by the renovations if they were putting Star Wars Land across the street in California Adventure? Probably not. In fact, it makes more thematic sense there. After all, Skywalker Ranch is in California and George Lucas was born in California--so why not put it there, Disney?!

But then, I tend to be a Disney purist about some things.

Hocus Pocus Merchandise!!!

So, if you know me at all, you know I love Fall. It is, hands down, my favorite season and brings with so many of my favorite things.

Like "13 Nights Of Halloween" on ABC Family -- and Hocus Pocus. I know this movie totally dates me -- it was a staple of my childhood -- and my husband does not understand my love for this movie, but maybe you had to be a 90s kid to love it. Either way--here's when you can watch it on ABC Family this October:

BUT. That's not the big news of today. 

No, today Disney Parks Blog announced that they would be releasing some LE Hocus Pocus merchandise. And, good little Disney consumerist that I am, I want to buy all the things. (I'll probably refrain. Probably.)

For example, you can buy shirts based on the Sanderson sisters' dresses:

I mean, how could you not love a movie with the incomparable Bette Midler (it was allegedly one of her favorite roles to play, so there's that), the hilarious Kathy Najimy, and a young pre-Sex and the City Sarah Jessica Parker. 

And, if some reason, you don't love the Sanderson sisters, or don't want to nerdily show off your love for them, you can always buy the Sanderson museum shirt. 

Damn you, Disney, for knowing what makes my 90s-kid heart sing. 

The Jungle Book Trailer Is Here!

Sooooo, The Jungle Book trailer is here. And it actually looks really good.

Although, honestly: this isn't a "live-action" film. It's a CGI film with a human co-star. (Not even Disney Realism could have a small child running around with real-life bears and tigers and panthers.)

Still, it looks like an interesting adaptation -- of the original animated film, of course. At the very end you hear a few strains of "The Bare Necessities" (I'm not sure if the music will carry over) and just before there you see what looks like a monkey (orangutan?) arm swiping out of a deserted temple which very strongly evokes "I Wanna Be Like You" of the original movie. 

After all -- it's Disney. I don't expect a faithful retelling of Kipling's original story, although I will go re-read the story to see if Jon Favreau leans at all on the source material.

Final note: I think it's *very* interesting that the trailer features Scarlett Johansson's Kaa. It seems as if Kaa is still an antagonist here -- as compared to the snake's role as mentor much like Baloo and Bagheera in the original Kipling story -- but the change isn't that surprising given (1) the snake's symbolic history and (2) Disney's need for villainous henchmen. However, I still maintain that it's *very* interesting that in both the Disney adaptation and the forthcoming Warner Bros. one (The Jungle Book: Origins, boasting an equally impressive cast) Kaa is voiced by a woman. Don't know what to make of that yet. 

Jungle Book Teaser Trailer

Truth Talk: Not a fan of a teaser of a teaser. Especially when it's just a teaser trailer and not a full one.

But. 

This "teaser of a teaser" for Disney's The Jungle Book looks visually stunning. 

Full teaser drops tomorrow!

Well played, Tee Turtle. Well played.

So TeeTurtle finally released the other two designs in their Disney/Harry Potter mash-up series -- Rapunzel as Hufflepuff and Maleficent as Slytherin. 

I love them all -- but since I was officially sorted into Ravenclaw (as if there was every any doubt, Pottermore!), I bought the Belle one. 

I gotta say though -- two of these are absolutely spot-on. Maleficent as Slytherin (even though she's not a princess -- is there a princess who would be a Slytherin? Maybe Jasmine...) and Belle as Ravenclaw are perfect. 

And I see/totally get Mulan as a Gryffindor and Rapunzel as a Hufflepuff -- but I would have gone with different choices....as my husband pointed out, I feel like they really missed an opportunity to have Merida as a Gryffindor. I mean, her movie was literally called Brave. And while Rapunzel is 100% a Hufflepuff, I would have gone with either Snow White or Tiana; after all, "those patient Hufflepuffs are true and unafraid of toil." 

I'm sure it's been a very popular series--I'm just sayin' they could do a second series. :P There's tons of inspiration by DeviantArtist Eira1893 -- one of my favorite Buzzfeed Geeky posts. 

Decoding Disney At Duke

Sometimes, it's easy to get bogged down and lost in the day-to-day details of teaching. And, if you're a bit of an anxious person (like me), you can spend way too much time scrutinizing and reliving the things you said, the way you said them, and wondering if there was a better way to say them.

And sometimes, especially in those early morning classes, it's easy to forget that you are making a difference, that you are reaching students, that you are, well, teaching.

And then there are days where the world reminds you of the latter. Today, for instance, I ran into and stopped to chat with two former students and that just made my day. And then, I opened The Chronicle (Duke's student newspaper) to see this article:

You can read the full article online -- and one of the courses highlighted, "Stranger Than Fiction," is taught by my fellow adjunct and all-around rock-star Kevin Casey -- but the basic gist is that Duke offers unique and engaging first-year writing courses, including the one taught by yours truly:

"Duke prides itself on offering a wide variety of Writing 101 courses, with topics ranging from new fad diets to rock documentaries. First-year students are able to improve their writing skills not only through essay writing, but also through making blog posts, creating websites and examining archives—and this year is no exception to the trend of highly specialized subjects. Sections of "Music in Science Fiction Films," "Islam is Not ISIS" and the perennial favorite "Decoding Disney," were all options to freshmen this Fall, as well as other topics inspired by professors' pursuits."

It's nice to know that your course is a "perennial favorite," and even better to see it in print.

And, for any internet trolls out there -- No, the course is not for athletes only; No, popcorn doesn't come with registration; and, No, it's not a sham course where all we do is watch movies.