Lighting Up California Adventure

Since its debut in 2001, Disney’s California Adventure has been merely an afterthought to most visitors of Disney’s other little attraction in Anaheim, Disneyland. However, that stigma may fade when Disney revamps California Adventure to make it more of a draw to local residents and tourists alike.

A hole new world? via MousePlanet

If you’ve visited California in the past year or so, you must have noticed the giant hole in the center of the park’s “Paradise Pier” area. Well, that’s about to change. On June 11, Disney will open its new “World of Color” show and attraction. The World of Color will be a multi-sensory water, light, and effects show that will take place inside Paradise Bay. A new viewing area, entitled “Paradise Park” has been constructed to handle the audience for the show and will be able to seat up to 9,000 visitors during show times.

A cameo by Tinkerbell? via Disneyandmore

So what will the World of Color consist of? Pretty much the entire “world” of Disney. The show will begin with a reenactment of “Under the Sea” from The Little Mermaid, and then launch into songs and scenes from The Lion King, Pirates of the Caribbean, Aladdin, Finding Nemo, Toy Story, Up, Wall-E, Pocahontas, Bambi, A Bug’s Life, Fantasia, The Hunchback of Notre Dame, Dumbo, and Beauty and the Beast. Think of the show as what you would expect if the Bellagio’s Dancing Fountains and the Disneyland attraction Fantasmic had a lovechild…and it was on steroids.

-MK

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Ending the Endor Express

Star Wars fans, it’s time to get your last fix of an old favorite. Disneyland is temporarily shutting down the Tomorrowland ride, Star Tours, for a full renovation. The ride was opened in 1987 to coincide with the premiere of Captain E.O. Well, Captain E.O. is back, so maybe Disney executives thought it would also be a fitting time to give a much needed makeover to the Star Wars-themed attraction as well.

old:

new:

It’s about time. After joining RX-24 (“Rex”) for his “first” flight about twenty times, I finally noticed the ride was showing its age pretty badly during a trip to Disneyland last summer (and it’s no surprise considering the ride has been around almost as long as I have). The new ride will still feature the “Starspeeder 3000” – but will integrate plotlines and characters from the new prequel movies, as well as take place in full 3D.

The starspeeder hits a scene from the 1999 film to entertain young(er) nerds everywhere. via StarWars.com

The last voyage of the Endor Express will be this August, and you can expect the new “Star Tours 2.0” to launch in 2011.

-MK

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It May Not Be The End of the World But…

The Avengers assemble for an Apocalypse. A+ for alliteration? via WalkingBadger

2012 is already shaping up to be a year of reckoning for the box office. After a flurry of recent announcements, check out the films currently slated for release that year:

May 4, 2012 – The Avengers
Edward Norton as the Hulk. Robert Downey Jr. as Iron Man. Chris Evans as Captain America. Imagine all of Marvel’s biggest franchises coming together in one perfect storm.

May 25, 2012 – Battleship
Based on the boardgame. Enough said.

May 25, 2012 – Men In Black 3D
Same lack of plotline, but now with a third dimension added to special effects. Do you think the special 3D glasses they hand out in theaters will be Ray-Ban product tie-ins?

June 2012 – Star Trek 2
I don’t need to say this again – JJ Abrams can do no wrong.

July 3, 2012 – Spiderman (untitled)
After Spiderman 3, it’s probably a good thing they’re rebooting this franchise. But with that said, will people be interested in starting over with a storyline that they already watched just a short decade ago?

July 20, 2012 – Batman 3 (untitled)
I don’t have to tell you that the follow-up to The Dark Knight will likely be one of the biggest movies of all time. As the date nears, expect the buzz about who the caped crusader’s new villain(s) will be to explode.

November 16, 2012 – Monsters Inc. 2
Pixar. See JJ Abrams.

December 2012 – The Hobbit
After so many years out of mainstream pop culture, will the nerds be able to rise again?

If the Mayans were right, and the world is going to end in December 2012, then at least I’m happy to know that I’ll be entertained leading up to Earth’s final destruction. In fact, hopefully they penciled-in the apocalypse for the day before The Hobbit is released. That way, I won’t have to hear about it. And that would be just grand.

-MK

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Summer’s About to Blow Up

Do you feel it in the air? It’s the calm before the storm. As this is officially the last weekend before the Summer movie season begins with Iron Man 2 next week, take a sneak peek at all of the upcoming films we’re excited to write snarky commentary about until July (there’s too many to list the entire summer)…

Iron Man 2 – May 7

Shrek Forever After – May 21

Prince of Persia – May 28

Get Him to the Greek – June 4

Toy Story 3 – June 18

Grown Ups – June 25

Eclipse – June 30

The Sorcerer’s Apprentice – July 16

-MK

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GLEEful Possibilities

Hot off the critically acclaimed and highly rated Madonna-themed episode of GLEE, the show’s creators and cast have buzzed about the possibility of future themed episodes. We already know that a Lady Gaga episode is on the way, and that a second Madonna episode will premiere early next year, but what else is in the pipeline? 

Will "Me Against the Music" be in "The Power of Madonna 2"? via Flickr

Well, if internet petitioners and twitter users have their way, Britney Spears could be getting her own episode soon as well. We can almost see it now – Sue Sylvester’s rendition of “Toxic,” Kurt’s version of “I’m Not a Girl, Not Yet a Woman,” or maybe even Rachel’s very own “Piece of Me”? Could one too many slushees in the face cause one of the fierce singers to shave their hair off? Or maybe marry a back up dancer, only to get a reality show devoted to weight loss later on? 

PaparazzGLEE via Flickr

Another possibility could be Billy Joel or Courtney Love themed episodes. While I have to admit I don’t know much of Courtney’s repertoire (if one even exists), the idea of a pop train wreck storyline seems too similar to Britney’s blackout-era collection for a completely independent episode. As for Billy Joel? Well, he certainly has a large collection to work from, but with so many New York-centric hits, would they work in a suburban Ohio setting? 

Flavors of the week. via Flickr

How about these ideas? A Disney-themed episode – it could totally work with all the growing up plotlines, self-discovery themes, and focus on underdogs. A Broadway-themed episode? Sure, the show has played with musicals – “Defying Gravity” and “Don’t Rain on My Parade” being two big examples of that – but what about a full episode of show tunes? And finally, what about episodes devoted to the Beatles, Michael Jackson, Elvis, or others who have made music what it is? Sure, Madonna and Britney are great, but music does go back further than 25 years…even if most of us may have trouble thinking back that far. 

-MK

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TOY STORY Characters for Kids of the 90’s

TOY STORY 1 and 2 kind of came out when I still had a semblance of my childhood. I think I recognized most of the characters. But TOY STORY 3… different story. Chunk? Peas-in-a-Pod? Are these real toys that children play with? I guess I’m just out of touch with the kids these days.

who the EFF is that? via Pixar

The new and third film in the franchise still has those old stand-by toys that cross generations, like Mr. Potatohead and Woody the cowboy doll. But if Pixar really wanted to reach out to the Millennials, we brats of the 90’s, here are some toys we were into that would be great characters:

MR. DIRT
The sensai of the toy world. A favorite of children everywhere. He is everywhere and nowhere. Exists, and yet doesn’t. Voiced by Sam Elliott.

POG MASTER FLASH
Here is one toy that’s gonna see what it’s like to be on top… then have his world come tumbling down. Top Dawg is about to get slammered. Voiced by Pauly Shore.

CIGGIE SWEETHEART
As a talking pack of candy cigarettes, Ciggie isn’t what she seems. The other toys are wary of her too-cool-for-school attitude… until they realize she’s just a poser and dump her ass. Voiced by Nicole Polizzi (aka Snooki).

BOX

Box was orphaned out on the curb until some kid drags him into the house and introduces him to the other toys. But toys be warned — Box is a shapeshifter and can pretty much replace any toy at any time. Voiced by Meryl Streep.

-MM

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Inside the Magic Kingdom

For those unware of Disney lore, the company has had a long and tumultous history (and the lackluster release of the past fall’s The Princess and the Frog is just the most recent evidence of this). For a company that is legendary for the magic it produces (see Beauty and the Beast, The Lion King, Aladdin, The Little Mermaid, do you want me to continue?), it’s also one deep in betrayal, infighting, and corporate maneuvering. Behind the facade of “the Happiest Place on Earth,” Disney is, in reality, just another American corporation looking for profit. However, unlike other corporations – Disney specializes in making the world a happier place – and it does it pretty damn well at that.

If you are lucky enough to live in LA this weekend, you have a chance to check out a documentary behind the walls of the Enchanted Castle. Waking Sleeping Beauty is it the story of Disney’s “renaissance” in the early 90’s after a slow decline through the 70’s and 80’s. If you’ve read Disney War, then you’ve heard this story before. Of all the stories Disney’s ever told, their own tale may be the most interesting. And, like anything Disney, this is a story better told on the screen than in words.

Check out local play times here. Be warned, it’s a very limited engagement, so don’t let it slip by.

-MK

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My Heart Still Goes On…

Although none of this year’s Oscar songs are likely to get much radio time, there once was a time when the Academy Awards showcased some of the most popular songs. Sadly, this year they’ve gone and nixed the performances altogether. Take a walk back down memory lane and reminisce on some Oscar night classics.

Celine Dion – My Heart Will Go On (1998)

Alen Menken & Howard Ashman – Belle & Be Our Guest (1992)

Bruce Springsteen – Streets of Philadelphia (1994)

Celine Dion – Because You Loved Me (1997)

Bjork – I’ve Seen It All (2001)

-MK

Contact the author at mksmogger@gmail.com.