TBT: Delta Dreamflight
Do you remember the Delta Dreamflight attraction located in the Magic Kingdom’s Tomorrowland?
Delta Dreamflight opened on June 23, 1989. The attraction was located in the building currently occupied by Buzz Lightyear’s Space Ranger Spin.
Dreamflight was a pop-up book version of the history of flight. The attraction included some Audio-Animatronics and projection effects.
Passengers “boarded” omnimovers to travel through barnstormers, an M-130, Tokyo and Paris in the 1930s, the jet age and the future of air travel.
Delta Air Lines ended its sponsorship of the attraction on December 31, 1995. From January 1, 1996 and June 4, 1996 the attraction was just known as Dreamflight.
Here is a peak back at yesterland:
Disney’s Zootopia is an Instant Classic
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Disney’s latest offerings— with the exception of lacklustre Pixar collaboration The Good Dinosaur. We’re pretty sure Finding Dory will pick up The Good Dinosaur’s slack— have all been amazing, a constant reminder to people everywhere that they still have a monopoly on making feel-good, so-relatable-it-burns movies that turn into cash-cows and classics alike. Its latest family flick, Zootopia, which has already made bank beyond even Frozen’s record-setting debut, continues the time-honoured Disney tradition.
TBT: Journey Into Imagination
Do you remember Journey Into Imagination?
Journey Into Imagination was an attraction at the Epcot theme park at Walt Disney World that opened on March 5, 1983. The 11-minute ride was a journey into the world of imagination led by the Dreamfinder and his Figment (a purple dragon created by the Dreamfinder’s imagination).
The ride introduced the Dreamfinder and Figment to theme park guests. The dynamic (and imaginative!) twosome had guests visit their Dreamport (where ideas and dreams are collected) and rooms that represent Art, Literature, the Performing Arts and Science. The ride became a fan favorite and featured the classic song “One Little Spark“.
Journey Into Imagination closed on October 10, 1998. The ride has since reopened in two different incarnations. A Figment-less version opened in October 1, 1999 and lasted until 2001. It then reopened on June 2, 2002 with Figment in a larger role.
Here is the original Journey Into Imagination:
TBT: Polly
Do you remember Polly?
On November 12, 1989, NBC aired a re-telling of Disney’s 1960 Hayley Mills classic Pollyanna. This version transposed Eleanor Porter’s classic novel Pollyanna and its white characters into a middle-class black community in the Alabama of the 1950s, and transformed the drama into a show-stopping musical.
The story is timeless. It’s about a “Glad Girl” that brings along a contagious spirit of happiness and optimism when she visits her wealthy aunt one summer.
Keshia Knight Pulliam starred as the “Glad Girl” Polly. Phylicia Rashād was cast as her Aunt Polly. Vanessa Bell Calloway was cast as Nancy, Celeste Holm as Miss Snow and Brandon Adams as Jimmy Bean.
The movie was a sort of family affair. Phylicia Rashād’s younger sister Debbie Allen both directed and choreographed Polly, and was the driving force behind the musical. Debbie also co-wrote with her husband, Norman Nixon, the words and lyrics of the film’s gospel-infused centerpiece, “Stand Up”.
Polly was a ratings hit! Its success prompted Disney to assemble a 1990 sequel, Polly: Comin’ Home!
Here are some of Polly‘s musical numbers:
10 Fictional Characters That Would Survive a Zombie Apocalypse
The threat of a zombie invasion has been a popular theme to entertain (and terrify) the masses since 1932’s White Zombie came out, shocking audiences. In recent years, the idea of humanity’s downfall at the hands of reanimated corpses has taken hold of entertainment media as more than just a seasonal horror flick for people who love being scared to sleep at night; from The Walking Dead to the cutesy Plants vs. Zombies franchise, the peculiar possibilities of what one would actually do if one was trapped in a zombie apocalypse both fascinates and disturbs. Since the entire scenario is based on fiction, here’s a list of 10 fictional characters who stand a fighting chance of surviving the reign of the undead.
10) Katniss Everdeen (The Hunger Games)
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Suzanne Collins’s girl on fire is no stranger to the game of survival (remember when she dug through a baker’s garbage to scrounge for food? And when she illegally traded some of her meats at The Hob? And also when she was bold enough to sell strawberries to the mayor of District 12, even though that was illegal too?) After making it through two televised fights to the death and assassinating a district president all before she hit the legal drinking age, Katniss would probably be desensitized to the blood and gore that comes with the territory of a zombie apocalypse. While she was unwittingly turned into a symbol of hope and the face of a cross-district revolution, Katniss is happier in solitude, where she can hunt for food with her bow-and-arrow, sleep in a tree, steal a quick bath in a stream and enjoy her own personal model of streamlined survival success. Her one weakness would be coming across parentless children (and Peeta, who’s basically in the same boat, with how naive he can be), but she’d take them under her wing, form a ragtag little family of outcasts, and kick undead kiester to protect them.
Though she’d probably be elated to avoid other human beings all together, Peeta would most likely convince her to use her superb archery skills to fight through the zombie hoards and save people who can’t save themselves. We imagine she would enjoy letting an arrow fly through a zombie’s eye or hacking one into bits with a knife. Don’t mess with this mama bear’s cubs (biological or otherwise) or she’ll kill you. (more…)
Five Barbies We Want In Our Lives
Okay, so now that we’ve all gotten over Mattel’s new Barbie line— the diversified dolls will officially hit store shelves March first, but you can get in on the action early through their online shop— with the generally agreeable opinion that more realistic-looking Barbies is a good thing, can we talk about the dolls we really, really want? Don’t get us wrong, this new Barbie is a step in the right direction, but we’re consumers with money to burn. Now that Mattel has shown that it can, in fact, get with the times, we think it would be the perfect time for Barbie and fandom to collide. Hear us out— we’re about to get really progressive— maybe it’s time they start eyeing a market for all kinds of kids, not just girls.
1) Harry Potter
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Imagine how freaking magical this set would be. Sure, everyone and their mother probably has some piece of Potter merchandise around the house— the well-loved series has spawned predictable things like movies and FunKo Pops, but it’s also inspired its own post-secondary courses, a stage play, illustrated editions and adult colouring books— but hear us out. We’re not talking about a single, bespeckled Harry Potter doll in his Hogwarts robes, or even a set of Harry, Ron and Hermione— note: we’d rush out to buy these at the first available opportunity— we’re thinking big leagues. We’re thinking a company should commit to bringing the wizarding world to life, in doll form. This is quite an ambitious project, we know that, but when it comes to Harry Potter, nothing is impossible. Just think about it: variations of Harry, Ron, and Hermione— they could have a Yule Ball set! A chance to see the golden trio in their formal wear? Yes, please— with a mammoth-sized Hogwarts— fully detailed, down to a clearly-discernable portrait of The Fat Lady— and a Hagrid doll that’s bigger than all the rest with wild hair and a bushy beard. They could capitalize on this big time, with an add-on Quidditch pitch (it would be nice if this was included with the Hogwarts set, but we have to give them a chance to milk the brand somehow), Hogsmeade, the Weasley’s house, etc. Ideally, each of the sets would come with new figures— the Ford Anglia, for example, could come with a special version of Harry and Ron, and a Whomping Willow that somehow moves its branches in a deadly fashion—. Who wouldn’t want to buy these? It’s never too early to introduce your kids to the wonder that is Harry Potter, and certainly, you can have fun with the dolls, too! It’s unlikely that every single character in the series will come out to play, but we can dream, can’t we?
2) DCTVU
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We know what you’re going to say: when a superhero is lovingly crafted by a toy company, it is very important that it be distinguished as an action figure. But most of the awe-inspiring, super-detailed action figures cost a wack of money that the average parent isn’t going to splurge on, just to have their kids leave peanut butter smears all over it. And as we saw at 2015’s Paleyfest, superhero fans are getting younger and younger. What’s the harm in rolling out a line of affordable, durable playsets for all fans to enjoy? Just think about it: they could start with Earth One Team Flash, release a few locations (the police station, S.T.A.R. Labs, etc.), a couple of sweet-looking villains (we want Gorilla Grodd!), and they’re set for the first wave. They can do the same thing with Arrow (we will throw truckloads of money at whomever takes up this idea, if they give us multiple outfits for each character, especially Felicity Smoak), maybe even launch a special four-pack with island Oliver, island Slade, The Arrow and Deathstroke to kick start things. But— most importantly— we want two versions of Felicity. The cheerful able-bodied version, and a wheelchair-bound version: if Mattel can recognize that not all of their consumers fit a cookie-cutter body type, they should be able to recognize that kids with disabilities are looking for their likeness, too. We think Felicity is magnificent in all her forms, but adding the variation of her character in a wheelchair will give hope to people who need to see parts of themselves reflected and accepted by the mainstream.
Also, is it too early to be thinking about Legends of Tomorrow figures? Or Supergirl? What about an Earth Two line? What if they were to make a separate line for the movies, that wouldn’t absolutely break the bank? What if they capitalized on Young Justice and helped bring it back on air? What if… okay, we’re getting ahead of ourselves here.
3) How to Train Your Dragon
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A series with scant merchandise, the How to Train Your Dragon film series is the perfect example of an untapped well of potential. And if having a figure in a wheelchair is too big of a step for Mattel to contemplate, series protagonist Hiccup uses a prosthetic leg, and his dragon, Toothless, is disabled as well. And the best thing about those two characters is that being differently abled doesn’t change the way they live their lives: Hiccup still rides dragons and goes on adventures, Toothless still flies and accompanies him. Not to mention: whoever made these dolls (or figures or whatever you want to call them) would have a bonafide line of certifiable cuteness on their hands (even Belch and Barf have their charms). With How to Train Your Dragon 3 coming out in 2018, Mattel should strike while the iron’s hot and bring the village of Berk to life.
4) Star Vs. The Forces Of Evil
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While fans of Star vs. The Forces of Evil await its second season return, the withdrawals are harsh. That’s why having likenesses of Star, Marco, Ludo and his thugs, and even Tom would help make the time fly by faster! Star, a cheery, plucky alien princess, is perhaps the perfect prototype to make a line of dolls with. Not only would she boast a magic wand and a puppy that shoots lasers from its eyes— we’re not sure how that could be incorporated in doll form, but we have faith it can be figured out— having a set of dolls specifically based around the episode “Blood Moon Ball” would be a dream come true. Star Vs. The Forces of Evil has already made Disney XD history (its creator, Daron Nefcy is the second woman to create a show airing on the Disney channel. The first one was Sue Rose, creator of Pepper Ann), is it too much to ask that it spawn its own line of toys, too?
5) Figment
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If you haven’t read Jim Zub’s Figment, you should do that. In case you’re browsing at work or otherwise indisposed: Figment is about an inventor named Blarion “Blair” Mercurial is an inventor with his head stuck in the clouds. He manages to make a device that taps into one’s brainpower with a helmet he calls the Integrated Mesmonic Converter. Thanks to the IMC, an imaginary friend— a purple dragon named Figment— becomes real and journeys with him through the world of imagination. And that’s all we can say without spoiling the read, which is actually quite enjoyable! We’re not too particular about what goes into this set— a five-pack of Figment, Blair, Dreamfinder, Fye and Chimera will do nicely— we’d be happy as long as the figures are well-made!
Now that Mattel has opened up the door for an entirely different breed of Barbie, what are you looking forward to seeing?
Lucasfilm Announces Cast for Star Wars: Episode VII
Lucasfilm has finally announced the cast for Star Wars: Episode VII. The cast includes newcomers John Boyega, Daisy Ridley, Adam Driver, Oscar Isaac, Andy Serkis, Domhnall Gleeson and Max von Sydow. Returning favorites include: Harrison Ford, Carrie Fisher, Mark Hamill, Anthony Daniels, Peter Mayhew and Kenny Baker.
The film is set to hit theaters on Dec. 18, 2015.
H/T: Inside Movies
BOX OFFICE: Captain America Soars with $95 million
Captain America: The Winter Soldier, the sequel to the 2011 original starring Chris Evans as the Super Soldier, grossed an estimated $96.2 million this opening weekend. The Marvel Superhero flick set a record for best April opening and earning an “A” CinemaScore from its audiences.
While it’s opening did fall beneath The Avengers and Iron Man 3, it does outrank many of the stand-alone Marvel character debuts, including both Thor films and the original Captain America, which it outgrossed by 48%. It also grossed an additional $110 million from audiences overseas.
Comparing it to the other Marvel stand-alone films that have been released since 2012’s The Avengers, The Winter Soldier‘s domestic debut received the biggest “Avengers bump” yet: Iron Man 3 was up 36%, while Thor: The Dark World improved 30%.
While it’s not surprising that more men than women showed up to watch the latest Marvel Superhero film, more couples were in the audience than families, with the majority of the audience between 18-49.
Last weekend’s top-charter Noah‘s audience fell a steep 61% this weekend with $17.05 million, putting its domestic total at $72.3 million.
Here are the weekend’s Top 10 films at the box office:
1. Captain America: The Winter Soldier / $95 million
2. Noah / $17.05 million
3. Divergent / $13 million
4. God’s Not Dead / $7.8 million
5. Muppets Most Wanted / $6.14 million
6. The Grand Budapest Hotel / $6.11 million
7. Mr. Peabody & Sherman / $5.1 million
8. Sabotage / $2 million
9. Need for Speed / $1.8 million
10. Non-Stop / $1.79 million
H/T: Box Office Mojo
Disney Plans Chip ‘n Dale Rescue Rangers Feature Film
Chip ‘n Dale Rescue Rangers is heading to the big screen!
Director Robert Rugan pitched a live-action feature to Disney, and they gave it a thumbs up! The film is being planned as a live-action/CG hybrid. Mandeville Films (The Muppets, Muppets Most Wanted) is attached to produce the film, which is in early development.
Chip ‘n’ Dale first appeared in a 1943 animated short starring Pluto, and went on to appear in 22 shorts stretching into the mid-1950s where the duo either annoyed Pluto or antagonized Donald Duck. In 1989, the characters were revamped (fedora-wearing Chip and Hawaiian shirt aficionado Dale) and headlined the Disney Afternoon animated series Chip ‘n Dale Rescue Rangers. The series ran for three seasons and 65 episodes from March 4, 1989 – November 19, 1990.
H/T: Entertainment Weekly
Walt Disney World’s Magic Kingdom – Take a Tour Inside Maurice’s Cottage in New Fantasyland
The official Disney Parks Blog takes us on a tour inside Maurice’s Cottage in New Fantasyland with Walt Disney Imagineers. View out the exterior, the gardens, some of Maurice’s inventions, and the magic mirror that becomes the portal into the Beast’s Castle and the immersive new attraction Enchanted Tales With Belle.
View the video and a synopsis of the video AFTER THE BREAK… (more…)