The DisGeek Podcast

Your Guide to the Happiest Place on Earth

The Colors of Mary Blair Photo Report

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Mary Blair was an artist best remembered today for work done for The Walt Disney Company. Her style lives on through the character designs for the Disney attraction It's a Small World, the fiesta scene in El Rio del Tiempo in the Mexico pavilion in Epcot's World Showcase, as well as an enormous mosaic inside Disney's Contemporary Resort.

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New Star Trader Photo Report 5-15-11

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Yesterday was just another trip to the park for me. I don't keep very good track of the events, but it just so happened that when I was there, Disneyland was giving Cast Members a preview of the new Star Tours. Yeah… I tried to creep up close to the door and sneak a couple of shots inside, but I was very efficiently intercepted by like pretty much every cast member there. Those guys stick together like, I don't know, Hell's Angels or something. Anyway, this is all I got of that:

 

While that was going on, I had a chance to check out the newly redesigned Star Trader store, and was pretty impressed with the changes. The theme is pretty much all "Star Wars". Instead of the goofy sci-fiish, kiddie kind of music that they used to play in there, now the soundtracks of the "Star Wars" films play over the speakers.

If you're a Star Wars fan, feast your eyes:

[nggallery id=10]

Some pretty cool stuff. The t-shirts that are faded and all cool like are upwards of $30 a piece, and they are in serious need of more XL sizes (assuming that they hadn't sold out of them all by the time I got there). I mean it's fricking Disneyland, who are they kidding with their Mediums and Smalls? They had a cool shirt that I would have bought except their biggest size was Large, and I'm like "WTF?"

I can't be sure, but it's also looking more and  more as if the Starcade is being derezzed in favor of merchandising. And why not, says I? If someone wants to play video games at DLR they can whip out their iPhone (or other handheld device).

That Starcade still has an entire upper-level that has been closed off since… I can't remember that far back! We should speculate as to what they can do with that empty space: another place to eat perhaps? Or just make that gift shop even bigger? Who knows? 

So it's mostly Star Trader stuff taking up room. There is perhaps one row of coin-op video games that I saw against the wall…that nobody was playing.

I'd have gotten pictures to show of that, but to be honest, I just didn't. I was too busy trying to decide what I was going to buy. ~Paul J. Hale

Episode 14 – Ka-CHOW!

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Paul and Daniel take a look at what's on the Drawing Board.  This time it's Carsland! We also visit the Main Street News Stand and as always our Tip of the Week.  Click MORE for full show notes.

News

Disneyland Closes some attractions due to Pirates Premiere –

The closed features are: Sailing Ship Columbia, Mark Twain Riverboat, Tom Sawyer’s Island, Davy Crockett’s Explorer Canoes and the Fantasmic! show. The attractions are set to reopen May 12.

Other Attractions shops closed in may are: 

DL – Star Tours, Splash Mountain, Star Trader store, Gadget's Go Coaster ride, Stage Door Cafe and The Golden Horseshoe restaurant.

DCA – Mulholland Madness (Reopening as Goofy’s Sky School), and crews are converting a dining and shopping complex in the Paradise Pier area, which is expected to open this summer

http://ocresort.ocregister.com/2011/04/28/disneyland-closes-attractions-for-pirates-premiere/76491/

 

Disney sets up some new crowd control measures in Adventureland, NOS, and Frontierland due to pirate premiere.

 

The bridge over the Pirates of the Caribbean queue is divided for easier crowd flow.

 

Disney Blog gives us a look at Ariel’s Wedding Dress (probably to coincide with the Royal Wedding)

http://disneyparks.disney.go.com/blog/2011/04/first-look-at-the-royal-wedding-dress-ariels-that-is/

 

Soundsational Sneak Peak – Last week disney filmed a commercial for Mickey’s Soundsational Parade and we got a little sneak peak of two floats

http://www.ocregister.com/news/parade-297831-disneyland-new.html

 

http://micechat.com/forums/blogs/dateline-disneyland/1814-soundsational-sneak-peek-mermaid-lights-signs-bye-bye-brother-bear-more.html

 

Mary Blair Tribute at Disney Gallery – The Art of Mary Blair celebrating 45 years of it’s a small world

http://psc.disney.go.com/eventservices/artofdisneyparks/event/dlr_thedisneygallery.html

 

Nighttime Entertainment Boosts DCA attendence

http://ocresort.ocregister.com/2011/04/19/nighttime-entertainment-boosts-disney-business/75417/

 

Marvel wants IN at Disneyland – “It’s the biggest dream of all” (keep dreaming)

http://uk.movies.ign.com/articles/116/1162758p1.html

 

Quick Hits

Main Street Building refurbishments done and look brand spanking new.

Tomorrowland Star Tours Neon now glow a purpleish blue to match the new marquee (used to be orange and red) Buzz has Purple and Green

The Star Tours Mural has been updated to include the Starspeeder 1000

Little Mermaid Marquee up (but covered) & Little mermaid building lights are now on at night (looks amazing)

In DTD Kitson Kids Closed (I never knew it was there!)

Celebrity Spotting in DL over the last few weeks: 

Matt Damon, Hugh Hefner and his wives (he was riding around in an old man scooter) Paris Hilton, Tom Brady

 

Feature

On The Drawing Board – Cars Land

 

Luigi's Flying Tires

http://travel.latimes.com/daily-deal-blog/index.php/cars-radiator-spring-7392/

 

Tip of the Week

Fireworks Viewing – @tommypix

“Brave” Given Release Date

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Disney/Pixar's “Brave” (formerly known as "The Bear And The Bow") will be arriving to Theaters on June 15, 2012 – just a few months before the new “Monsters Inc 2” movie debuting in November.

The movie is directed by Brenda Chapman who worked on the Disney/Pixar movie “Cars.” The movie will star Reese Witherspoon (or her voice) as the Scottish Princess Merida, who would rather be an archer. Against her mother’s wishes, Merida makes a reckless choice that will unleash peril on her father’s kingdom and on her mother’s life! Yikes!

Sounds exciting and we can’t wait to see it!


 

Concept Art: