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	<title>Phil Johnson of Roadside Attraction &#187; d23</title>
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		<title>Disney D23 Expo WrapUp</title>
		<link>http://blog.roadsideattraction.com/disney-d23-expo-wrapup.html</link>
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		<pubDate>Wed, 24 Aug 2011 00:45:45 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>Phil</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[Disney Stuff]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[cars]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[d23]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[disney]]></category>

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		<description><![CDATA[Alrighty&#8230; After 3 fairly sleep deprived days and I&#8217;m ready to report back on the happenings at Disney&#8217;s D23 Expo.  Or as I call it Disney Dork Fest! As with any event like this, there was good and bad.  The good?  The were much more free about people taking pictures and recording stuff.  Only at [...]
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			<content:encoded><![CDATA[<p>Alrighty&#8230; After 3 fairly sleep deprived days and I&#8217;m ready to report back on the happenings at Disney&#8217;s D23 Expo.  Or as I call it Disney Dork Fest!</p>
<p>As with any event like this, there was good and bad.  The good?  The were much more free about people taking pictures and recording stuff.  Only at the film division presentation did they take away everyone&#8217;s phones and cameras.  Everything else was up for grabs.  And yesterday, at the end of the last day, they did a group photo of everyone in attendance that was wearing a costume.  Good for them.  Disney has, in the past, been very down on people wearing costumes to their events.  So I&#8217;m glad to see them turning that around a bit.</p>
<p>The bad?  Lines&#8230; lots of them.  And I know lines are part of the Disney experience.  But as you&#8217;ll see, it was a bit out of hand at times.  And it prevented a lot of people from seeing a lot of things.</p>
<p>As for the presentations, and I&#8217;ll detail the ones I saw below, some were really good, and some were head scratchers.  Overall I had a really good time, met some really cool people, and got inspired to come home and continue my own artistic pursuits.</p>
<p>One of the great things I love about Disney events is the mix of people.  Every age, every ethnicity.  From hipsters in skinny jeans and hoodies to old ladies with canes to little kids to ComicCon types to body builders to emo kids.  Not only mixing, but talking to each other.  Groups of people you wouldn&#8217;t otherwise see sharing good conversation.  The only other place I see mixtures like that is in casinos.  The proof that shared interest can bring together some very diverse people who learn to like each other.</p>
<p>You see, everyone loves a good story.  And at the end of the day that&#8217;s what Disney deals in.  Good stories.  And those stories connect with people.  It&#8217;s really heart warming to be around people that are so passionate about these stories.  And since I have a permanent Devil&#8217;s Advocate in my head, I also realize it&#8217;s completely and utterly ridiculous that people get into this stuff so much.</p>
<p>When I see, say, an animation production drawing from the 30&#8242;s priced at $4000 I think to myself, &#8220;This is a picture that took an animator about 15 minutes to draw and they want four grand for it.  Bizarre.&#8221;  Then I think, &#8220;I WANT IT!&#8221;  It makes me realize that no matter how high minded we think humans are, we&#8217;re still just creatures of instinct looking to feel something interesting.  Some sort of sensory and emotional stimulation that keeps us going to reach the high minded stuff.</p>
<p>Ok, let&#8217;s dig in.  I arrived at about 9am on Friday morning to be confronted with a HUGE line to get in.  I think I had to walk to Bakersfield to find the end of it.  It took just over an hour to get inside the building.  The first big event of the day was the Legends Ceremony, which was a must-do on my list.  So, of course, as soon as I got in the building I had to get in line for the ceremony for another 90 minutes.</p>
<p>Yep, the first two and a half hours of my day was spent waiting in line.  At one point a cast member was coming down the line with survey cards and asked if I&#8217;d like to fill one out about my experience at the Expo.  I said, &#8220;All I&#8217;ve done so far is stand in line.&#8221;  He kept walking.</p>
<p>But at least I did get into the ceremony.  A lot of people didn&#8217;t.  Because the real problem with the Expo was just too damn many people.  Easily twice as many as the last one.  I&#8217;m going to put some pictures of the ceremony below because people asked for them, but as you&#8217;ll see, I was pretty far away from the stage.  Even maximum zoom couldn&#8217;t make up for it.  Did the best I could.</p>
<div id="attachment_3443" class="wp-caption alignleft" style="width: 310px"><a href="http://blog.roadsideattraction.com/disney-d23-expo-wrapup.html/d23-2011-tomstaggsheadofparks-legends" rel="attachment wp-att-3443"><img class="size-medium wp-image-3443 " title="d23-2011-TomStaggsHeadOfParks - Legends" src="http://blog.roadsideattraction.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/08/d23-2011-TomStaggsHeadOfParks-Legends-300x225.jpg" alt="" width="300" height="225" /></a><p class="wp-caption-text">Tom Staggs at Disney Legends Ceremony</p></div>
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<p>First up was Tom Staggs, Head of Parks.  He&#8217;s not a performer, so he was a bit stiff.  But hey, it&#8217;s not his normal gig. <img src='http://blog.roadsideattraction.com/wp-includes/images/smilies/icon_smile.gif' alt=':)' class='wp-smiley' />   He introduced an Oscar-style death roll of people in the company who passed in the last two years.  Then he introduced Tom Bergeron of Dancing With The Stars who would MC the rest of the show.</p>
<p>They started with the 5 princess voice actors being inducted.  And after seeing the amazing performance they gave, I thought it a little bizarre that they would start with them.  The eventual finale was very nice, but I think the ladies would have left a bigger impact.</p>
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<div id="attachment_3425" class="wp-caption alignright" style="width: 310px"><a href="http://blog.roadsideattraction.com/disney-d23-expo-wrapup.html/d23-2011-anikanonirosetianaspeaks-legends" rel="attachment wp-att-3425"><img class="size-medium wp-image-3425 " title="d23-2011-AnikaNoniRoseTianaSpeaks - Legends" src="http://blog.roadsideattraction.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/08/d23-2011-AnikaNoniRoseTianaSpeaks-Legends-300x225.jpg" alt="" width="300" height="225" /></a><p class="wp-caption-text">Anika Noni Rose - Voice of Tiana - Accepting her Disney Legend Award</p></div>
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<p>First up was Anika Noni Rose who was the voice of Tiana in The Princess and the Frog.  She&#8217;s the youngest ever recipient of Legend status and I&#8217;m not completely sure I agree with it.  Sure, she&#8217;s very talented, but I think it&#8217;s a little early in her Disney career to give her this award.  She even said that until the day before she thought the award was for Tiana and she was just there to rep.  She didn&#8217;t realize it was her they were honoring.  Which tells me she doesn&#8217;t really the know the company as well as she should to be receiving such an award.</p>
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<div id="attachment_3434" class="wp-caption alignleft" style="width: 310px"><a href="http://blog.roadsideattraction.com/disney-d23-expo-wrapup.html/d23-2011-leasalongamulanjasminespeaks-legends" rel="attachment wp-att-3434"><img class="size-medium wp-image-3434" title="d23-2011-LeaSalongaMulanJasmineSpeaks - Legends" src="http://blog.roadsideattraction.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/08/d23-2011-LeaSalongaMulanJasmineSpeaks-Legends-300x225.jpg" alt="" width="300" height="225" /></a><p class="wp-caption-text">Lea Salonga accepts her Disney Legend Award</p></div>
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<p>Next was Linda Larkin who was the speaking voice of Jasmine in Aladdin.  For some reason I didn&#8217;t get a picture of her.  Lea Salonga later thanked her for not being able to sing. <img src='http://blog.roadsideattraction.com/wp-includes/images/smilies/icon_smile.gif' alt=':)' class='wp-smiley' /> </p>
<p>Lea Salonga is the singing voice of both Jasmine and Mulan.  Disney discovered her in her Tony award winning performance as Kim in Miss Saigon on Broadway.</p>
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<div id="attachment_3437" class="wp-caption alignright" style="width: 310px"><a href="http://blog.roadsideattraction.com/disney-d23-expo-wrapup.html/d23-2011-paigeoharabellespeaks-legends" rel="attachment wp-att-3437"><img class="size-medium wp-image-3437" title="d23-2011-PaigeOharaBelleSpeaks - Legends" src="http://blog.roadsideattraction.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/08/d23-2011-PaigeOharaBelleSpeaks-Legends-300x225.jpg" alt="" width="300" height="225" /></a><p class="wp-caption-text">Paige O&#39;Hara accepting her Disney Legend award</p></div>
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<p>They were working backwards through their princesses, so up next was Paige O&#8217;Hara, voice of Belle from Beauty and the Beast.  She seemed extremely pleased to be getting the award.  And she was also the most visible of the award winners throughout the expo.  She had at least two autograph signing events in the main hall that were lined up for days.  She didn&#8217;t seem at all afraid of getting out and mixing it up with the masses.</p>
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<div id="attachment_3431" class="wp-caption alignleft" style="width: 310px"><a href="http://blog.roadsideattraction.com/disney-d23-expo-wrapup.html/d23-2011-jodibensonarielspeaks-legends" rel="attachment wp-att-3431"><img class="size-medium wp-image-3431" title="d23-2011-JodiBensonArielSpeaks - Legends" src="http://blog.roadsideattraction.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/08/d23-2011-JodiBensonArielSpeaks-Legends-300x225.jpg" alt="" width="300" height="225" /></a><p class="wp-caption-text">Jodi Benson accepting her Disney Legend Award</p></div>
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<p>Last up was Jodi Benson, voice of Ariel in The Little Mermaid.  All the ladies were very grateful for the award, but Jodi was on the verge of tears.  She even whipped out her Disney employee card that she&#8217;s had for so long it doesn&#8217;t even swipe anymore.  This, to me, is what a Disney Legend should be.  She&#8217;s put in her time and effort on countless Ariel projects and really loves the company and her job within it.  The only bummer of her acceptance speech was when she started bringing God and religion into it.  I&#8217;ve never thought awards events are the right place to proselytize and the rest of the audience didn&#8217;t seem to either.  But you couldn&#8217;t help but be happy for her.</p>
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<div id="attachment_3440" class="wp-caption alignright" style="width: 310px"><a href="http://blog.roadsideattraction.com/disney-d23-expo-wrapup.html/d23-2011-princessessing-legends" rel="attachment wp-att-3440"><img class="size-medium wp-image-3440" title="d23-2011-PrincessesSing - Legends" src="http://blog.roadsideattraction.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/08/d23-2011-PrincessesSing-Legends-300x225.jpg" alt="" width="300" height="225" /></a><p class="wp-caption-text">The Princesses sing A Dream Is A Wish Your Heart Makes at the Disney Legends Ceremony</p></div>
<p>Following their awards Linda Larkin came out and introduced them as they each sang a song from their respective movies.  All extremely good of course.  Lea Salonga has an absolutely pristine, perfect voice.  Just stunning.  Jodie Benson really seemed to embody Ariel.  It was as if the mermaid herself had sprouted legs and came on stage.  At the end, all four came out to sing &#8220;A Dream Is A Wish Your Heart Makes&#8221; from Cinderella.  No matter who they are, or what they won, it&#8217;s always fantastic to hear beautiful voices singing a song as perfect as that one.</p>
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<p>That seems like it would be a show stopper, but like I said, it was just the beginning.  Next up they gave awards to some of the company insiders that people may not know as well including Ray Watson who was the architect and urban planner that helped Walt get Disney World started.  Ray asked if he could sing too.</p>
<p>Barton Boyd was Disney&#8217;s long time head of merchandising.  Barton unfortunately passed away just two months ago and the award was accepted by his daughters who shared some of their favorite Disney memories.</p>
<div id="attachment_3442" class="wp-caption alignleft" style="width: 310px"><a href="http://blog.roadsideattraction.com/disney-d23-expo-wrapup.html/d23-2011-regisphilbin-legends" rel="attachment wp-att-3442"><img class="size-medium wp-image-3442" title="d23-2011-RegisPhilbin - Legends" src="http://blog.roadsideattraction.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/08/d23-2011-RegisPhilbin-Legends-300x225.jpg" alt="" width="300" height="225" /></a><p class="wp-caption-text">Regis Philbin accepting his Disney Legend award</p></div>
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<p>Then it was back to a little star power with an award for Guy Williams who played Zorro in the TV series.  His award was accepted by a large contingent of his family, including his son who brought Zorro&#8217;s sword and saluted the audience with a flourish.</p>
<p>Next it was super-ham time for Regis Philbin.  The dude is a TV fixture and holds the world&#8217;s record for most hours spent in front of a camera.  Here&#8217;s a guy that treats every stage as his own, chewing the scenery like nobody&#8217;s business.  I&#8217;ve never been a huge fan, but it was fun watching him rib Tom Bergeron.</p>
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<div id="attachment_3432" class="wp-caption alignright" style="width: 310px"><a href="http://blog.roadsideattraction.com/disney-d23-expo-wrapup.html/d23-2011-kermitandrolfsingrainbowconnection-legends" rel="attachment wp-att-3432"><img class="size-medium wp-image-3432" title="d23-2011-KermitAndRolfSingRainbowConnection - Legends" src="http://blog.roadsideattraction.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/08/d23-2011-KermitAndRolfSingRainbowConnection-Legends-300x225.jpg" alt="" width="300" height="225" /></a><p class="wp-caption-text">Kermit and Rolf do Rainbow Connection at the Disney Legend awards</p></div>
<p>And finally, the last recipient was Jim Henson, creator of the Muppets.  They did a nice little retrospective, showing some vintage muppet footage.  Brian Henson and his wife recreated a very early Muppet piece based on the song &#8220;Accustomed To Your Face&#8221;.  Very funny.  The show closed with Kermit the Frog (on banjo) and Rolf the Dog (on piano) doing &#8220;Rainbow Connection&#8221;.  It&#8217;s one of those songs that people love to hate, but man, it&#8217;s a really well written piece of music.  I was amazed at the performance as well.  Those guys LIVE those characters.  At one point Rolf missed a vocal cue, Kermit corrected him, and they had a moment of banter on a vamp.  Obviously not planned, but they played it off perfectly.  It lent a really nice, relaxed touch to the performance..</p>
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<p>Then I headed off to the Carousel of Projects where Imagineers were showing off their new goodies.  This is where we thought Disney might have a little trouble this year.  In 2009 they announced a bunch of cool projects and in 2011 they&#8217;re still working on them.  So it was mostly more details about things we already knew about. It started with a quick little film highlighting park achievements over the years, done in 180 degree, Semi-CircleVision.</p>
<div id="attachment_3429" class="wp-caption alignleft" style="width: 310px"><a href="http://blog.roadsideattraction.com/disney-d23-expo-wrapup.html/d23-2011-fantasylandmodel-parks-area" rel="attachment wp-att-3429"><img class="size-medium wp-image-3429" title="d23-2011-FantasylandModel - Parks Area" src="http://blog.roadsideattraction.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/08/d23-2011-FantasylandModel-Parks-Area-300x225.jpg" alt="" width="300" height="225" /></a><p class="wp-caption-text">Model of Fantasyland expansion at Disney World</p></div>
<p>There was a really great model of the new Fantasyland expansion in Disney World.  And some of the head Imagineers on the project were on hand to discuss updates and details on it.  It&#8217;s always exhilarating to talk to people who are passionate about their jobs and these guys runneth over.</p>
<p>The basic concept is that they&#8217;re building the fantasy forest out beyond the castle.  The thought being that that&#8217;s where the stories take place, so that&#8217;s where they should be.  I like it.  They&#8217;ve already moved Pooh and they&#8217;re finishing up a lot of the Beauty and the Beast stuff.  The next huge project is the Dwarve&#8217;s Mine Ride.  It&#8217;s going to be a roller coaster with a dark ride component.  And a new ride vehicle that swings side to side like a mine car would, making the ride both smoother and more exciting.</p>
<p>There was also some great Carsland/DCA stuff that for some bizarre reason I didn&#8217;t take pictures of.  They had a full-size Red character vehicle that will be in the ride as well as a prototype of the ride vehicles in Radiator Springs Racers.  The rest of the room was stuff about Aulani, Disney Cruise Lines, and Adventures By Disney.  There was also a small land massing model of the new Shanghai park which only recently broke ground and doesn&#8217;t have a lot of details yet.  They also had their latest animatronic Destini interacting with the guests.  It&#8217;s going to be a really interesting technology when they figure out how to implement it in an attraction.</p>
<div id="attachment_3426" class="wp-caption alignright" style="width: 235px"><a href="http://blog.roadsideattraction.com/disney-d23-expo-wrapup.html/d23-2011-carshood-parks-area" rel="attachment wp-att-3426"><img class="size-medium wp-image-3426" title="d23-2011-CarsHood - Parks Area" src="http://blog.roadsideattraction.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/08/d23-2011-CarsHood-Parks-Area-225x300.jpg" alt="" width="225" height="300" /></a><p class="wp-caption-text">Prop from Ramone&#39;s Auto Body in Carsland</p></div>
<div id="attachment_3427" class="wp-caption alignleft" style="width: 310px"><a href="http://blog.roadsideattraction.com/disney-d23-expo-wrapup.html/d23-2011-carthaycirclemodel-parks-area" rel="attachment wp-att-3427"><img class="size-medium wp-image-3427" title="d23-2011-CarthayCircleModel - Parks Area" src="http://blog.roadsideattraction.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/08/d23-2011-CarthayCircleModel-Parks-Area-300x225.jpg" alt="" width="300" height="225" /></a><p class="wp-caption-text">Model of Carthay Circle Theater being installed at California Adventure</p></div>
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<div id="attachment_3451" class="wp-caption alignleft" style="width: 310px"><a href="http://blog.roadsideattraction.com/disney-d23-expo-wrapup.html/d23-2011-carslandradiatorspringsracersvehicle-parks-area" rel="attachment wp-att-3451"><img class="size-medium wp-image-3451" title="d23-2011-CarslandRadiatorSpringsRacersVehicle - Parks Area" src="http://blog.roadsideattraction.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/08/d23-2011-CarslandRadiatorSpringsRacersVehicle-Parks-Area-300x225.jpg" alt="" width="300" height="225" /></a><p class="wp-caption-text">Radiator Springs Racer Vehicle</p></div>
<div id="attachment_3452" class="wp-caption alignright" style="width: 310px"><a href="http://blog.roadsideattraction.com/disney-d23-expo-wrapup.html/d23-2011-carslandvehicle-parks-area" rel="attachment wp-att-3452"><img class="size-medium wp-image-3452" title="d23-2011-CarslandVehicle - Parks Area" src="http://blog.roadsideattraction.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/08/d23-2011-CarslandVehicle-Parks-Area-300x225.jpg" alt="" width="300" height="225" /></a><p class="wp-caption-text">Carsland Vehicle</p></div>
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<p>For the auction this year you had to buy a separate ticket, even to watch.  But fortunately you could check out the preview room for stuff most of us can never hope to afford. <img src='http://blog.roadsideattraction.com/wp-includes/images/smilies/icon_smile.gif' alt=':)' class='wp-smiley' /> </p>
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<div id="attachment_3439" class="wp-caption alignright" style="width: 235px"><a href="http://blog.roadsideattraction.com/disney-d23-expo-wrapup.html/d23-2011-piratesmoviedisplay-auction" rel="attachment wp-att-3439"><img class="size-medium wp-image-3439" title="d23-2011-PiratesMovieDisplay - Auction" src="http://blog.roadsideattraction.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/08/d23-2011-PiratesMovieDisplay-Auction-225x300.jpg" alt="" width="225" height="300" /></a><p class="wp-caption-text">Pirates movie display</p></div>
<div id="attachment_3444" class="wp-caption alignleft" style="width: 310px"><a href="http://blog.roadsideattraction.com/disney-d23-expo-wrapup.html/d23-2011-tweedlefigures-auction" rel="attachment wp-att-3444"><img class="size-medium wp-image-3444 " title="d23-2011-TweedleFigures - Auction" src="http://blog.roadsideattraction.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/08/d23-2011-TweedleFigures-Auction-300x225.jpg" alt="" width="300" height="225" /></a><p class="wp-caption-text">Tweedle Dee and Tweedle Dum from the Alice in Wonderland ride</p></div>
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<div id="attachment_3438" class="wp-caption alignleft" style="width: 310px"><a href="http://blog.roadsideattraction.com/disney-d23-expo-wrapup.html/d23-2011-peterpanridevehicle-auction" rel="attachment wp-att-3438"><img class="size-medium wp-image-3438" title="d23-2011-PeterPanRideVehicle - Auction" src="http://blog.roadsideattraction.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/08/d23-2011-PeterPanRideVehicle-Auction-300x225.jpg" alt="" width="300" height="225" /></a><p class="wp-caption-text">Peter Pan Ride Vehicle - I would love to have this...</p></div>
<div id="attachment_3455" class="wp-caption alignright" style="width: 310px"><a href="http://blog.roadsideattraction.com/disney-d23-expo-wrapup.html/sdc10953" rel="attachment wp-att-3455"><img class="size-medium wp-image-3455 " title="d23-2011-HauntedMansionGhosts - Auction" src="http://blog.roadsideattraction.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/08/SDC10953-300x225.jpg" alt="" width="300" height="225" /></a><p class="wp-caption-text">Yep, these are the actual mischevious ghosts from the Haunted Mansion. Now you really can take them home with you.</p></div>
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<p>Friday also brought me to the Walt Disney Parks and Resort presentation where they dish the dirt on the gems of the Disney crown, the theme parks.  Really nothing much new here unless you&#8217;re totally not paying attention the rest of the year.  They talked about Aulani and even gave away an opening weekend trip to the guy that found the sticker under his chair.  It sure wasn&#8217;t going to be in the 2nd to last row where I was.</p>
<p>The presentation started with Mickey playing the drums with the band and kind of went downhill from there.  Aulani, a little on the cruise lines, the beginning of the Shanghai park, the Fantasyland Expansion at Disney World, the upgrades at DCA.  We did get to see a pre-viz video of the the Dwarves Mine Car ride going into Disney World and it really does look fun.  It&#8217;s a roller coaster than then slows down inside to a dark ride before picking up again.  We also saw a pre-viz for the castle in Shanghai which will be the biggest yet and actually have substantial interior space, including a ride.  Very cool.</p>
<p>Kathy Morgan, executive producer of Carsland, dropped a little story about how the cast member shirts in that land will be modeled after John Lasseter&#8217;s substantial collection of Hawaiian shirts with a Route 66 theme.</p>
<p>George Kalogridis, president of Disneyland, gave some very vague facts to close the presentation.  They&#8217;ll be working on some &#8220;experience&#8221; things for Disney nerds.  Like dinner in the Haunted Mansion with Imagineers.  Some stuff about possible access to older attractions like the Tahitian Terrace.  And an expansion of Club 33.  Details?  Not a one.  You know as much as I do.</p>
<p>Personally I don&#8217;t think they should grant more access to Club 33.  While it&#8217;s a place that every Disney fan strives to visit, I also know lots of people who have been there.  Meet the right people, get in the club.  Making it less exclusive will only harm that vibe.</p>
<p>Then they capped it by talking about the replacement of Carnation Plaza at Disneyland with the Fantasy Fun Faire.  This was announced a few months ago to a collective yawn by Disney fans.  They&#8217;ll be in trouble with the traditionalists for yanking the plaza.  But they assured us that live swing bands and such will still be appearing there.  Mostly it will be food, shops, and a princess meet up.  Yep, yawn.</p>
<p>Tom Staggs very awkwardly closed up the presentation by saying, &#8220;Thanks.  That&#8217;s our presentation.&#8221;  And there was a palpable expectation in the air that there had to be more.  Like they were going to drop a surprise of some sort on us.  But no.  Mickey came out and played some more drums and we all filed out to get on to the next line.  Blah.</p>
<div id="attachment_3456" class="wp-caption alignleft" style="width: 310px"><a href="http://blog.roadsideattraction.com/disney-d23-expo-wrapup.html/sdc10941" rel="attachment wp-att-3456"><img class="size-medium wp-image-3456" title="d23-2011-DickVanDyke" src="http://blog.roadsideattraction.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/08/SDC10941-300x225.jpg" alt="" width="300" height="225" /></a><p class="wp-caption-text">Dick Van Dyke and the Vantastix</p></div>
<p>My next line was for the Dick Van Dyke and the Vantastix performance.  A 3 hour line.  At a Disney event, Dick Van Dyke is like Justin Bieber.  Dick was performing with his acapella group and they were great.  Cool songs, Disney and non, great singing, and some fun stories.  And it would have been even better if I didn&#8217;t have to wait 3 hours to see it.</p>
<div id="attachment_3457" class="wp-caption alignright" style="width: 310px"><a href="http://blog.roadsideattraction.com/disney-d23-expo-wrapup.html/sdc10943" rel="attachment wp-att-3457"><img class="size-medium wp-image-3457 " title="d23-2011-Dick Van Dyke2" src="http://blog.roadsideattraction.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/08/SDC10943-300x225.jpg" alt="" width="300" height="225" /></a><p class="wp-caption-text">Dick Van Dyke up on the big screen</p></div>
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<p>By Saturday I was so sick of lines that I didn&#8217;t bother to try for a lot of things I would have liked to see.  I skipped the film division&#8217;s presentation.  Brave and Avengers were the big topics.  And apparently some of the Avengers actors made appearances.  The strange thing was that in 2009, the place buzzing with excitement after the film presentation.  This year I actually had to ask someone what happened because NOBODY was talking about it.</p>
<div id="attachment_3460" class="wp-caption alignleft" style="width: 310px"><a href="http://blog.roadsideattraction.com/disney-d23-expo-wrapup.html/sdc10950" rel="attachment wp-att-3460"><img class="size-medium wp-image-3460" title="d23-2011-MichaelGiacchino" src="http://blog.roadsideattraction.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/08/SDC10950-300x225.jpg" alt="" width="300" height="225" /></a><p class="wp-caption-text">Michael Giacchino expounding on the importance of the score in film.</p></div>
<p>I did get to see Michael Giacchino&#8217;s talk.  He&#8217;s the score composer for Cars, Rattatoulie, and Up, plus shows like Alias and Lost.  He hit all the bases.  It was a very entertaining talk with great stories.  Stuff that would easily appeal to the non-music types.  And plenty of cool info for us music types too.  Even down to what kinds of gear he has in his home studio, how his work flow goes, and good tips on how to marry music to film effectively.</p>
<p>I skipped the rest of the presentations on Saturday and hung out in the collectors forum looking at stuff I couldn&#8217;t afford to buy.  It&#8217;s amazing to see a production sketch done in pencil, that took an artist 15 minutes to do in 1937, now fetching $4000.  But it&#8217;s all fascinating to look at.</p>
<p>The various artists of Disney Fine Arts are immensely talented.  If you&#8217;ve never seen <a href="http://www.noahfineart.com/" target="_blank">Noah&#8217;s work</a>, check it out.  I could have easily spent half the value of my house just on art alone.  Instead I restrained myself and bought one little cel from a random Donald Duck cartoon for $25.  It&#8217;s my first cel and now I have to figure out how to frame it without ruining it. <img src='http://blog.roadsideattraction.com/wp-includes/images/smilies/icon_smile.gif' alt=':)' class='wp-smiley' /> </p>
<div id="attachment_3461" class="wp-caption alignleft" style="width: 235px"><a href="http://blog.roadsideattraction.com/disney-d23-expo-wrapup.html/d23-2011-angelica-pirates4" rel="attachment wp-att-3461"><img class="size-medium wp-image-3461" title="d23-2011- Angelica - Pirates4" src="http://blog.roadsideattraction.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/08/d23-2011-Angelica-Pirates4-225x300.jpg" alt="" width="225" height="300" /></a><p class="wp-caption-text">Angelica&#39;s Costume - Pirates of the Caribbean 4</p></div>
<p>They also had a great display of props and costumes from Pirates of the Caribbean 4.  And fortunately they were out in the open so there was no line.  Here&#8217;s a few pics of those&#8230;</p>
<div id="attachment_3464" class="wp-caption alignright" style="width: 310px"><a href="http://blog.roadsideattraction.com/disney-d23-expo-wrapup.html/d23-2011-capteaguekeithrichardshat-pirates4" rel="attachment wp-att-3464"><img class="size-medium wp-image-3464" title="d23-2011- CapTeagueKeithRichardsHat - Pirates4" src="http://blog.roadsideattraction.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/08/d23-2011-CapTeagueKeithRichardsHat-Pirates4-300x225.jpg" alt="" width="300" height="225" /></a><p class="wp-caption-text">It&#39;s Keef&#39;s pirate hat!</p></div>
<div id="attachment_3463" class="wp-caption alignleft" style="width: 310px"><a href="http://blog.roadsideattraction.com/disney-d23-expo-wrapup.html/d23-2011-blackpearlminiaturemodelside-pirates4" rel="attachment wp-att-3463"><img class="size-medium wp-image-3463" title="d23-2011- BlackPearlMiniatureModelSide- Pirates4" src="http://blog.roadsideattraction.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/08/d23-2011-BlackPearlMiniatureModelSide-Pirates4-300x225.jpg" alt="" width="300" height="225" /></a><p class="wp-caption-text">A &quot;miniature&quot; of the Black Pearl used for filming. At 21 feet long, it&#39;s not all that miniature.</p></div>
<div id="attachment_3462" class="wp-caption alignright" style="width: 235px"><a href="http://blog.roadsideattraction.com/disney-d23-expo-wrapup.html/d23-2011-barbossapegleg-pirates4" rel="attachment wp-att-3462"><img class="size-medium wp-image-3462" title="d23-2011- BarbossaPegLeg- Pirates4" src="http://blog.roadsideattraction.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/08/d23-2011-BarbossaPegLeg-Pirates4-225x300.jpg" alt="" width="225" height="300" /></a><p class="wp-caption-text">Barbossa&#39;s Peg Leg from Pirates of the Caribbean 4</p></div>
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<p>The last panel I saw on Sunday was an update on Carsland featuring John Lasseter and his crew.  I love nothing more than watching someone talk about the things they&#8217;re most passionate about.  And Lasseter is all over this.  The Radiator Springs Racers are based on Test Track at Epcot, though they won&#8217;t go quite as fast.  40 mph instead of 60.  But fast enough.  And of course it will be thoroughly themed.  The whole thing sounds really fun.  And of course the Luigi&#8217;s Tires ride is something everyone is waiting for.  It&#8217;s based on the old Flying Saucers from the 1960&#8242;s (?).  It was long gone before I was born, but it was my mom&#8217;s favorite ride and she told me lots about it over the years.  They&#8217;ve worked out the engineering kinks and think it will be a hit now.</p>
<p>At the end, Lasseter talked about having been a Jungle Cruise skipper in 1977-78.  And mentioned that he doesn&#8217;t have a picture of himself on the job back then.  So he announced a contest.  Anyone who find a pic of him as a skipper while he was there will be a VIP guest to the opening of Carsland in 2012.  Way cool.  You can submit pics at <a href="http://www.johnofthejungle.com" target="_blank">www.JohnOfTheJungle.com</a></p>
<p>My camera ran out of batteries halfway through the Treasures gallery.  And I didn&#8217;t bring the charging cord with me.  Dumb, I know.  I&#8217;ve got a few more pics on my phone but can&#8217;t figure out how to get them off there.  Tech savvy, that&#8217;s me. <img src='http://blog.roadsideattraction.com/wp-includes/images/smilies/icon_smile.gif' alt=':)' class='wp-smiley' /> </p>
<p>The Treasures gallery was fun though.  Some of the stuff was kind of &#8220;whatever&#8221;.  Nick Cage&#8217;s costume from National Treasure &#8211; jeans and a t-shirt&#8230; yippee.. But some was very cool.  The original title card from the old Mickey Mouse cartoons, which is now the wallpaper on my phone. <img src='http://blog.roadsideattraction.com/wp-includes/images/smilies/icon_smile.gif' alt=':)' class='wp-smiley' />   Here&#8217;s pics of a few other things:</p>
<div id="attachment_3467" class="wp-caption alignleft" style="width: 310px"><a href="http://blog.roadsideattraction.com/disney-d23-expo-wrapup.html/sdc10958" rel="attachment wp-att-3467"><img class="size-medium wp-image-3467" title="SDC10958" src="http://blog.roadsideattraction.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/08/SDC10958-300x225.jpg" alt="" width="300" height="225" /></a><p class="wp-caption-text">Roger Rabbit&#39;s Already Crashed Through...</p></div>
<div id="attachment_3471" class="wp-caption alignleft" style="width: 235px"><a href="http://blog.roadsideattraction.com/disney-d23-expo-wrapup.html/d23-2011-zorrocostume-treasures" rel="attachment wp-att-3471"><img class="size-medium wp-image-3471" title="d23-2011 - ZorroCostume - Treasures" src="http://blog.roadsideattraction.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/08/d23-2011-ZorroCostume-Treasures-225x300.jpg" alt="" width="225" height="300" /></a><p class="wp-caption-text">Zorro&#39;s Costume</p></div>
<div id="attachment_3470" class="wp-caption alignleft" style="width: 235px"><a href="http://blog.roadsideattraction.com/disney-d23-expo-wrapup.html/d23-2011-sgtgarciaszpants-treasures" rel="attachment wp-att-3470"><img class="size-medium wp-image-3470" title="d23-2011 - SgtGarciasZPants - Treasures" src="http://blog.roadsideattraction.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/08/d23-2011-SgtGarciasZPants-Treasures-225x300.jpg" alt="" width="225" height="300" /></a><p class="wp-caption-text">Sargeant Garcia&#39;s &quot;Zorro&#39;d&quot; pants</p></div>
<div id="attachment_3469" class="wp-caption alignleft" style="width: 235px"><a href="http://blog.roadsideattraction.com/disney-d23-expo-wrapup.html/d23-2011-mousketeergeetar-treasures" rel="attachment wp-att-3469"><img class="size-medium wp-image-3469" title="d23-2011 - MousketeerGeetar - Treasures" src="http://blog.roadsideattraction.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/08/d23-2011-MousketeerGeetar-Treasures-225x300.jpg" alt="" width="225" height="300" /></a><p class="wp-caption-text">Jimmy Dodd&#39;s Mousegeetar</p></div>
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<p>By mid-day Sunday, honestly, I was a little bored, and frustrated about not being able to get into more panel events.  So I did a bit of shopping.  Picked up the official t-shirt designed by Noah and an Expo pin for my friend Lyndee who couldn&#8217;t go. That was a big difference from 2009.  At that expo I was still racing around seeing things on the afternoon I had to leave.  And I&#8217;d already seen a lot.  This one I didn&#8217;t get to see nearly as much which just kind of dampened my enthusiasm a bit.</p>
<p>Overall though it&#8217;s definitely worth the trip if you&#8217;re a Disney Dork.  Lots of opps for up close and personals with stars both famous and obscure.  Loads of amazing art to look at.  And enough shopping to choke a Kardashian.</p>
<p>I have more pictures as well.  <a href="http://www.roadsideattraction.com/images/d23expo2011pics_philjohnson.zip">Here&#8217;s a link to a zip file than contains them all if you&#8217;d like to see them.</a>  If you have any questions about what something is in a picture leave me a comment under this blog and I&#8217;ll see if I can remember. <img src='http://blog.roadsideattraction.com/wp-includes/images/smilies/icon_smile.gif' alt=':)' class='wp-smiley' /> </p>
<p>If you made it reading this far, thanks ya big Disney nerd. <img src='http://blog.roadsideattraction.com/wp-includes/images/smilies/icon_wink.gif' alt=';)' class='wp-smiley' /> </p>
<p>Phil Johnson<br />
<a href="http://www.roadsideattraction.com">http://www.RoadsideAttraction.com</a></p>
<p>Related posts:<ol>
<li><a href='http://blog.roadsideattraction.com/d23-disney-expo.html' rel='bookmark' title='D23 Disney Expo!'>D23 Disney Expo!</a></li>
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		<title>Changes in Disney World Fantasyland Expansion</title>
		<link>http://blog.roadsideattraction.com/changes-in-disney-world-fantasyland-expansion.html</link>
		<comments>http://blog.roadsideattraction.com/changes-in-disney-world-fantasyland-expansion.html#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Fri, 11 Feb 2011 20:11:25 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>Phil</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[Disney Stuff]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[d23]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[disney]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://blog.roadsideattraction.com/?p=3028</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[If there were ever a testament to the current climate of social media and customer feedback, it&#8217;s this one. Disney should be thanking their lucky stars for the feedback they got on the Disney World Fantasyland expansion after they premiered the plans at the D23 Expo last year. The rallying cry? &#8220;Too many damn princesses!&#8221; [...]
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			<content:encoded><![CDATA[<p><img class="alignleft" title="Walt Disney World Fantasyland Expansion" src="http://www.disnology.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/01/Disney-Fantasyland-Expansion.jpg" alt="" width="424" height="183" />If there were ever a testament to the current climate of social media and customer feedback, it&#8217;s this one.  Disney should be thanking their lucky stars for the feedback they got on the Disney World Fantasyland expansion after they premiered the plans at the D23 Expo last year.</p>
<p>The rallying cry?  &#8220;Too many damn princesses!&#8221;  And I heartily agreed.</p>
<p>Originally, the expansion was going to include a bunch of new meet and greet areas with the princesses each in their own little area.  I was sure at that point that Disney had forgotten that their fan base was something besides girls between the ages of 4 and 8.</p>
<p>But fortunately, thanks to a bunch of loudmouth fans and people like the ones who made <a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EctQxbb5n9k" target="_blank">this genius video</a>, Disney reconsidered the plans and is putting all the princesses in some shared living space to get all the meeting and greeting done at once.  And for giving dirty old men fuel for some whacked out princess sorority pillow fight fantasy.</p>
<p>This princess dorm will be located where Snow White&#8217;s Scary Adventures is now.  I&#8217;ve not been on the WDW world version, but I&#8217;ve heard it&#8217;s not quite a nice as Anaheim.</p>
<p>So, what do we get?  Well, Mickey&#8217;s Toon Town Fair is closed up and will be replaced by the Storybook Circus.  Which sound suspiciously generic to me.  All we really know so far about it is that Goofy&#8217;s Barmstormer will be re-themed around a character called The Great Goofini.  But basically the same ride I assume. This is also where the new double Dumbo ride will be as well as a bunch of play areas.  So we&#8217;re looking at a bit of a kiddie land on this one.  Which is fine.  It keeps the little ones away from the thing I want to see and ride. <img src='http://blog.roadsideattraction.com/wp-includes/images/smilies/icon_wink.gif' alt=';)' class='wp-smiley' />   You can see some of the preview posters for this area <a href="http://www.insidethemagic.net/2011/02/first-look-at-storybook-circus-preview-posters-offered-during-disney-farewell-party-for-mickeys-toontown-fair/" target="_blank">here.</a></p>
<p>The Little Mermaid ride is well underway.  And I expect it will be similar to the one going up in Anaheim.  A good call since one coast always complains when the other coast gets a cool new ride first.  Like siblings on Christmas morning.</p>
<p>Since the Snow White ride is on the way out, they&#8217;re replacing it with a roller coaster type ride on a Dwarves&#8217; mine car theme.  Sweet.  Something adults can get into and still keeping the &#8216;ol girl and her little men in the park.  Good plan.</p>
<p>And thank Walt.. The pixies have been booted from the park.  Tinkerbell and her nameless, faceless friends are fine, but two straight to DVD movies should not get you prime park space.  The pixies will be over in Epcot (weird, yes) where they will take some role in the Epcot Flower Festival.</p>
<p>The Beauty and the Beast area will still be as planned.  The Beast&#8217;s castle as well as a walk through-ish thing of the village and you can eat at Gaston&#8217;s tavern which will be doing double duty as a daytime fast food and nighttime sit down restaurant.  Sorry, no flagons of ale, all you role players.</p>
<p>I&#8217;m actually kind of looking forward to this part.  The village scenes in BatB, I think, are some of the most intimate and realized of any of the films except maybe Pinnochio.</p>
<p>The one thing I don&#8217;t see is an attraction that will really compete with the Harry Potter ride at Universal.  I haven&#8217;t been on it, but apparently is as top notch as top notch can be.  Disney will need to get this Fantasyland stuff out of the way and ride that wave of promo while they work on something really blockbuster.</p>
<p>A bonus for me though?  Not one mention of any attractions using screens and projections as it&#8217;s main technology.  They got away with motion simulators and projection type attractions for quite awhile, but I think we all really like to THINGS while we&#8217;re riding.</p>
<p>Best of all, they got all this crap figured out before they even think about touching Fantasyland in Anaheim.  We&#8217;re probably at least 10 years out from that.  But thanks to customer feedback via the internet, it should be much better&#8230; And less girly.  Yay!<!-- pingbacker_start --><br />
<h4>Other Blogs On This Subject</h4>
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		<title>What&#8217;s Your Take On Music Artist Membership Sites?</title>
		<link>http://blog.roadsideattraction.com/whats-your-take-on-music-artist-membership-sites.html</link>
		<comments>http://blog.roadsideattraction.com/whats-your-take-on-music-artist-membership-sites.html#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Fri, 09 Jul 2010 18:30:10 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>Phil</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[Entertainment Business]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[d23]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[metallica]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[music business]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://blog.roadsideattraction.com/?p=512</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[In my last post I was talking about the decreasing numbers of paid downloads that the industry is worrying about.  And lately the reports of decreasing ticket sales and canceled tours hasn&#8217;t helped any. But as I also mentioned, entertainment is a lagging indicator of the economy.  And, of course, the exorbitant ticket prices don&#8217;t [...]
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</ol>]]></description>
			<content:encoded><![CDATA[<p>In my last post I was talking about the decreasing numbers of paid downloads that the industry is worrying about.  And lately the reports of <a href="http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=128404220" target="_blank">decreasing ticket sales</a> and <a href="http://news.yahoo.com/s/nm/20100708/music_nm/us_concerts" target="_blank">canceled tours</a> hasn&#8217;t helped any.</p>
<p>But as I also mentioned, entertainment is a lagging indicator of the economy.  And, of course, the exorbitant ticket prices don&#8217;t do any good either.  I would love to go see BB King this summer, but don&#8217;t have the extra$80 plus service charges to dole out for it.  $20 and I&#8217;d be there in a heartbeat.</p>
<p>I think the lag in ticket prices is overdue.  But at the same time, some of these tours with pyro and dancers and all that are really expensive to produce.  Maybe it&#8217;s a matter of looking back and seeing what happened in the big band era.  When it got too expensive to bring 18-20 musicians on the road, small combos became the thing.  That kept things manageable.</p>
<p>And the comedy industry is no different.  $20/ticket plus a two drink minimum adds up for a night at a club.</p>
<p>So where can the artists make their money?  Ideas like sponsorships (more ads, ack) and licensing are always talked about.  A new one that&#8217;s popping up a lot lately is the idea of a membership site.</p>
<p>A good example is <a href="http://www.metclub.com/page.asp?id=44" target="_blank">Metallica&#8217;s club.</a> Basically, for a yearly fee you live recordings, fan club merch, contests, advance tickets, maybe some private show stuff.</p>
<p>I like Metallica a lot.  I mean really a lot.  But how many live versions of Seek and Destroy do I need?  Though the opportunity for hanging out with the band and such is cool, I&#8217;m not a member.  But I&#8217;m going to go out on a limb here and say that I&#8217;m probably too preoccupied with my own artistic career to be a megafan.  I don&#8217;t think I&#8217;m the norm.</p>
<p>I can&#8217;t think of any music artists that I might pay to be in their club.  I am a member of D23, Disney&#8217;s club though.  The difference?  It&#8217;s not my industry and it&#8217;s stuff I can&#8217;t do myself.  And for some reason I&#8217;m more excited about meeting Dave Smith (head of the Disney Archives) than James Hetfield at this point in my life.</p>
<p>So here&#8217;s my question for you.  Because I am considering doing a membership club of my own here at some point.<br />
- Are there any artists you like enough to join their membership site?<br />
- What would they have to offer you that would make it worthwhile to spend $20-$40 a year?</p>
<p>Leave your comments below&#8230;</p>
<p>Phil Johnson<br />
<a href="http://www.roadsideattraction.com" target="_blank">http://www.RoadsideAttraction.com</a></p>
<p><!-- pingbacker_end --><!-- pingbacker_start --><br />
<h4>Other Blogs On This Subject</h4>
<ul class='pc_pingback'>
<li><a href='http://cheapconcertticketsnow.com/26034/miami-heat-fans-can-expect-a-steep-spike-in-ticket-prices-news-observer/'>Miami Heat fans can expect a steep spike in ticket prices &#8211; News &amp; Observer | Cheap Concert Tickets Now</a></li>
<li><a href='http://bossip.com/265329/is-rihrihs-tour-ready-to-tap-out-singer-cancels-slew-of-dates/'>Rihanna Tour Suffering From Poor Ticket Sales, Cancels More Dates Bossip.com</a></li>
</ul>
<p><!-- pingbacker_end --></p>
<p>Related posts:<ol>
<li><a href='http://blog.roadsideattraction.com/will-there-ever-been-another-artist-as-big-as-michael-jackson.html' rel='bookmark' title='Will there ever been another artist as big as Michael Jackson?'>Will there ever been another artist as big as Michael Jackson?</a></li>
</ol></p>]]></content:encoded>
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		<title>Disney needs more perks for Annual Pass holders</title>
		<link>http://blog.roadsideattraction.com/disney-needs-more-perks-for-annual-pass-holders.html</link>
		<comments>http://blog.roadsideattraction.com/disney-needs-more-perks-for-annual-pass-holders.html#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Sat, 10 Oct 2009 00:43:19 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>Phil</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[Disney Stuff]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[annual pass]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[d23]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[disney]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://blog.roadsideattraction.com/?p=174</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[This subject has come up a couple times today.  Disney&#8217;s annual pass holders are starting to get irritated with the company&#8217;s offers of getting into the park for free.  The birthday promotion and next year&#8217;s volunteering promotion.  Plus the D23 events that include park tickets in the price, but don&#8217;t have an option for AP [...]
Related posts:<ol>
<li><a href='http://blog.roadsideattraction.com/d23-disney-expo.html' rel='bookmark' title='D23 Disney Expo!'>D23 Disney Expo!</a></li>
<li><a href='http://blog.roadsideattraction.com/disney-d23-expo-2nd-update.html' rel='bookmark' title='Disney D23 Expo 2nd Update'>Disney D23 Expo 2nd Update</a></li>
</ol>]]></description>
			<content:encoded><![CDATA[<p>This subject has come up a couple times today.  Disney&#8217;s annual pass holders are starting to get irritated with the company&#8217;s offers of getting into the park for free.  The birthday promotion and next year&#8217;s volunteering promotion.  Plus the D23 events that include park tickets in the price, but don&#8217;t have an option for AP holders.</p>
<p>Michael Owen has got some great ideas on how to rectify that: <a href="http://thedisneyblog.com/2009/10/06/could-disney-gain-through-offering-there-annual-pass-holders-more/" target="_blank">http://thedisneyblog.com/2009/10/06/could-disney-gain-through-offering-there-annual-pass-holders-more/</a></p>
<p>I don&#8217;t have an annual pass anymore, but I&#8217;d love a good reason to get one. <img src='http://blog.roadsideattraction.com/wp-includes/images/smilies/icon_smile.gif' alt=':)' class='wp-smiley' /> </p>
<p><!--subscribe2--></p>
<p>Phil Johnson<br />
<a href="http://www.roadsideattraction.com" target="_self">www.RoadsideAttraction.com</a></p>
<p>Related posts:<ol>
<li><a href='http://blog.roadsideattraction.com/d23-disney-expo.html' rel='bookmark' title='D23 Disney Expo!'>D23 Disney Expo!</a></li>
<li><a href='http://blog.roadsideattraction.com/disney-d23-expo-2nd-update.html' rel='bookmark' title='Disney D23 Expo 2nd Update'>Disney D23 Expo 2nd Update</a></li>
</ol></p>]]></content:encoded>
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		<slash:comments>0</slash:comments>
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		<title>D23 Disney Expo!</title>
		<link>http://blog.roadsideattraction.com/d23-disney-expo.html</link>
		<comments>http://blog.roadsideattraction.com/d23-disney-expo.html#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Sat, 12 Sep 2009 02:35:03 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>Phil</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[Disney Stuff]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Road Stories]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[d23]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[disney expo]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://blog.roadsideattraction.com/?p=116</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[Almost forgot it was blog day!  When I travel a lot, I tend to forget what day it is. So, today is halfway through the inaugural D23 Expo in Anaheim, CA.  Overall, it&#8217;s been a very enjoyable experience.  I arrived at 10am on Thursday and, in traditional Disney fashion, immediately stood in line. My first [...]
No related posts.]]></description>
			<content:encoded><![CDATA[<p>Almost forgot it was blog day!  When I travel a lot, I tend to forget what day it is. <img src='http://blog.roadsideattraction.com/wp-includes/images/smilies/icon_smile.gif' alt=':)' class='wp-smiley' /> </p>
<p>So, today is halfway through the inaugural D23 Expo in Anaheim, CA.  Overall, it&#8217;s been<br />
a very enjoyable experience.  I arrived at 10am on Thursday and, in traditional Disney fashion,<br />
immediately stood in line.</p>
<p>My first event was getting into the Disney Legends ceremony, which until this year has never<br />
been open to the public.  Very cool to watch Robin Williams, Betty White, Don Iwerks,<br />
Tony Anselmo (voice of Donald Duck), and Bill Farmer (voice of Goofy) get their awards.</p>
<p>Though I was able to sneak my camera in, I unfortunately wasn&#8217;t able to get any good pics.<br />
Too blurry. <img src='http://blog.roadsideattraction.com/wp-includes/images/smilies/icon_sad.gif' alt=':(' class='wp-smiley' /> </p>
<p>The Expo floor itself is quite good.  Lots of amazing art and collectibles.  Most of which I can&#8217;t afford.  I&#8217;ll be restraining myself to a tshirt and possibly a good Peter Pan movie poster.</p>
<p>The best part so far has been the presentations.  Today I saw an imagineer talking about the different Haunted Mansion rides.  Also one with a selection of composers that have written for Disney rides, films, and shows.   Missed out on the Disney Rarities screening where they&#8217;re showing some rare shorts that haven&#8217;t been seen in 60 years.  The room was full by the time I got there.</p>
<p>Earlier today they were screening previews of upcoming films and I decided to skip it.  Found out later that a variety of special guests made appearances: Tim Burton, John Travolta, Nicholas Cage, Kelly Preston, and in full Jack Sparrow garb, Johnny Depp.</p>
<p>They Disney Treasures gallery is pretty cool, but not as much as expected.  Some great items like the production model of the Nautilus from 20,000 Leagues under the sea.  Some macquettes from Pinnochio.  But mostly costumes.  And for some reason I don&#8217;t really care about seeing a dress from the Princess Diaries.</p>
<p>Tomorrow night is the big auction.  I will not be bidding, but I&#8217;m hoping to get in to watch.  They auctioning experience type events, jewelry, and even a ride car from Peter Pan.  There&#8217;s also a fantastic full size recreation of the Hat Box Ghost.</p>
<p>I have to run to do a last minute show at the House Of Blues tonight, but here&#8217;s some pics and I&#8217;ll write more early next week.</p>
<p>There&#8217;s a new collectible called Vinylmation figures.  Some artists are doing<br />
some really cool things with them, like this Stich figure.</p>
<p><img class="alignnone size-full wp-image-121" title="stitch" src="http://blog.roadsideattraction.com/wp-content/uploads/2009/09/stitch.jpg" alt="stitch" width="300" height="282" /></p>
<p>There&#8217;s a section of Disney princess art done by Disney&#8217;s<br />
own consumer products artists.  I really like this one<br />
that places Snow White in a Haunted Mansion stretch<br />
painting.</p>
<p><img class="alignnone size-full wp-image-120" title="snowwhitemansion" src="http://blog.roadsideattraction.com/wp-content/uploads/2009/09/snowwhitemansion.jpg" alt="snowwhitemansion" width="253" height="600" /></p>
<p>There&#8217;s a whole section on new stuff happening in the parks.  Since they&#8217;re<br />
refreshing the presidents, here&#8217;s what Abraham Lincoln looks like naked.<br />
(Some weirdo will find this pic after googling &#8220;naked abraham lincoln&#8221;)</p>
<p><img class="alignnone size-full wp-image-119" title="nakedlincoln" src="http://blog.roadsideattraction.com/wp-content/uploads/2009/09/nakedlincoln.jpg" alt="nakedlincoln" width="400" height="534" /></p>
<p>Yep, this lady is actually interviewing a trash can.  Fortunately, it was responding.<br />
Pretty funny little robot.  And just seconds after I snapped this, some oblivious yahoo<br />
walked up and put some dirty napkins in it.</p>
<p><img class="alignnone size-full wp-image-118" title="garbagecan" src="http://blog.roadsideattraction.com/wp-content/uploads/2009/09/garbagecan.jpg" alt="garbagecan" width="500" height="375" /></p>
<p>This pleasant gentlemen is Dave Smith.  If you&#8217;re not among the initiated, Dave is the head<br />
of the Disney company archives.  He knows more about the company than anyone in the world.<br />
I read his books and articles regularly, so it was great to get to meet him.</p>
<p><img class="alignnone size-full wp-image-117" title="davesmith" src="http://blog.roadsideattraction.com/wp-content/uploads/2009/09/davesmith.jpg" alt="davesmith" width="500" height="406" /></p>
<p>More soon!</p>
<p><!--subscribe2--></p>
<p>Phil Johnson<br />
<a href="http://www.roadsideattraction.com" target="_self">www.RoadsideAttraction.com</a></p>
<p>Song of the Day: <a href="http://www.roadsideattraction.com/audio/raisingarockus/roadside_attraction_sharemypixiedust.mp3">Share My Pixie Dust</a><br />
A Disney-inspired song about how to make an unexpected relationship work.  You need faith, trust, and&#8230;</p>
<p>Hear more of my songs with 8 free downloads at <a href="http://www.roadsideattraction.com/8-free-songs">http://www.roadsideattraction.com/8-free-songs</a></p>
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