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RD and Gregg review Disney's Tomorrowland

5/22/2015

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Movie reviews aren't something we generally do around here, but when something like Disney's Tomorrowland comes out, which is obviously gathered from elements of actual Theme Park environments both past and (hopefully) future, we couldn't resist sharing some thoughts on the film. 

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RD: 

Being a rather rabid Disneyist of the Starport order, it was already well known that I'd be at one of the first showings of Tomorrowland - and I was. Despite the throngs of people in my tiny little home town showing up at the door, I was able to get a ticket for the 10:15 showing - until of course the gremlins in the projector room started to spring up. Of course, even in the future there are bound to be delays - no question about it. 

I don't want to give the plot away, but it is an amazing story - very much a fantasy world of optimism & science fiction; all the way down to the, um... 'robots'. For me, what is interesting is that it isn't a rehash of the same-old same old. It is a new fantasy, one where Disney takes the ideas of the past - both new & used - and tells a whole new stand-alone storyline that is immersive & rich. 
Gregg: 

Over the last few years my Disney fandom has wavered a bit. It might be because we no longer have Disneyland AP's, that my children are older now or a myriad of other factors. That's not to say I don't love Disney because I absolutely do. 

All that said, when they announced Tomorrowland I was instantly on-board. Not only was it based on the land that was my favorite growing up (sorry anybody born after 1980, you missed out on amazing Tomorrowland) but it was made by Brad Bird who in my opinion has a pretty flawless track record from Iron Giant, The Incredibles and of course Mission Impossible: Ghost Protocol. 

Unlike RD, I didn't really get into the Optimist stuff, I poked around a bit, but I went into the movie with a clean slate other than the trailers. 

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Strong female teenage leads, something that doesn't happen very much in Hollywood.
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A look at Tomorrowland. Lots of great "what if's" in this movie.

George Clooney plays one of our leads, and does it well. The story starts in HIS past, and ends up in our future. While it isn't the perfect story, it does stand up on its own two feet, despite being a little too long. There aren't any dead spots along the way, but it can get confusing at points. Sorry folks, no bathroom breaks. 

The visions of the future are quite clear from what can best be said of a usonian utopia created by the imaginations of the greatest thinkers in modern history. Aspects of Walt Disney's own originating E.P.C.O.T. plus those of many other authors (Jules Verne, Eiffel, Mark Twain, etc.) who had limitless visions of the potential in the future. And that is the message the film is trying to get across: The future is what we choose to make of it, rather than of what we perceive could happen. It is a message of positivity & hope - something that cinema has tended to shy away from over the past few years. 

For me the technology that shined through made the biggest impact. A lot of what you see throughout the film is stuff we consider to be purely fantasy. At the same time, almost everything we see is plausible for the future. In a lot of ways, this alone is a techno-geeks delight; the future's ideas rethought & reborn. 
Like RD, I'm not going to give away any major plot points, that's for others to do, but I found the movie to be visiually stunning in every way. Sure the scenes in "Tomorrowland" are stunning and brilliant, but the "Earth" scenes are also brilliantly done and seem to have been overlooked a bit in other reviews. . 

And of course, the little nods and tributes to past Disney and the scenes at the Worlds Fair are amazing. 

The characters are robust and well thought out and for the second time in two weeks I've seen a movie where the female characters totally out-shine their male counterparts (Mad Max: Fury Road being the other). I don't say that as a negative, but it's an absolutely positive thing. It's about time Hollywood realizes that female characters don't need to play second fiddle in action movies, they don't need to be saved and they can drive a well written, well directed and well acted movie as much as any man. 

Some have called the message of the movie heavy-handed or preachy, I didn't get that from it's environmental/anti-war message. To me the nods to visionaries of the past was a great touch, but I was glad they kept Walt out of that part of the mythology of the movie. That would have been the heavy-handed part of the movie for me. 

Are these plans for a new Disney ride based on the Tomorrowland jet packs? 
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And for the Disneyists: There are Easter Eggs all over the film. Everywhere. From Starport Seven Seven's numerous cameos throughout (I had to resist the automatic response of screaming "STARPORT! STARPORT! STARPORT!!!") to hints of what Disney itself is working on (and has been) for the future of Tomorrowland. 

Here it is, folks: Hidden in plain sight. Disney isn't just making a new Tomorrowland... they're creating the elusive Tomorrowland that never ages; the one where the future is always now. We are basically given a blueprint of the future of this area at the various Disney parks throughout the world, and it is truly spectacular. 

Tomorrowland is today. And by and far one of the best fairy tales Disney has woven yet. Not perfect - but then again, the future is what they make of it. 
And of course, we can't talk about a movie called Tomorrowland and not discuss the potential theme park tie-in's, and they are plentiful. 

Sure there's Starport there, but other than the building it plays no real role in the movie, and that's perfectly fine. But as fans of the Disney parks you can't help but look at things in Tomorrowland and place them in the parks. 

I don't think Box Office is going to have ANY bearing on whether we see this version of Tomorrowland in Theme Parks in the next 5 or so years. This could pretty much be the blueprint of what's to come, and if that's the case, it's glorious. So if for nothing else, see Tomorrowland to see a great family action movie and maybe get a glimpse into Disney's tomorrow. 

Overall, Tomorrowland is a great addition to the history of Disney family oriented live-action movies. I'd put it up there with the original Tron, The Rocketeer and the first Pirates of the Caribbean as far as family fun is concerned. . 


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Which new ride opening in May are you most looking forward to? (Poll)

5/10/2015

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THE RESULTS ARE IN!!!


And by just 10 votes, Wicked Cyclone takes another online poll. The results are below: 

1) Wicked Cyclone 
2) Twisted Colossus 
3) Batman The Ride 
4) Justice League 
5) Voyage to the Iron Reef 
6) Springfield 
7) Impulse 
8) Cannibal 
9) Rougarou 
10) Jokers (SFOG) 
11) El Diablo 
12) Bourbon Street Fireball 
13) Dare Devil Dive.
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Also, be sure you are following along on our social media pages as we'll be at the following media days over the next two weeks. 

  • May 12* - Springfield Media Night - Universal Studios Hollywood
  • May 13* - Voyage to the Iron Reef Media Day - Knott's Berry Farm
  • May 13* - Batman The Ride Media Day - Six Flags Fiesta Texas
  • May 14* - El Diablo Media Day - Six Flags Great Adventure
  • May 14* - Voyage to the Iron Reef Fan Preview - Knott's Berry Farm
  • May 20* - Twisted Colossus Media Day - Six Flags Magic Mountain
  • May 23* - Twisted Colossus Opening Day - Six Flags Magic Mountain (We'll also be at SFMM for some of the passholder ERT days and will be setting up some "meet" times on opening day. We hope to get some of your first reactions to this amazing coaster)
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Springfield - Universal Studios Hollywood (now soft open)
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El Diablo Loop Coaster - Six Flags Great Adventure (Opens May 16)
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Twisted Colossus - Six Flags Magic Mountain (Opens May 23)
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The Joker Chaos Coaster - Six Flags Over Georgia (Opens May 22)
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Voyage to the Iron Reef - Knott's Berry Farm (opens May 15)
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Dare Devil Dive - Six Flags Discovery Kingdom (Opens May 23)
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Wicked Cyclone - Six Flags New England (Opens May 24)
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Bourbon Street Fireball - Six Flags America (Opens May ??)
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Justice League Battle For Metropolis - Six Flags Over Texas (Opens Late Spring)
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Rougarou - Cedar Point (Now Open)
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Justice League Battle For Metropolis - Six Flags St Louis (Opens Late Spring)
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Impulse - Knoebels (Now Open)


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Gregg opens up his 91 Reasons TimeBox

5/7/2015

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So a bit of fun this afternoon ... 

I'm not a "podcast" person. There are about 3 or 4 I'll listen to if the mood sets me right. Whether it's theme park related, con related, movie related etc, I'll take some time once in awhile to play catch up when Howard Stern is on vacation or something. 

Written by Gregg Condon

But there's one Podcast that no matter what I take the time to listen to whenever there's a new episode, and that's 91 Reasons by Jeff Tucker. 

In addition to sharing some pics of our TimeBox, I'm also going to link some of my favorite episodes. There are some on YouTube or on Podomatic, but be sure you like the 91 Reasons Facebook Page to get all of the awesome updates. 

And I know a lot of you are into Homestuck (I honestly have no idea what it is) but I'm sure those are great as well. There's a lot of them with Jeff and his kids. 

Oddly enough, one of the most talked about episodes ever has nothing to do with Movies or Pop Culture ... 
Now, you all probably know who Jeff Tucker is, if not, he works at Knott's and pretty much is one of the coolest guys ever. He's done special presentations at coaster events, has worked shows for Haunt including The Hanging and has pretty much been a fixture at the park for 20+ years. 

When Jeff first announced his Podcast I was intrigued, pop culture, movies and all kinds of fun stuff. Sounds like a fun diversion as I'm working (I work at home for those that don't know and no, this isn't my full time job).

As I started listening to his Podcasts though I felt that I was getting to know Jeff better. We're around the same age (he's a bit older, sorry Jeff) but as far as movies and pop culture are concerned, we pretty much see eye-to-eye on everything. 

But just talking about movies and stuff is one thing, relating it to a story in your life is quite another, and this is where Jeff excels and brings you into his life. You'll meet his amazing wife, his fantastic kids and again, listening to his shows I relate to so much of it because of my own personal experiences. 

Jeff talking about one of the all time great comedies. 
So when I get that much enjoyment out of something I like to support those things. Sure I've got Jeff's books and I share his tweets and stuff, but for the most part any disposable income goes to two teenage kids and Park Journey/Theme Park stuff. 

And then there's the 91 Reasons Time Box. At only $9.10 (shipped) it's a great way to support Jeff and get a box full of really cool stuff. So here's our first Park Journey Timebox, full of Haunt'y Goodness (Click pictures to enlarge). 
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What treasures await inside?
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See, Haunt'y goodness!!
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This thing is definitely not Evil
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OMG, I needed these (seriously)
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I'm scared to look inside
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Does this mean I get to be a monster now?
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Wait, Tron? Wrong park Jeff. =)
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Gran Slammer!!!!!!!!!!
There was more in here than what's in the pictures, including a Baymax sticker that's already on my daughters laptop. 

Thanks again Jeff not only for the Timebox but for the hours and hours of entertainment that's gotten me through many work days and Park Journey updates. 

Jeff just celebrated 91 episodes of his show, here's to 910 more!!! =)


If you enjoyed this update please share with your friends and make sure you "like" us on Facebook and "follow" us on Twitter and Instagram. Also, be sure to join our new Mailing List to receive our newsletter (will be sent out about every two weeks)

If you have any comments, please share them below. 
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