Necessary Next Steps

I talked to my wife today for the first time concerning some things that have been weighing on my mind heavily. I may be a big dreamer, but I'm no fool. I know I need more then wing and a prayer to accomplish the goals I have in mind. So after our Disney trip here in September, I'll be looking into options in obtaining an engineering degree. Of particular interest to me is Drafting in AutoCAD.

What? You thought I was joking?

Quotable Quotes: Imagine

"One of the main reasons I married the woman I did is because I view her as being a “complete” woman, a very well balanced, multi-talented, and dynamic person whom I respected, adored, and loved dearly. I think what you’ll find as you get a little older is that you’ll eventually end up with someone who appreciates that well rounded and multi-talented person you’re becoming as well. Why limit yourself to being less of a person than you are? If you’re an athlete wonderful, if you’ve an interest in gaming, better yet, if you like break dancing and play the violin, better yet! Have the audacity to be everything that you want to be and ENJOY it! Let others worry about their image, YOU set your own and let others envy you for having the audacity and confidence to follow your aspirations and desires while they wallow in image problems that keep them from doing the same."

-John Danker, fellow Triumvirate Member.

We Interrupt this Blog for the Following Announcement

This is the most beautiful thing I have ever seen.

What Would Walt Do? How Should I Know?

It appears people like me, folks who wish to see Disney return to its former grandeur, are unerringly misunderstood by people who pretty much think Disney is fine just the way it is. These folks seem to think that because we want Disney to do things the way Walt used to do them, then that means we want Disney to regress or become a fossil museum. They seem to think that we want regression rather then progression because we are too attached to outdated, antiquated rides.

Nothing could be further from the truth. If anything, Walt had higher, more forward thinking standards then the previous (and possibly current) administration does. Walt's ideals and business practices where unheard of for his time, and they continue to be. What we want is that special brand of forward thinking that he and his compatriots once espoused so successfully. What we want is for classic rides to be updated or improved upon, rather then destroyed for something with a short shelf life. We want to see the same values, not necessarily the same attractions, applied to Imagineering and general maintenance. We want to have fun with our families, not just be dragged to the parks with our kids.

In short, we want to know what would Walt do in principle, not necessarily in practice. Second guessing what Walt would have done is nonconstructive and not conducive to progression and innovation, as that is an impossible task. However, applying the principles he set is possible and a superb model for Imagineers, future park operators and businessmen in general. He worked for the sake of his work, not for his own name's sake. There was joy and compassion in everything he touched. And while no one seriously thinks Walt was without flaws, he adhered to principles that were flawless. We appreciate the man's dedication to higher, forward thinking practices, rather then to the success or failures he had following up on the practices. And for this reason, we speak of him, and the past, so highly.

I will be posting the URL to a website soon that I'm setting up in the furtherance of perpetuating my goals with Alternate Realities and as an exercise to better understand the nature of Walt's philosophies. I'll be re-imagineering, as it were, hopefully with the help of my new found DAZStudio and Bryce 5.5 skills, some classic attractions and elements. Mostly, though, it will be in text and image form. But I hope to get some feedback when the project gets underway. If all goes well, I'll set up a forum just for that purpose. Hope you stick around to see the (Disney) world through my eyes.

Concepts in Imagineering: Bodies in Motion

"Concepts in Imagineering" (CII) is a title I've chosen for a special sub-series of blogs I will post here from time to time. At its core, CII is a series about entertainment and creative concepts from around the world. Things so wondrous in their execution, that the creators of such oddities are in spirit and in heart, if not in name, Imagineers. As such, their creations are wonderful inspirations, if not considerations, for additions to a future themed environment. Each of these blogs will be prepended with this paragraph. Today's CII is:

Bodies in Motion





Sadly I cannot find any information on the remarkably talented performers of these two strikingly similar commercial ads. Neither Akbank (a Turkish Bank) nor TalkTalk (a British Broadband provider) include anything about the commercials themselves on their respective websites, though Akbank includes a free QuickTime download of this performance and TalkTalk incorporates the "bodies in motion" as graphical art and the graphical theme of their website. As a result, I’ll have to make my presumptions on the performances based on observation of these two commercials alone.

Though similar, there are striking differences between these two productions, both of which contain practical applications into a themed environment. We'll examine both of those and theorize on the practical application of the concept in an ongoing park attraction.

Comparative Analysis
Akbank is certainly the grandest and most ambitious of the two. The performers, all dressed in neutral garb, mostly form complex animation sequences which require large numbers. In the simplest of sequences you can freeze the video and count nearly 100 cast members working in unison to make the overall performance fluid. From gears grinding in a machine to a rushing river to birds flying away from and perching in a large tree, each formation is more complex and elaborate then the last. And since they are so complex and require the precision of so many performers, the formations have to be speed up to compensate for the restrictions placed upon air time, and to move the sequences along for the audience.

TalkTalk strikes me as being the most practical to apply of the two. There are far fewer performers and the resultant distance of the camera from the formations is much closer. The performers in this act are more specific to each animated sequence. Instead of same colored body suits, these people appear to be dressed in regular street clothes. In addition, the tops of each performer are specific to the formations they compose (the opening red hearts sequence and the pink dress of the “couple” for example). I’m particular impressed with the family playing ball. The two ladies in pink shirts fluidly convey the motion of a moving ball without requiring the benefit of time-lapsed photography. The TalkTalk performers also utilize a “prop” in one their formations, cleverly turning a crop into one man’s "crop".


Practical Application
Important elements of both show styles would be important to executing a successful themed attraction based of this performance concept. While it is entirely possible to exclude the Akbank performance altogether, there are pros to that grand performance that should not be ignored. Conversely, the TalkTalk performance has the greater charm and practical elements to keep the show running on a consistent basis.

The strongest elements of the Akbank commercial are the uniformed neutral garb of the performers. The plain white allows them to switch from formation to formation without great pauses in between. There’s no need for actors and actresses to leave the stage for a costume change allowing them to move uninterrupted into the next formation, thereby creating seamless transitions between each formation for both the cast and the audience. A fluid uninterrupted show with only one required group of performers to be on stage at all times also allows for greater precision of the act, particularly when the same show is being put on repeatedly throughout the day, throughout the week.

TalkTalk’s greatest attribute lies in its charm. Your more personally involved with the animation sequences because your closer to the performers and the casual garb and color suggest a more laid back, incidental approach to the routine. Where Akbank conveys a sense of careful and artful precision, TalkTalk conveys an unfussy presentation with players dressed in regular street clothes and the hues and tones applied giving the formations that natural, everyday feel of “life”. You get the sense with TalkTalk’s presentation that you could get together with your friends and camera and do the same thing from the roof of your house.

Another strong element of the TalkTalk act is the use of props in their formations. Carefully placed props on a stage or set could enhance the show being given to the audience, especially if the props have been sitting in plain site since before the show started. The sense of the everyday "magically" transformed into something new is a plus to the performance, provided it isn't done to drastically.

There are several amalgams to these two performances that I can see as being successful themed attraction. By utilizing smaller numbers you can create quicker transitions between formations and thereby make benefit to whatever score is composed for the act. Slightly larger numbers, perhaps a set of two groups, could take the performance in brighter more colorful directions, as teams can now flow on and off the stage taking advantage of the principles of both theories. In my estimation, the potential in creative and innovative outlet with such a performance is endless and simply waiting for the right person with the right credentials to seize it and make it a reality.

The question now rises, how exactly would we get the audience to view such a performance without the benefit of cranes and well placed cameras? Two possibilities come to mind.

The first would be the obvious placement of reflective, angled surfaces just above a high set stage. This would obviously be the most practical and cost effective, also giving the audience a first person view of the cast and crew from an eye level perspective. But somehow, cost effective doesn’t seem the most “magical” way to go about it.

A second possibility would be the construction of a carefully designed auditorium where Guests could observe the performance from an actual bird’s eye view above the stage. This provides engineers a opportunity to design something architecturally unique to the themed environment. The first time catwalks and auditorium seating would be one and the same. This would also prevent the audience from being distracted by the surface performances on a traditional stage ignoring the performance their supposed to be paying attention to in mirrored panels. With removal of the mirrored panels altogether the audience can focus their attention on the performance and not the performers.


Safety Concerns
For both the Guests and Cast no doubt there would be safety concerns. My first thought would be the obvious hazard of objects dropping from the audience onto an unsuspecting Cast Member. A simple solution to this problem would be a thin, durable netting, large enough to catch something as small as a digital camera, and strong enough to support the weight of a overly curious Guest who leans too far over the railings.

Architecturally, there are ways to limit the degree to which a Guest could lean over a railing, both by the use of narrow vantage points (the head can pear over, but the shoulders cannot) and by carefully set railings (you can only view the stage below if your in your seat, and not standing.) Seating could also be carefully designed to accommodate differing heights and ages by simply being adjustable.

Another elegant and foolproof solution to safety would be the addition of sensor equipped seat belts that MUST be buckled before any performance will begin, similar to the manner in which most thrill ride restraints are enforced, only less obtrusive and easy to get out of in the event of an emergency. With sensors in place, Cast Members can easily divert their attention to that seat or section in the event there is an emergency, or someone is just goofing off.

Alternate Thoughts
I think this is viable resource here and I intend to develop a more detailed conceptualization for my personal archives, complete with sketches, music and formation ideas. Maybe one day, in the not too distant future I will be able to share with you my thoughts. Until then, I bid you adieu and remind you to keep scaling those heights.

The Living "C"s

Oh, the frustration of creation. And particularly of creating ideas for Alternate Realities. While few people, if any, read this blog at the moment, I'm still placed in the position of restraining myself from talking too much about the specific attraction details and designs I've come up with for my theme. Each time I begin a new paragraph, I find myself desperately wanting to tell you all I have in mind. The ideas I think are fresh and unique. The ideas that will take the industry by storm. The ideas that will shape the future of the themed entertainment industry.

Sadly, all I can do is bluster. The nature of the themed entertainment industry makes it such that the specifics of my grand visions be kept under wraps until I'm much, much further along in the process. At this point, I can't even say we're at the embryonic stage of Alternate Realities' development. We're more at the "trying to get pregnant stage", or maybe dad hasn't even gotten to first base yet. My ideas, at the moment, are nothing more then a poor man's dream.

But there's something that keeps gnawing at me every night, and it's not my wife's cooking (or mine.) It's these words I came across from Walt Disney not too long ago:

"Somehow I can't believe there are any heights that can't be scaled by a man who knows the secret of making dreams come true. This special secret, it seems to me, can be summarized in four C's. They are Curiosity, Confidence, Courage, and Constancy and the greatest of these is Confidence. When you believe a thing, believe it all the way, implicitly and unquestionably."

So if I seem a little deluded at times, making grand claims at building a park when I'm beginning from absolute scratch, then please forgive me, and remember Walt's words. From this day forward, Alternate Realities is no longer a dream or an experiment, it is an inevitability. I believe I can do this, all the way, implicitly and unquestionably.

Tonight, I think my insomnia has passed. Good night all.

Quotable Quotes: Investments in Tomorrow

"People look at me in many ways. They've said, 'The guy has no regard for money.' That is not true. I have had regard for money. It depends on who's saying that. Some people worship money as something you've got to have piled up in a big pile somewhere. I've only thought about money in one way, and that is to do something with it. I don't think there's a thing I own that I will ever get the benefit of except through doing things with it. I don't even want the dividends from the stock in the studio, because the government's going to take it away. I'd rather have that in (the company) working..."

—Walt Disney

Merchandising ... With Heart?

It is difficult for me to imagine that any amusement park could survive without the revenue generated from the retail venues provided through their properties. It would be extremely naive to think that the cleverly crafted facades and finishings of an elaborate gift shop are anything more then an attempt to compel you to spend money in addition to what you spent on the gate and on concessions, or even lodging. While purchasing a piece of your experience that you can take home with you is certainly a element of the fantasy that should be readily available, it is somewhat of a necessary evil for you to pull out all the stops in cajoling your guests into buying something, even if it as innocuous as a shot glass.

But, and this a big but, it's a safe bet a good number of your guests will see right through any attempt at catering to the lowest common denominator. Smaller theme parks often don't have choice in this matter. You'll notice at your local area amusement parks you'll find trinkets. Mostly useless junk that end up having no place in your home or office or even closet. Usually ending up fitting into no sense of décor or style you ever had or ever will. Of course, a smaller theme park would unlikely be making the kind of revenue it would need to offer the quality merchandise that someplace like Disney is (or rather, was) capable of offering.

But when larger theme parks begin scrimping on the quality products, one has to wonder how much more or less revenue they are generating as result of the cut backs. One also has to wonder if they realize that their consumers are not as dimwitted as they think we are. Do the analyses and research they put into making such a decision at any point contemplate the intelligent consumer who knows when he's being offered a cheap cigar? And if so, are the negatives so small, resulting in their decision to go cheap anyway?

As part of a personal irritant, I've never seen the logic in offering your customer as little as you possibly can. In as much as you need to pour every ounce of quality and passion into your rides and show pieces so as to compel people to spend hard earned dollars to enter that gate, you should also have some quality and passionately made product to once again compel them to spend money at yet another cash register. You can still have the plush. You can still sell the pins. And you can still sell the porcelain mugs. But hirer a skilled artisan or two to blow your customers a glass castle, sculpt them a elegant statue or paint them a picture that won't end up being stored in a moldy box in the basement. In short, sell them a little quality product.

A recent trip to Walt Disney World emphasized how important quality gift shop merchandise is to your guests. On a prior visit, I had purchased so much merchandise with my debit card, that I had inadvertently miscalculated and overdrawn the account. On the next visit, my wife and I had made a pact that we were NOT going to spend a single penny on merchandise unless it was something we REALLY felt we wanted. And even then, it could only be one or two things. Maybe a pin. Maybe a shot glass or coffee mug. But no $100 purchases this time around. I went to Disney steeled in my resolve. I felt I was seriously going to have to restrain myself and my wife, considering she had only been doing the "frugal thing" for a couple of years now, whereas I had grown up having little to spend on frivolous things. To both our surprise, (and dismay) no effort needed to be made.

I was underwhelemed by every shop I entered. Even my all time favorite World of Disney store offered nothing to my collectors sensibilities. And you have to understand. I've been a collector for a very long time. Only since I've been married have I been able to curb the desire to buy anything and everything my greedy little mind thought would make a nice "complete set". But here I was in the middle of one of my all time favorite themed environments, surrounded by Mickey memorabilia, and not a glimmer of flash could even catch my eye. Where were the PVC figures of any and every Disney character ever made? Where were the sculpted 3D magnets of various characters and attractions. Why did all the emblazoned art work look like it had been drawn by a 7 year old during a 5.0 on the Richter Scale? Where were the actual glass shot glasses? Not a t-shirt, not a pin, not a iota of collectable goodness caught my eye. The handful of items I saw that were worthy of a second glance, cost more for one item then I would have paid for a set, even on my greediest of days.

The notable exception to all of this was Epcot Center's Japanese Pavilion. And, ironically, happens to be the only place I spent a dime. (NOTE: We had purchased the "Magic Your Way" plan with lodging, food and gate costs included. So it's literally the only place I spent a dime while in Orlando.) World Showcase is one of the few areas of the classic Epcot Center that has remained essentially unchanged, (for better or for worse). Since we had saved World Showcase for our last day on this trip, and had spent at least one day in each park, this was finally the one place where thematics and quality reigned supreme in both showmanship and salesmanship. Finally, we had stumbled upon a place where I had to control my instinctive need to consume product had to be held at bay. (Though, in a true twist of irony, the only thing I purchased was a product commonly sold in the US. Two packs of Yu-Gi-Oh! Cards, from the Japanese Pavilion. At least they were packs I can't get in my local area.) Japan had a wonderful assortment of exotic décor, clothing, pop-cultural and traditional themed merchandise. I would have perhaps separated the items somewhat farther apart form each other, rather then jamming them all into one retail floor, but essentially, it appears the heart of the matter was in the right place.

In my estimation, it is possible for merchandising to have heart. Putting your best foot forward is not a mask or a façade of what a gift shop's or kiosk's genuine intention is, but rather an expansion of its intention. You can create something with the undeniable purpose of convincing your guests to spend even more money in your park, but at the same time, you can offer your guests something worthwhile, fulfilling, worth their hard earned cash. After all, of what benefit is it to siphon you guests for all their worth? Is this not the Big Business mentality that is biting chunks out of the Rainforests? Your guests are resources that should be cherished, not exploited. You can capitalize on a guest's experience, without pandering to or draining them.

I read this comment about Disney at www.themedattraction.com. The quote is from former Imagineer Bob Rogers at a '97 trade show, and the comment is what is one of the fundamental statements that has shaped my perception of merchandising in the Themed Park industry. "Before Disney, the stay time at an average amusement park was less than two hours. But Disney created an environment with an ambiance that was so refreshing and pleasant that the stay time went up to an unheard of seven hours. And because the stay time went up, the per capita's on food, retail, and ride tickets went up. And the place was an attraction in itself so he could charge people to get in, which wasn't done elsewhere. The result of all this theming, landscaping, and entertainment balance was a revolutionary new and different income profile not seen here, very clearly."

And that's really what it comes down to, entertainment balance. Much like a run down home or a high crime rate can bring down the property values of a nice neighborhood, so too can cheap trinkets and shoddy merchandise bring down the entertainment value of a theme park experience. You want to immerse your guests in this fantasy world. Not make them think of an outside corporation who can only shell out for decent facades and not merchandise. It must all come together. It must all be of the highest quality.

For what it's worth, I'm putting together a list of, not exactly items, but conceptual products and ideas that I've not only seen work effectively in the past, but that I think would work effectively in a future themed park. In this way, it is my hope to firmly grasp the meaning behind entertainment balance and to merchandise with a little feeling. ;-)

Quotable Quotes

"Men are generally idle, and ready to satisfy themselves, and intimidate the industry of others, by calling that impossible which is only difficult."

–Samuel Johnson

Concepts in Imagineering: "The Sultan's Elephant"

"Concepts in Imagineering" (CII) is a title I've chosen for a special sub-series of blogs I will post here from time to time. At its core, CII is a series about entertainment and creative concepts from around the world. Things so wondrous in their execution, that the creators of such oddities are in spirit and in heart, if not in name, Imagineers. As such, their creations are wonderful inspirations, if not considerations, for additions to a future themed environment. Each of these blogs will be prepended with this paragraph. Today's CII is:

The Sultan's Elephant

The little girl giant from "The Sultan's Elephant". Performed by the french street performers, Royal de Luxe

As near as my research can ascertain, "The Sultan's Elephant' is a Jules Verne or Jules Verne-esque storyline about a sultan being driven mad by the visions of a time traveling elephant and a giant wooden girl. Throw in an genuine time-traveling elephant and giant wooden girl and a mad scientist for good measure, and you have a fanciful tale of myth and wonder from which talented engineers can draw inspiration from.

You can find countless home video of this event taken by awe struck tourists at Google Video and YouTube, not to mention the official website www.thesultanselephant.com, where you can find pictures and info on the talented street group, Royal de Luxe, themselves. But today's blog is less focused on the details of those events, but on the practicality and execution of the event in routine environment and its possible incorporation, or modification, into an attraction that could fit the unique mold of a daily theme park attraction.

Four newspapers were distributed during the Central London performance on May 2006, over the course of four days, which tell the tale of a Sultan being driven insane by the visions of a time-traveling pachyderm and a wooden giant doll. "The Jules VERNE" recounts that tale, but it's the live-action recreation of this tale that is the real spectacle.

"The Jules VERNE" was handed out each day throughout the course of May 4th - 7th to set the tone for the tale being vividly presented those same days

Words cannot truly do justice to this magnificent performance, which is one of the most wondrous combinations of technology, puppetry and artistry that I have ever seen. The massive time-traveling elephant is a beast to behold. Near the size of an ancient Mammoth, the beast roamed the streets of London for four days, resplendent with 19th century architectural finishings and Moroccan style belly dancers.

And yet, the most entrancing element of this show was not the great temporal traversing pachyderm, but the the relatively small by comparison, little girl giant. Her every move is that of a gentle little child. Her eyes never stop taking in her environment. Her gestures are slow and ginger. When she looks at you, her eyes lock with yours with a knowing acknowledgment that is just too real for something of such grand proportions. There are moments where this "little" girl, is simply frightening in her realism.

And yet, she and the elephant violate some of the elements that are commonly thought by those in the themed industry to be "bad show". The huge crane, the brightly dressed operators and their overt exertion at operating the girls massive walk. Exposed mechanization, operators hanging from trellises and and the occasional appearance of the brand name "HERTZ" should have all put a great mar on the performance based on preconceived notions of showmanship. If everything we know about entertaining the public is true, then these obvious appearances of "Bad Show" should have completely detracted from the elements that the entertainers and engineers wanted us to see. So why doesn't it?

Reasons abound. For one thing, this is a grand spectacle, the likes of which few people have ever seen or ever will see. As such, the spectacle of the event can override any "showing slips" that are part and parcel of such a unique performance. After all, what can we truly compare this too, to say that those elements could/should have been concealed?

Another reasoning, also supported by its uniqueness, is the possibility that it may have never been the designers intentions to conceal any of those elements. Perhaps, they wanted us to see the "man behind the curtain". That it was their intention, as part of their original design, to let us see the works and gizmos to create a sense of pageantry, or an added sense of surrealism. It would be interesting if this were true, because it calls into question our own sensibilities over what is and isn't "Bad Show". Considering that we often only think in terms of what can be executed without showing any of the workings, are we, perhaps, limiting our potential with this particular philosophy? Could we, whether you be an Imagineer or simply a dreamer such as I, be stymieing our concepts and ideas with a tenet that has clearly been proven to not be true in all cases?

I, for one, am calling my preconceived notions into question. As much as I respect and believe in the principles that Walt Disney and his Imagineers held fast to, I'm presented with the notion, that Walt is not all there is. Now don't get me wrong. Walt's business sense is second to none. But it may be that if want to move attraction design and concepts into the future that he so idealistically talked about, then we must be willing to reexamine some of those same principles in context with what we're trying to accomplish and with the times. In that way, we can conceive ideas that stretch beyond our comfort zone, and into ideas that, when completed, make people the world over gasp at it's wonder. I believe this is what Walt did, at its core.

I'm no engineer of course. But viewing the many vids and pictures of this performance has left me wondering what the practical applications of this are in a themed environment. Imagine the living doll ambling down the streets of the Magic Kingdom or even World Showcase. How perfectly she would fit in with one of those or a pre-existing storyline. The basic concept can certainly been expanded as time and technology advance. Even to the point where something clearly as complex and expensive as this could be executed on a daily basis. This wold be the parade to end all parades, if it could be incorporated into a themed park show. I think we've exhausted the performance of the cast member in the big headed cartoon suit, ad nauseum. Not to mention, our floats are impressive, but hardly jaw dropping. Entertaining? Yes. But they do not inspires the sharp inhalations of breath from it's audiences that they once did. It's time to take some bolder, and admittedly, more expensive steps in a new direction.

I wont bore you with the details of how I would personally work a Sultan's Elephant-type show into my them park visions, but I do believe that the option should be presented, if it has not already been seeded in the minds of those who have the power to do something about in the here and now. I don't care if I don't get to do it first. I only believe that it should be done.

Blogging Again Shortly

Sorry for the long hiatus. My father passed away a few weeks ago, and things have been a little off kilter since then. Appreciate those who've stopped by to read my posts. I'll be posting something here very soon. Probably in the next few minutes. So bear with me. Thanks.

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.......... Dan Martinez 1932 -2006

Nostalgia, Nostalgia, Nostalgia

nos·tal·gi·a (nŏ-stăl'jə, nə-)n.

1. A bittersweet longing for things, persons, or situations of the past.
2. The condition of being homesick; homesickness.

[Greek nostos, a return home + –ALGIA.]

nostalgic nos·tal'gic (-jĭk) adj.
nostalgically nos·tal'gi·cal·ly adv.
nostalgist nos·tal'gist n.

Disneyphilles are more then familiar with this word. This element of the Disney experience was a fundamental principle of the Disney philosophy from the very beginning. Countless quotes from Walt Disney use the words “nostalgia” and “past” when describing the creative processes behind his Theme Park. Apparently, the forward-thinking ideas that Disney used to revolutionize the amusement industry of his era, involved the rich and elaborate inclusion of great things of the past. In creating the concept of Themed Entertainment, a template that amusement areas for generations to come would unerringly try to duplicate, he created them using full scale recreations of environs from bygone eras. He created the future using the past. He painted yesterday with tomorrow’s brushes, and the results were something stellar.

But in addition to that, he and his Imagineers also worked in a sense of warmth with each creation. Whether venturing into days of yore, rocketing into skyways of tomorrow or adventuring into fantasy lands of imagination, each attraction was carefully crafted to imbed in you a sense memory. Be it a smell, a sight, a sound or sensation, it was all designed with the intention of leaving part of yourself there, in that boat, in that rocket or in that stagecoach. Nostalgia was the point. Nostalgia was the reason you always wanted to come back. To reclaim that small part of yourself you left in the Theme Park. To awaken that dormant energy that no other experience could fully manage to muster.

When modern day corporate Disney tears down an old attraction, allows a favorite ride to degrade or “updates” an existing attraction with something less-then-stellar, this sends a wave of distress through long time lovers of Disney Theme Parks like a terrible storm through a small island community. Like the ghost pangs of an amputee’s lost limbs, the phantom pains the absence of these cherished attractions leaves behind is never forgotten, for always lamented. Each piece subtracted from the Disney of old, feels like a chipping away at ones past, at all that generated those warm nostalgic feelings to begin with. It’s this corporate “evolve or die” attitude that is in stark contrast to the business sense that created, nurtured and solidified the Disney name, making it the trademark for quality that other companies could only aspire to. This new mentality no longer makes Disney the aspiration, but the elusion. The example of what went wrong.

Nostalgia is undoubtedly a key element of a successful Theme Park. And why not? Themed Entertainment is just that; entertainment. For centuries, human entertainment has looked in all directions on the timeline as a source of inspiration. Forward, backwards and sometimes even sideways, there very few nooks and crannies that books, television and movies have not explored. Even the outdated impressions a previous generation’s tomorrow are reworked and reinvented for a new generation. The once campy visions of the future from the perspective of the 1960s now have a much cemented place in our nation’s pop culture. Who wouldn’t want to have an adventure in a silver rocket ship, a V-stripe jumpsuit and with alien go-go dancers? Okay, perhaps that’s more trippy then an actual trip, but the point is that imagination, even from a bygone era, is still something to be desired, a place for storytellers to look into and let their imaginations run wild. In other words, it’s a desirable place to be in some escapist fashion.

So I scratch my head, do the obligatory eye-roll and let out the “whatever”s like a extra on the set of Clueless whenever corporate Disney shuts down a beloved attraction with the mantra “it wasn’t meeting attendance requirements”. I, for one, don’t buy it. Especially, when the mantra reads more like “out with the old, in with the mediocre.”

Nostalgia will without a doubt be something I work into the corporate philosophy of my Theme Park. Whether I take my guests on a journey into the imagination or voyage to the bottom of the sea, it must be done with the intention of stirring up something deep inside my audience that cannot be stirred up elsewhere. Sights are wonderful, and a key element of your show, but sounds, smells and even touch are important parts of that experience. They must feel like something of themselves is left behind there. Whether it be their inner child or their recaptured youth, the park should compel them to want to come back year after year. Attractions should be built not just to last, but to inspire, to take a person back to his youth or make him feel like he’ll never leave it. This is what a well made attraction should be designed to do.

And with that said, with such great pains taken to make the park and its show pieces a place to cling to with such devotion, then even greater pains should be taken to maintain respect for the pieces I’ve worked so hard for people leave behind. A Nostalgia Division will be responsible for making certain that attractions are maintained, renovated or updated. No one will be allowed to maintain that we are not a museum, because this division’s charter will be to make certain that we are. While we must evolve in certain aspects to make sure that future generations don’t feel like their being cheated out of their well earned money and vacation time, we must never forsake the emotion and devotion we’ve deliberately generated. I will not allow my company to look only five years into tomorrow, but into five generations into tomorrow. Creating a place where mom and dad find their heats fondly reminded and baby find his or her heart warmly compelled will be the lynch pin of this parks success. I’m asking them to please leave part of themselves here and visit it time and again. It would only be respectful of me to make certain that I don’t discard those pieces with the garbage, just because some young suit can’t fit it into his five year business plan. Not only that, it makes common sense.

In The Beginning . . .

Alternate Realities is a place to theorize and see how far an individual can take a basic idea and principle and extend it, manipulate it, build upon it, reinvent it, until the basic idea and principle is more then an intangible intellectual property, but a solidified reality. Call it an experiment in American Theology, if you will. The tenet behind "American Theology" is the most basic of philosophies. The concept that "if you can dream it, you can do it. If you shoot for the moon and miss, you will sill land among the stars" is a long standing, foundational principle of American ideology. (Author of quote unknown) The oft referred to and frequently elusive "America Dream".

Taking an idea and shaping it into a life's work is a fundamental principle of America dreaming. In this country, we have been allowed, nay admonished, to take the most puerile of fantasies and pursue them at all costs until they are established reality. There is no more desirable goal in an American's life then to leave the humdrum existence of the day to day grind and devote one's life to pursuing one's true dreams and life goals. Sadly, most of us will never attain those goals, for an infinite and finite number of reasons. Jobs families, illnesses, emotions, time and unforeseen occurrence befall each and every one of us, and typically, only the most determined and dogmatic devotee can even come close to a point where he could be considered a failure. The rest of us will often never try hard enough to even fail. We will fall into the ironically alluring traps of routine and lack of self-worth, and spend the better portion of our days dreaming, hypothesizing but never realizing, what could have been. What should have been. What will never be. This Blog is something like that.

I will never be certain that my dream will become my reality. But this Blog will chronicle my attempt; be it success or failure. Be it a near miss or a lame duck, a sick sad little dream or a grand vision of the tomorrow, I will still attempt to chronicle the effort and hope that it will offer some hope or insight for the next person who tries to make his or her alternate reality cross over into this one. My life is short, but my dreams are big. Perhaps bigger then income and station in life allow. But if there's any chance of it coming true, then this is the place to log the effort. The internet will probable have the journals of many great creations and ideas as time moves steadily into the future. I hope that this falls into a category amongst one of them.

I have a vision of a Theme Park. A place for young and old to venture in and spend a day, a week, a month. However long their heart and finances allow. I have a vision of a Neo-Disneyland. The next inevitable step in the Themed Entertainment Industry's evolution. Something grander then what we have now. While I have no intention of putting the specific or revolutionary ideas of my imaginary Theme Park in this Blog, I do intend to use it to flesh out concepts and re-evaluate the tenets that made the Grandaddy of all Theme Parks the monumental success it became. I am a great admirer of Walter Ellias Disney, and I believe that his business practices were far ahead of their time. But I also feel that they never reached their full flower. Here in this Blog, I hope to look into those practices more in depth, and maybe even predict the next step the man himself would have taken had he survived into this millennium.

My goals are lofty and probably unattainable. I have no delusions that what I plan is going to be easy or without sacrifice and pitfalls, especially for someone of meager income, such as myself. There are many, many other ideas floating around in this oversized melon of mine that also vie for attention on a day to day basis, and I do not believe in ignoring any one of them in order to obtain just one. I dream very big and have the kind of mind that continually wants to heave fuel into the fire. But even so, just because a goal is lofty and seemingly out of reach, does not mean that it's impossible to reach. It does not mean that it is not worth reaching for. In fact, I feel I would be betraying that which makes me, me, if I failed to even try.

So here we stand. Your evaluation of my thoughts are welcome, provided you have something to offer beside the usual internet vulgarity. If you think I'm on the wrong track, then please offer suggestions or reasons as to why you think so. If you have nothing beyond a vulgar euphemisms to offer as criticism, then perhaps you should venture elsewhere. Constructive criticism is much more useful in the grand scheme of things.

I will attempt to keep you appraised of developments as they become reality. Today we start with an idea expressed vaguely and in nothing more then the electronic silence of liquid crystal. Tomorrow, with a little hope, we will express it in the form of breaking ground and pouring concrete and barking orders at engineers. Perhaps one day, there will be a Blog expressing all the things wrong with the way I'm running the place and people making fervent suggestions as to how to restore my park to its original glory. Perhaps someday. But with all great things, there comes a beginning. Today could be the beginning of tomorrow's Disney.

Let's take my alternate reality, the one that exists only in my mind, and step by step flesh it out, until it converges with this one. If all good things come to an end, then perhaps we need to find a string of good things and tie them all together. Good ideas come an go. Dreams turn to ether at the dreamers passing. But realities, ways of life, they last forever. That's what I want to build.

Thank you for reading. And thank you, if you stick around, for following me along on the ride. Let's not let our dreams fade away. Let's push ever onward into tomorrow. It's brighter then any of us realize.