Likely the greatest park reopening news of all!

More great news on park reopenings: at long last, Disneyland Resort in Anaheim, CA, has now joined Walt Disney World and Shanghai Disneyland in setting a reopening date:

The plan is to reopen Downtown Disney first, which I thought they would do all along, given how Disneytown and Disney Springs reopened first at their respective resorts. And Disneyland Park itself will reopen on July 17, right on its 65th anniversary! Some have thought that 65 is not that great a number, but in this case, it's quite meaningful now. Here's the full schedule of reopenings in California:

Oddly enough, I would think they would reopen the hotels first before the parks. And also just as oddly, the Disneyland Hotel seems to be missing from the reopening schedule. Either it's part of Downtown Disney or it won't be reopening until much later.

The rules of social distancing will obviously be in place and things will be different, at least in the near-term. But the most significant part is that everyone must now make online reservations in order to come to the park. I hope it's only temporary and not a permanent thing.

Also, the other resorts in the world (Tokyo, Paris and Hong Kong) have not yet announced their reopening dates, but it shouldn't be too much longer now.

In any case, welcome back, Disneyland! You were sorely missed!

More park reopening news!

Recently, Walt Disney World, along with other parks and resorts in Florida, have submitted their plans for reopening to the Florida government, which approved of them rather quickly: https://www.wdwinfo.com/news-stories/walt-disney-world-presents-proposal-to-reopen-parks-beginning-july-11th/.

The plan now is that the Magic and Animal Kingdoms will reopen on July 11, followed by Epcot and Hollywood Studios four days later:

Things are really starting to move in the right direction!

In other news, I have also heard that the Disney resorts in Japan and France are starting their processes of reopening as well, with Ikspiari in Tokyo reopening on June 1 and Villages Nature in Paris on June 22.

Now, if only we can hear what they have to say about Disneyland in California (which will likely start with Downtown Disney)...

MouseCon 2019 cosplay gallery

In November 2019, I went once more to MouseCon (probably the last I will be able to attend in a long time if the COVID-19 situation doesn't pan out by November, which I doubt), held once again in Concord, CA. I went cosplaying as Mickey Mouse, with a small Pluto doll for a prop when I posed for pictures. As always, there were booths, galleries, other cosplayers, and guest celebrities. This year, they included Linda Larkin (the voice of Jasmine in Aladdin, whom I saw at a presentation on the film at D23), Mary Gibbs (the voice of Boo in Monsters, Inc.), and former Mouseketeer Sharon Baird (who would later appear in several Sid and Marty Krofft shows).

I tried to enter this year's costume contest, but I went in too late, so I simply watched, which was too bad, as I was one of the few cosplayers who was not in the show. In any case, here now are some shots of other cosplayers I got from this year's MouseCon:

Here are some pics of the aforementioned celebrities' booths, including Sharon...

...and Mary:

Finally, here are some pics of me posing with these celebrities:

I really love that second image of me with Linda Larkin and Mary Gibbs. For good measure, here is one last picture of Larkin and Gibbs, but without me:

Anyway, assuming when this whole COVID-19 situation ends (preferably without having to wear masks or anything), I will definitely be back to MouseCon when it can be held again. Hopefully, it will be this November, but I have no idea.

The parks are starting to reopen!

Ever since the closures of the Disney parks in March due to the coronavirus pandemic, I have not posted on this blog as I was in mourning, not just for the parks' closures, but also for the future of the company as a whole, whose stock has taken a huge hit over the last fiscal quarter and could very well take an even bigger hit over the next one.

But now, great (or at least hopeful) news! And hopefully, the kind of news that will nudge Disney away from the brink. As the world slowly reopens after the pandemic shut it down, things are slowly returning to normal. That includes Disney parks. On May 11, Shanghai Disneyland will reopen:

The process of reopening the parks will involve social distancing measures. Go here for more information on Shanghai's reopening: https://disneyparks.disney.go.com/blog/2020/05/its-time-for-magic-shanghai-disneyland-begins-phased-reopening-on-may-11/.

Indeed, the reopening of Shanghai should also provide a test of sorts for reopening the other parks worldwide. As we speak, Walt Disney World is also starting to slowly reopen, starting with a phased reopening of Disney Springs on May 20:

However, when and how the rest of the parks will reopen remains to be seen. In the case of the U.S. parks, the processes could be different, since they are in different states with protocols not entirely the same.

In California, there is a four-phase process of reopening, although it's debatable whether Disneyland falls under Phase 3 (I believe Legoland has been considering reopening under that phase) or, more likely, the ultimate Phase 4, which covers large-scale gathering places (such as concerts and sporting events), which is what Disneyland really is. It also requires a therapeutic treatment being in place. While the FDA has approved of some drugs that should help with the virus, it's unclear as to whether or not they are therapeutic.

In any case, chances are there will be huge social distance measures in place at both resorts, similar, if not identical, to Shanghai. It will be interesting to be sure.

UPDATE: Hong Kong Disneyland, too, is supposedly scheduled to reopen sometime later this month.

And so it begins anew...

In accordance with the government's wishes over the coronavirus, Disney has pretty much shut down all of the Disney parks, including the Disneyland Resort, until at least the end of this month. Here is the official statement on the matter:

After Disneyland's closure, Walt Disney World, Disneyland Resort Paris and the Disney Cruise Line all followed suit.

However, if the Tokyo resort's extended closure (it was supposed to reopen on March 15 or so, but now it's been extended to some time in April), I am doubtful of the parks' alleged reopening at the end of the month, just as I am skeptical of all other places of large gatherings (schools included) reopening in about a month or so. Some have speculated that the parks could reopen in time for summer, but I have a feeling that their closures will last for as long as the coronavirus itself lasts. They are currently trying to create a vaccine, but that could take over a year or more from now. I have a feeling that things will only return to normal, more or less, when the vaccine becomes available, however long that takes. Avengers Campus for one is supposed to open on July 18, but I feeling that the closures could extend beyond even that date.

On top of that, it is only now that China, where the virus originated, seems to be getting a handle on the problem, but it will still be a long time (say, June or so) before they can push the number of virus cases down. Meanwhile, the rest of the world's numbers are rising. Since it will have been about six or seven months since the virus started (December 2019), if we take China's timeframe into account, it could very well last into October for the rest of us before we can get the numbers down as well. Hence, my concern for the long closures of the parks.

In any case, even if the parks do reopen at the end of the month, this is unprecedented. Disneyland has never been closed this long before. In the past, there have been closures before, such as for the assassination of President Kennedy (in 1963), the invasion of a group of Vietnam War protesters who threatened to incite a riot at the park (in 1970), and the 9/11 terrorist attacks, but the park has always reopened the next day. In the past, too, the park used to be closed on Mondays and Tuesdays, until about the 1980s or so.

If there is anything good to say about this situation, it's that the Cast Members will still be paid during this closure. I just hope that they keep doing maintenance on the parks for the duration as well. In addition, the College Program has also been suspended for the duration. I hope everyone remains safe.

The Coronavirus - please stay safe!

Sad news for Disney fans: the Coronavirus that originated in China has shut down BOTH Chinese Disney parks. Shanghai Disneyland shut down on January 25, and now Hong Kong Disneyland has followed suit today, with no definitive reopening date:

My condolences go out to those affected, in any way, shape or form, by the Coronavirus that originated in China, especially since it is spreading throughout the world, including to California, where one case has already been revealed in Orange County. Fortunately, this particular case is isolated and in good condition: https://www.ocregister.com/2020/01/25/case-of-coronavirus-confirmed-in-orange-county/. At the moment, there is no emergency, but how long that lasts is unknown. And goodness knows how many more cases will be in the States before they impact the U.S. parks as well.

In any case, stay safe and try to always wash your hands after touching surfaces that have been touched by countless other people.

Disney+ wish list: More anthology series episodes

On November 12, 2019, Disney+ launched, and for the most part, it's great.

What makes it great is that they do in fact tout several Disney movies of old (that is, movies from the days of Walt Disney himself), as well as a handful of classic Disney cartoons with Mickey, Donald and the rest. They even tout some old TV shows, including The Mickey Mouse Club (albeit the first week) and even a few episodes of the anthology series (i.e., Disneyland, Wonderful World of Color).

However, as with many things in life, there is definitely room for improvement. In this case, one thing is that there are all of two episodes of the anthology series available on Disney+ right now.

One is the 1956 Disneyland episode "The Plausible Impossible", in which Walt explains that how drawings and animation have things that are impossible in reality seem plausible, in ancient history and in a handful of classic Disney cartoons. It's a classic episode, and a good one, too. I think what makes this a classic, and the reason it is available, is how it shows an unfinished scene from Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs that was cut from the final film (where the dwarfs have dinner).

The second episode available on Disney+ is the 1966 Wonderful World of Color episode "Disneyland Around the Seasons". It actually aired on December 18, three days after Walt's passing. Here, Walt (this was filmed long beforehand, apparently) takes visitors to Disneyland circa 1966 to see several of the latest things there at that time, including It's a Small World, New Orleans Square (but without Pirates of the Caribbean, as it was still under construction at the time), and Great Moments With Mr. Lincoln, followed by footage of Christmas goings-on (again, it aired in December), with Fantasy On Parade (featuring Winnie the Pooh an d his friends fresh from their first appearance in Winnie the Pooh and the Honey Tree) and the Candlelight Procession.

The Small World footage, interestingly, is derivative of an earlier episode set at that 1964 New York World's Fair where the ride originated. My guess is they used as a cost-cutting measure, but it shows that A) the sequence of events is shuffled around and B) not everything in the actual Disneyland ride is present (Walt does admit that the ride in Disneyland is longer with more to see). As in the World's Fair episode, after Latin America, it goes straight to the finale, even though in the actual Disneyland ride, there's still Oceania and the South Pacific yet to go (the rainforest scene is in South America, rather than the South Seas). My guess is that Oceania and the South Pacific were not used in the World's Fair but created especially for Disneyland (and by extension, all subsequent versions (Florida, Japan, etc.)).

Anyway, there are literally all of two episodes of the classic Walt Disney anthology series available. I would like to see on Disney+ several more episodes. In the interest of time, I would like to see the respective premiere episodes of Disneyland and The Wonderful World of Color, "The Disneyland Story" and "An Adventure In Color/Mathmagicland".

In "The Disneyland Story", premiering in October of 1954, as the title implies, viewers are treated to previews of Disneyland, both the park and the TV show (future episodes are previewed). For a sequence on Frontierland, viewers are introduced to the Davy Crockett miniseries (and by extension, the movies based thereon, which are available on Disney+) and the song "The Ballad of Davy Crockett", sung by Fess Parker himself. For Fantasyland, there is footage of various Disney movies, including the Laughing Place scene from Song of the South (which is being soundly kept off of this streaming service). After going through the park, viewers are then treated to a retrospective on Mickey Mouse's career, culminating in the "Sorcerer's Apprentice" segment of Fantasia.

My guess is that this series may or may not see the light of day because of the Song of the South segment.

The second request of mine, however, is a lot more exciting and, shall we say, colorful.

The premiere episode of The Wonderful World of Color, "An Adventure In Color/Mathmagicland", premiering in September of 1961 on NBC, is a great episode, which has even been released on home video at one point:

Here, Walt shows off the wonders of color on television (after spending so many years in black-and-white on ABC) and then introduces viewers to a new character, Ludwig Von Drake, who provides an interesting lowdown on color (at one point performing "The Green with Envy Blues" and "The Spectrum Song", all about different colors). At one point also, the NBC peacock, in full cartoon form, makes an appearance:

Then the viewers are treated to beautiful scenes of nature and splashes of color and kaleidoscopic imagery that would be used to introduce the show later on, all set to a song all about color, "The Wonderful World of Color", written by Richard and Robert Sherman.

After that, the viewer is then treated to the 1959 theatrical short Donald In Mathmagicland, the first-ever theatrical short to air on television in color.

I'm told this is actually available on iTunes, so there's no reason not to have this episode on Disney+ as well. They may have to make a deal with Apple to do it, but it's not impossible. I like Ludwig Von Drake, so I really think it should happen here.

Anyway, those are just two requests for episodes of the Walt Disney anthology series to be shown on Disney+, particularly since they have all been shown on the Treasures From the Disney Vault events that TCM would show every few months.

UPDATE: According to the D23 website, on February 28, the 1959 Walt Disney Presents episode, "I Captured the King of the Leprechauns", will be available. It is a behind-the-scenes look at the then-upcoming movie Darby O'Gill and the Little People, with Walt Disney himself visiting Ireland to seek out leprechauns to star in this movie. Incidentally, the aforementioned Donald In Mathmagicland played before this movie on its release.

Does anyone have any episodes they would like to see? Post in the comments below.