That Is The Question

Yesterday I celebrated the three year anniversary of The Disney Obsession blog. I commemorated the occasion with an assurance to keep blogging; although I will say that the content will take a few twists and turns along the way.

But, I do want to follow up that anniversary post with a post where I ask you a favor and a question. The favor is to ask you to leave a comment on this post. And while commenting, please answer the question, "What sort of articles or content would you like to see included in future posts?" Feel free to mention those things that you've enjoyed and would like to see more of.

Thanks. I appreciate it.

More to follow...

I'm 3 Today!

Today is the 3rd anniversary of The Disney Obsession and I thought I'd like to say two things about blogging.

The first is this. Blogging is not easy. I have over the course of these three years come to appreciate the time it takes to compose a blog. There are some who have taken their passion for Disney, placed it into the format of a blog, and then taken it to a level that I can only dream of. This is not me. I do well to have ten items posted each month and maintain that solely because I set myself a goal of doing so. Thankfully my love of photography and giving myself a little latitude on content helps me to do this. But knowing how time consuming the research and writing of a good blog can be, I do wish to commend all those Disney bloggers who make the effort to provide you and me with consistently good content.

The second is this. Blogging has expanded my circle of friends and I know that whenever I find myself in Walt Disney World (which is not as often as I wish), I usually have the opportunity of sharing a few hours with a number of different people. But when I am not there, the friendships continue. In the course of these three years I have developed a few very close friendships and while distance keeps us from visiting often, they are the type of friendships that I feel would develop into the kind of friendship where I could call anytime day or night and they'd be there. I know that I would be there for them. Friends is the best part of working away at The Disney Obsession. It is a way of honoring the friendships that I have gained and have yet to gain by sharing a passion for Disney.

So to my old friends, new friends and friends yet to be made, thanks for reading. I promise to keep working at this and who knows, from time-to-time, I may actually come up with something that will make you stop and say, "Huh!"

Keeping Up Appearances

I have spent a good portion of this Labor Day morning taking care of some badly needed blog maintenance. I was pleased discover that Blogger now provides the ability to add Pages to the blog. This gives us the option of moving information, such as "About Me", blogs we recommend, and other items off the margins and onto a dedicated page. I also see that new templates are available.

What does this mean? It means, look for changes in the appearance of The Disney Obsession in the weeks and months to come. There are a new few templates I am considering. As for pages, I have added an About Me page, a Reading page which lists blogs I like to look at (along with links), and an On the Web page, providing resources, both official and unofficial, about Disney. I am also considering a Library page (books) and Listening page (music and podcasts) in the near future.

I hope you find these changes and additions helpful.

And, it seems there is a Stats tab that I can look at, which prompts me to say, thank you for visiting the blog! Without comments it is hard to tell if someone is visiting the blog and frankly, it can be discouraging to think no one is visiting. But Stats let's me know that people are stopping by and that is what keeps me, and other bloggers, going. So again, thank you!

More to follow...

On 'if i lived in central florida'

From time to time I will include a short post about what I’d be doing if I lived in Central Florida. This has ranged from grabbing a Dole Whip in Adventureland to experiencing every exhibit found in Innoventions. Essentially, it is my way of going from day to day, here, away from Walt Disney World. I pause and wonder what I’d do if I were close enough to drop by the World on the way home.

I have this sense that I am not alone in my thinking. It is safe, I feel, to assume that there are several of you reading this who have had the same thought. You’ve asked yourself the question, “What would I be doing if I were in Walt Disney World right now?” You’ve probably said, “I wish I could live close to the parks.” Truthfully, there is not a week that goes by that I haven’t thought that once, twice, well several times.

My trips to the parks are packed; too packed at times. Three of my last five trips have only allowed me to be in the parks for two days. While I love the opportunity to be there, for even a short period of time, it is too quick. To fast. It goes by so fast and it affords so little time to fully take in the parks. We, you and I, know that the parks are filled with so much to be experienced and explored, and it is constantly changing. We also know that nothing short of living within an easy morning, afternoon or evening drive will give us the time we need to truly find all that is there to be found. A backstage tour during my last trip re-enforced that to me. That, and instilled the desire to take a tour with every new trip.

The parks change. Yes, this is both good and bad. I am sure I am not the only one who wishes I could once more explore Horizons or take another trip through the World of Motion. And I would love the opportunity to tap the riches of my imagination with Figment, and, The Dreamfinder. But we need to remember what Walt Disney himself once said, “Disneyland is something that will never be finished. Something that I can keep developing, keep plussing and adding to. It’s alive. It will be a live, breathing thing that will need change.” We can be sure that this same spirit lives in Walt Disney World. So while we can look fondly back on those attractions of the past, we can look forward with great anticipation for the new things on the horizon.

This is what “if i lived in central florida” means to me. It is the chance to anticipate what is will be new, while enjoying the things of the past. It is the opportunity to not be rushed. It is the time needed to fully and completely enjoy everything the parks present to us; more than what can be taken in during a week, two weeks, or even a month. Someday I’d like to have that time, and barring that, I’d like to be close enough to visit frequently and savor all the flavors of Walt Disney World.

I’d sit and watch and listen to a complete fountain cycle; two or three times.

I’d experience every attraction in Innoventions.

I’d find a place to sit in every pavilion on the World Showcase, for hours.

I’d visit every special event.

I’d find a park bench on the second level of the Main Street Station and watch the day go by.

Yes, if i lived in central florida i’d ...

We Interrupt This Post...

... for this special announcement.

Well, actually it is more like an apology to The Few, The Proud, The Followers and others who stop by to read from time to time.

You've heard the phrase "Sometimes life comes at you fast." Well, the latter part of May and the month of June (so far) as been one of those times. I have been pulling long hours at work, including weekends, and simply have not had time to attend to The Disney Obsession; other than putting up the A Sign It's Saturday and Something On A Sunday photographs. Things should start to slow down in the next few days and I hope to return to more meaningful posts in the very near future.

I say "very near" because in my immediate future is a trip to Walt Disney World; July 1-5 actually. There I'll be taking more photographs and making more memories. I am sure you'll see and hear about it.

So, I have not forgotten about the blog and I haven't forgotten about you! Sometimes a person has to make hard choices and in this case, trying to have some semblance of a home life between my hours at the office seemed to be the right choice. But still, sorry for lack of content. With a little faith, trust and pixie dust, things will be get better soon.

We now return you to your regularly scheduled, um, whatever it was you were doing.

More to follow...

Two Hundred

It appears like this blog may be around for awhile. Mind you, it may have taken me longer than others to reach the 200 mark, but reached it I have. And with a renewed sense I will keep on.

The resolution I made for myself seems to have taken hold as I continue to plug away. Recapping 2010 so far, I had 11 posts in January and I ended February with 15. Mind you, it isn't all Disney all the time (the sacrilege). But I read somewhere that a "blog is a personal journal with reflections and comments" - thank very much Mr. Webster - so I do not feel so bad about including the non-Disney items here from time to time. But as I said I would do, I am trying to write here with more regularity. Having a calendar to follow and scratching out a little focused time during the month seems to help.

As I plod along, getting older from one day to the next, I feel I need to make an effort to experience more and different things. I may also find myself sharing a bit more of the life that has gone before. Either way, I persevere.

So today, we pause to celebrate 200 posts. Tomorrow, we get back down to business.

More to follow...

Editor's Note: Verification

I am not a big fan of the squiggly letters and numbers that I sometime have to add to my comment in order for it to post. And like the brothers over at Imaginerding, I love to receive comments. When your live with the reality that few comments are left on your blog, you don't want to do anything that makes it harder for a reader of The Disney Obsession to leave a comment. And, believe me, I don't. But...

Recently I have received several spam comments telling my to either "See here or here" or "Please push here." Don't worry, there are no links on this page, except to our friends at Imaginerding. The first time I received one of these, I, thinking I received a comment clicked on "here". A few hours later my security protocol finished all its scans and discovered that nothing had gotten in. But since that morning I have received a half dozen or so comments that fit this same description.

So, I have added the verification procedure to my comments page. It was a tough decision and I hope that this measure will prevent the spam from showing up, but not you! Please take that extra step, tilt your head back and forth until you figure out the characters and then please enter them onto your comment. But more importantly, decide first to leave a comment. We bloggers need those displays of appreciation and support to know that what we are doing has some merit.

I apologize for the inconvenience and on behalf of all bloggers out there, thank you for taking the time read our work and to leave your comments.

Disney World After Dark: Mission: Space

During Christmas 2003, my wife, my mother and I decided to make a quick visit to Walt Disney World. My wife would enjoy the time away, my mother would love the parade, and I, well there was new ride to ride. Mission: Space opened on October 9th and I was eager for a new Future World experience. I wanted to feel the G Force, experience the effects of weightlessness, and learn how they would provide the illusion of hibernation.

I will not share the full play-by-play of that first ride. You have all been on the ride so you know what goes on. I will share though that on December 26th, I skipped breakfast (taking precautions) and headed straight to Epcot and immediately to Mission: Space. My wife and mother waited for me at the Electric Umbrella. The ride was thrilling! It was at about the four and a half minute mark that I started feeling a little uneasy. I didn’t become ill, but I knew that having had the experience, it would be awhile before I printed a FastPass for this ride. Now, a few years on, I am happy for Mission: Space Lite. I can enjoy the images without taking chances of something far worse happening.

So there you have it. A little more Back Story from Doc.

All of this has been to lead up to a new group of Disney World After Dark pictures. Those wonderful people at Imagineering have given us many architectural gems and Mission: Space is a gem. The sweeping spans reach out as if to draw you in. It is visually inviting. It is as though the building is embracing you as you walk into the queue.

And, as it is with other areas of Disney, when the night falls, a whole new magic emerges. Here is Mission: Space After Dark.


(Editor's Note: Having paid this photographic tribute to Mission: Space, I must also express my appreciation for Horizons. I will often put in a VHS tape from eariler trips and revisit this extinct attraction. It was one of Doc's favorites.)

The Legends: Ward Kimball

Ward Kimball was born in Minneapolis, Minnesota on March 4, 1914. Following high school he enrolled at the Santa Barbara School of Art with the hopes of becoming a magazine illustrator. After watching a matinee showing of Disney’s Three Little Pigs, Ward packed his portfolio bound for Hollywood. He joined the Walt Disney Studios in 1934 and rest, as they say, is history.

During his time at Disney he took part in most all of the classic animated features. His contributions include Jiminy Cricket, Tweedledee and Tweedledum, Lucifer the Cat, and others. He directed two Academy Award winning short subjects; Toot, Whistle, Plunk and Boom and It’s Tough to Be a Bird. The latter featured both live action and animation. Ward produced and directed three space films for the Disneyland television show. In the 1960’s he helped to write the story and script treatment’s for Babe’s in Toyland.

Along with a few select others, Ward became known as one of Walt Disney’s “Nine Old Men”.

Kimball once remarked that as long as it didn’t interfere with his animation work, Walt permitted his “second career”; that of trombone player for the Firehouse Five Plus Two. Along with Danny Alguire, Harper Goff, Clarke Mallery, Monte Mountjoy, Ed Penner, and Frank Thomas, the group produced at least 13 albums and played various venues between the 1940’s and early 1970’s.

Like Walt Disney, Kimball also had an enthusiastic love of the railroad. He had a full size locomotive that he operated in his three acre backyard. His railroad was called the Grizzly Flat Railroad. He also helped build the Carolwood Pacific Railroad in Walt’s backyard.

Kimball retired from Walt Disney Studios in 1972 and was honored as a Disney Legend in 1989. He died in Los Angeles on July 8, 2002.

(Editors Note: Kimball also worked on one of my favorite extinct attractions, The World of Motion. I did not know this. The next time I am in Epcot and look at the Test Track building, I will pause for a moment and be thankful for people like Ward Kimball. He, and those like him, have given us all so much joy.)

(Photo credit: The Disney Legends website Wikipedia)

Editor's Note...

Our technical difficulties have not been completely handled, I am sad to say. I am also sad to admit that I am not savvy in the ways of Information Technology. So when it comes to such things as “ipconfig”, “ping” and so forth, I am at a complete loss.

Yet, in my ignorance I must ask, is it too much to ask for a router to work once it is properly installed? Why must one stay on the phone to someone in another country for hour and a half, and still not have a working wireless router?

I go to the store, I purchase a router, and I follow the installation instructions to the letter. I expect it to work. Is that wrong?

I know this is a Disney blog. It is supposed to be always happy. At least I believe that is what we endeavor to do in our posts; spread happiness. But forgive me this go ‘round. I am frustrated. I have missed my posts. I missed honoring a Disney Legend a few days ago and celebrating the release of 101 Dalmations.

So, I have temporarily plugged my laptop into the modem and send these thoughts. Old school? Yes, but I had to get a post fix real quick.

With Childlike Wonder

“Here age relives fond memories of the past and here youth may savor the challenge and promise of the future.”

- Walt Disney, Disneyland Dedication, July 17, 1955

We have arrived at the last days of 2007. It is in these days that some of us will pause to think of what we’ve accomplished during the year and set our sights on what lies ahead. It is in these days that we become young again, allowing the excitement of the holidays to transform us. We can now look forward with childlike wonder to the “promise of the future.”

Before I take up my youthfulness once again, age relives fond memories and I wish to recall a few of my fond Disney memories from 2007.

Perhaps my fondest memory is that of celebrating my 50th Birthday in Disney World with my family! We spent a week there in mid April. On April 20th, after a wonderful dinner at the Yachtsman Steakhouse, we boarded a pontoon boat for an evening fireworks cruise. I have long been a fan of Illuminations stretching back to its earlier incarnations, but watching it from the water with my family and friends was truly magical. Also being able to share in my mother’s Year of Million Dreams private audience with Cinderella was very special.

I took a solo trip in October primarily as a photo expedition. To help make it through the parks with my cameras, I purchased a safari-like vest in Disney’s Animal Kingdom. It has loads of pockets and I highly recommend it. But be forewarned, save for not having the logo on the back, it looks very much like a PhotoPass Photographer vest. This is true especially at night. The memory I took from this trip is in knowing that I was very nearly a Disney Cast Member. One night in Disney-MGM Studios I was repeatedly asked to photograph people in front of the Sorcerers Hat. After a while it simply became too funny not to be a great memory.

I will also remember 2007 as being the year of the on-going debate with my grandchildren and my four year old nephew as to who is “really” The Pan. I contend that in order for one to be considered as The Pan, they must first have the opportunity to grow up, and then refuse to do so. It holds with my long standing belief that a person must grow old, but they do not have to grow up. This debate continues.

Now looking towards the promise of the future, I dream of what is yet to come. My hope in 2008 is to eventually “find my voice” in this experiment I call The Disney Obsession. I hope that by either finding this voice, or by continuing to do what I am currently doing, that my readership will grow. I know this takes time, as I am only one voice in an expansive choir known as the Disney blogging community.

I hope to end the coming year having my very own MouseFest 2008 lanyard, not to mention the DAK bottle strap that continues to elude me. A nice logo would be nice too (I need to get to work on that). I hope to make serious headway on some Disney related pen and ink drawings as well as this little travel book idea that I have been thinking about and storyboarding.

But for now, I’ll blog. I look forward to being enlightened by many of you and to the possibility of enlightening some of you along the way.

So, let us savor this moment and celebrate the year that is to pass and the year that is yet to come. May it be Magical!

An Editor's Note

(Editor’s Note: As I begin this adventure in blogging, let me first say that my desire is that this becomes more than a travelogue or random updates on me and my obsession. I hope to have something to add to the dialogue about this subject we all love. But until I find my voice, my niche in this rich community, I will write about my history as it pertains to Disney.)