Western Wednesday: The Texan Curse

Welcome back, partners, to Western Wednesday on this here site. Today, we will be talking about the great land of Texas. As we probably know, the first Six Flags theme park was dedicated to Texan history, namely the "six flags" that stood over Texas. Texas was a part of Mexico, Spain, France, the Confederate States of America, and the United States as well as its own sovereign country, one of the few US States to do so. Ultimately, Texas is a big deal for not just American history, but Mexican history as well. Texas is such a big deal, partially because of the blessing of size. From the wetlands of the east to the dry deserts and mountains of the west, Texas is so vast that trying to conquer a drive across the state easily takes a day or two. The point is that Texas is so big that it's difficult to define where it lands on the map (pun intended).

Is Texas a "Southwestern" or a "Southern" state? Well, I've been asking that since I started planning out a, well you guessed it, a theme park of sorts. It was just a fun project based on American history. Anyway, I was designating different lands to locations and their history. For example, the Independence Alley land would be based on Philadelphia in the mid-1770's. So I did places like New Orleans, the Caribbean, California, Mexico, Canada, and Florida with no issue and then a big chunk of the map of Texas was disputed territory. 

Did Texas belong to Mexico? After all, the Battle of the Alamo happened in 1836 during the Texas Revolution when Texas was still under Mexican control and you can't exclude that history from this history-based theme park. Did Texas count as Southern? After all, it joined the Confederacy and the areas surrounding Houston are no less swampy than the bayous and marshes of Louisiana. Lastly, did was Texas a Southwestern state? After all, Texas was the stereotypical cowboy country with a history of outlaws and ranchers. 

There is a dispute over Texas's classification in the United States. People in the Northern United States consider it to be a southern state, occasionally citing the allegiance Texas took during the American Civil War. Southerners are divided as well as Southwesters. In fact, I consider it to be both and that's what makes Texas so unique that I made it its own land in my mental theme park.



In my opinion, it's a southern state, 

Monday Musings: Mexico and the Borderlands

Growing up in the Southwest, I was exposed to Mexican culture from an early age (partially due to my family), but since Mexico is super close, I was also exposed to Mexico. So like many other singer-songwriters or writers living in the Southwest, I have one of those tendencies to reconcile fact and fiction when it comes to the borderlands, specifically the 2,000 mile Mexican-American border and the locales in those states. 

Tijuana, the northern-most city in Mexico, is not only a gateway between two countries and their cultures, but it's also a portal to a different time. While there is something to be said about nearby San Diego's international flair, Tijuana is the very embodiment of a clash of cultures on the border. 

It is not the romanticized Mexico City of Jack Kerouac, nor is it the war zone implied by screaming headlines. Granted, Mexico is not really a safe country to visit without caution. There is crime, there are cartels, and there are reasons why Mexicans are inclined to migrate to the States. It is a sad reality and those issues don't remain on only one side of the border. Violence spills out and it becomes politicized. There are people who are convinced that Mexico is a safe haven where the borderlands are safe and free from the very issues that affect places like Phoenix, Las Vegas, Los Angeles, San Francisco, and San Antonio. However, there are other people who are so concerned with the crime and violence of the borderlands that they stay away and typically the latter act as though Mexico is on par with Syria or Iraq. 

Either way, I see that Mexico is a special place where caution must be exercised and I don't get how Americans can act as if Mexico is exactly like Canada. It's not and yet I think that Americans tend to see Mexico as if Las Vegas was a country bordering the United States and Canada would be seen as if Disney World was another country bordering the United States.

Getting back to Tijuana, visiting the city is akin to a pilgrimage and perhaps that mentality drives the number of tourists crossing from San Ysidro. Certainly some of Tijuana's appeal comes from the same mentality of Las Vegas where "anything goes" and it was evident with the college students and teenagers who would frequent Revolution Avenue. 

This is part of the appeal, but the appeal comes from a desire to leave the familiarity of one's life. Due to Tijuana's proximity to Southern California, it became a popular destination as early as the 1910's, only to be fortified by Prohibition, and solidified by the disposable income of Southern Californians and tourists in the 1950's. 

Ultimately, Tijuana is seen as either being "too American" by faithful Mexicans or "not Mexican enough" to visitors expecting an authentic Mexican village or at least a stereotype based on what they've heard about Mexico. 

When it comes to how Tijuana is a portal to a different time, I'm referring to the history of the city and how a majority of the older buildings in the city play a role in the history of the borderlands. If there's a nightclub that someone like Jim Morrison visited in Tijuana in the 1960's, then chances are that it still exists, even if the management changed years ago. It's a city where the very barrio that Carlos Santana grew up in is still there. The same bullring that Herb Alpert heard mariachi music for the first time is sitting on the coast. My point is that while being hyped up as a cosmopolitan city to appeal to a younger demographic looking to party south-of-the-border like generations before, Tijuana is still an old city with living monuments to yesteryear's pop culture. Then again, people will say that a lot of cities retain their historic haunts, but Tijuana is different because of not only its location on the border constantly being developed and shaped by waves of migrants and new construction, but its relevance to a pollination of cultures across the border.

This reminds me of a few other places on the Mexican border where history is still alive in the air.

The Southern Arizona border city of Nogales shares its name with the city directly south in Sonora, Mexico. Nogales is all-around a nice place with friendly people on both sides, but the place we are concerning ourselves with is not necessarily a nice place and one must exercise caution when in this neighborhood, especially at night. Due east of the border crossing into the United States, there are hills overlooking the city and there is an old sign on the hillside that advertises Nogales (not like you're already in town from somewhere else undoubtedly). At the foothills, you will find a neighborhood just on the east side of the Arizona-bound railroad tracks. On Elias Street, there is this empty lot between two buildings. On this lot, which has since been fenced off, there are approximately three caves in the side of the mountain. This is where it gets interesting. Apparently, these caverns were first used by local police to house prisoners in the 1800's before it was re-purposed as a hideout for revolutionaries during the Mexican Revolution and later sold to an entrepreneur eager to quench the thirst of desperate Americans during Prohibition. In 1927, the Cavern Bar opened its doors and it became a popular restaurant in town. Arizonans visiting Nogales from the 1940's through the 1970's would often make the pilgrimage to dine in these caves and listen to mariachis and big bands. Unfortunately, the restaurant caught fire in February 1984 and was shut down, leaving a legacy that lived on in the memories of those who visited. Now of course, I never got the chance to dine there, but I honestly suspect that my mom did dine there with her parents and grandparents in the late 1960's or early 1970's and I even believe my dad ate there sometime in the 1970's. However, the fact that the same hard-wood floors that were likely there in the 1920's had for the most part lasted almost a century is remarkable, especially when you factor in events like years of exposure to the open elements and urban explorers. The caves are still there and the outer shell of the restaurant is mostly intact (albeit crumbling).

The last border city we will be visiting today is notorious for being one of the most dangerous cities in not only North America, but even the world. Without being a hysteric about the dangers of visiting Mexico in any capacity, I will calmly state that Juarez is simply dangerous. However, this doesn't negate the fact that it held a special place for Americans and Mexicans alike. From claiming to be the birthplace of both burritos and margaritas to being the subject of songs by Bob Dylan, Marty Robbins, or the Doors, Juarez is a legendary city. Sitting across the Rio Grande from El Paso, Juarez was the Tijuana to troops stationed at nearby Fort Bliss as well as the jumping point for select military expeditions into Northern Mexico. In the past thirty years, Juarez developed a nastier reputation with the skyrocketing crime rates, particularly homicide, and that has affected places like the Kentucky Club Bar. Like the Cave in Nogales, the Kentucky Bar was particularly popular even after the end of Prohibition. Instead of families, the clientele included some of Juarez's more famous visitors. Marilyn Monroe reportedly bought the house a round of drinks after her annulment from playwright Arthur Miller. Jim Morrison visited the bar one late night during his cross-country journey from Florida to California. Bob Dylan reportedly visited the bar in the early 1960's. Heck, stars like John Wayne and Steve McQueen would frequently drink there. Another historic haunt in Juarez is the Museum of the Revolution on the Border, which covers the Mexican Revolution in Northern Mexico. If you've been to Disneyland, then chances are that the facade of the museum reminds you of a certain train station and city hall.

In conclusion, there is a lot to be gained from learning about places that have played even obscure roles in history. Perhaps, months of research, a trip out of the country, or simply a new perspective on things.

Preserving the Dream

In August 1963, prominent activist and preacher Martin Luther King, Jr. gave a rousing speech on the steps of the Lincoln Memorial as part of the March on Washington. He gave this speech in the context of the second time a major civil rights rally in Washington, D.C., has been held since the 1940's. It's the celebrated "I Have a Dream" speech that is known by heart by millions, if not billions, of people.

Recently, there was a video of an encounter between a young man in a MAGA hat and a Native American elder. So far the videos relating to the incident have painted two distinct pictures. One shows the young man smirking at the Native elder and the other shows the elder walking up to the teenager. Since this incident went viral, there have been calls to assault, arrest, and even murder the teenager and his friends. Unfortunately, the polarization of the situation means that the elder is also receiving threats and as a historian who understands the long and brutal history of atrocities committed towards indigenous tribes, I was understandably appalled by those threats as well.

My understanding of the situation is that it reflects two things. One is that the political climate in the United States as well as other Western nations have gotten so bad over the course of the past twenty years that we are looking less like the United States we claim to be and more like the very countries we condemn. This isn't to suggest that we are the equivalent of Nazi Germany, the Soviet Union, Red China, the European empires of yesteryear, or authoritarian Third World nations, but we are inching closer towards becoming a society where division leads to irreparable damage and that is startling.

The second result of this incident was the debate surrounding the hierarchy of oppression. Now I've been critical of identity politics a lot and I feel as though unity is a lost cause given the emphasis on the idea that the personal is political. Of course, I must acknowledge that some aspects of my identity are not under attack and others are subject to discrimination. That's unfortunately how things go, but I realized that the context in which identity politics emerge often come from a place of uncertainty, insecurity, and bigotry. To condemn identity politics is not to condemn the promise of equality for all and the message of tolerance. In fact, the condemnation of identity politics often come from a place where tolerance and equality are either present or acknowledgment of what we see as liberal principles.

Unity is typically a rallying cry of the revolutionaries. It was the same "Join or Die" suggestion that Benjamin Franklin made originally in 1754 for defense against the French and later for unity among the colonists against the British government. In the French Revolution, the masses were largely united in their disdain for the excesses of an opulent monarchy and this largely united provincial workers with their Parisian counterparts. In a number of slave revolts, the slaves typically relegated to the fields were joined by the house servants in their desire to gain freedom from bondage. Meanwhile, the white workers and black workers have often joined each other in their fight for labor rights, equality, and resistance against injustice.

In fact, the very notion of dividing the population is known as divide-and-conquer and this is what groups in actual positions of power use to conquer what they perceive to be threats.

The ruling class used this to keep the poor white workers from realizing that their lot in life was marginally different than that of the poor black workers. Of course, this sentiment can be seen by the popular labor song, "There is Power in a Union", where the workers of all races realize that they are all being used by the same machine.

This kind of unity has even taken on an interesting turn when the class warfare rhetoric is dropped in favor of a cultural or national identity (e.g. being American), which begs the question of identity politics can also be a source of unity. Of course, that applies more towards a cultural identity, such as being an American, than a personal identity of being black, white, male, female, etc. 

At any rate, it is important to fight for the rights of everyone and to have honest discussions about these things. It is my hope that we can agree that racism, sexism, and other forms of bigotry are wrong and must be condemned. So I have a dream that all people, regardless of their gender, race, ethnicity, religion (or lack thereof), disability (of lack thereof), etc., can enjoy the benefits of liberty, equality, and opportunity.

So this MLK Day, I implore everyone reading this to realize that we are all the same in terms of being human (e.g. we all have feelings, etc.) and to treat each other as such. Thank you and have a wonderful day.


NOTE: We must not forget that Martin Luther King, Jr., was also human and was prone to making mistakes. This day is more dedicated to the ideals he stood for than the idolized image people have of him. Please remember that he is misunderstood by many and that what he stood for was justice across the board from the devastation of the Vietnam War to the severe poverty affecting millions of people.

Fantastic Friday: WDW Adventureland Concept Art

Happy Friday, everyone. Today is the day where we get to drool over some of the concept art used to shape the Adventureland that Disney World guests would see in 1971.


1. THE BRIDGE OVER THE RIVER

This Herb Ryman sketch of the planned covered bridge over the Main Hub's waterway into Adventureland dates back to the early design stage in mid-late 1967. There are three noticeable features: the milepost with distances to a handful of exotic locations on the left, a covered bridge crossing, and the Adventureland Veranda. One last thing you might spot is not as noticeable, but there is a house in the side of a tree, which indicates that the Swiss Family Robinson might be home.

2. THE ADVENTURELAND VERANDA

Part of what makes the Adventureland Veranda (known now as the Skipper's Canteen) building unique is the use of various architectural styles, including Spanish-Caribbean, British Indian, French Colonial, and more. Foxxy Furr, of Passport2Dreams fame and a loyal friend, wrote extensively about the theming and the aesthetics of the parks, including an essay on the influences of the Veranda's architecture. The following pictures are from their collection and they were all done by famed artist Dorothea Redmond.

This September 1967 elevation of the Adventureland Veranda is very, very similar to what was built. She listed the references she consulted for this brownline at the bottom. Personally, I appreciate it because I try to decipher what the designers used for inspiration.

Close up of the left side of the elevation.

Close up of the center of the elevation.

Close up of the right side of the elevation.

This 1967/1968 concept art of the interior of the Veranda was also done by Redmond and this is pretty much how it looked in October 1971.

Another interior shot of the Veranda, but this was of a separate room. Also done by Redmond, presumably in the late 1960's.

This is another view of the main dining room of the Veranda done by Redmond in the late 1960's.

3. THE SWISS FAMILY TREE HOUSE

This concept rendering of the Swiss Family Tree House was featured in early-WED literature concerning the Tree House, particularly in the 1969 Preview Guide given to stockholders. 

4. THE SUNSHINE PAVILION (THE TROPICAL SERENADE)

There are a few pieces of concept art from the time the Sunshine Pavilion was designed. In 1967, the Florida Citrus Commission met with the Walt Disney Company to negotiate the sponsorship of an attraction at the Magic Kingdom. The deal included the creation of a character/mascot to be the public face of the FCC at the Park. The attraction was a copy of the Enchanted Tiki Room at Disneyland with a nearby refreshment stand conveniently located near the exit (also sponsored by the FCC), but it also meant that the Tiki bar aesthetic of the original would be enhanced to resemble the cross between an actual Polynesian longhouse and a Balinese temple. The result is the Sunshine Pavilion, but the concept art for the structure dates back to before Disney reached a deal with the FCC. As assumed, the Enchanted Tiki Room would be making a second appearance as the Tropical Serenade in the Sunshine Pavilion. In fact, the name Sunshine Pavilion referred to the infrastructure that the FCC sponsored, including the Great Ceremonial House that held the Tropical Serenade.

This 1968 painting done by Dorothea Redmond is perhaps one of the earliest-known depictions of the Sunshine Pavilion. According to Foxxy Furr, this very rendering is implied on a 1968 site map.

This 1967 painting of the Sunshine Pavilion closely resembles the miniature used in the models around 1968. Notice the mid-century design of the building to the right of the pagoda. Now that's what I call Tiki!

This 1969/1970 elevation of the Sunshine Pavilion was the finalized version. Notice how the only discrepancy with the rendering is the placement of palm trees swaying behind the Sunshine Tree Terrace, which backs up to the Frontierland Mercantile. 

END





All images belong to Disney.

Vegas 101

I went to Las Vegas last week. This was my third trip to Sin City and my first as an adult. Finally, I wasn't relegated to being treated as inferior due to my age. Anyway, I love Vegas and it was with my love for Americana and kitschy mid-century pop culture that I enjoyed three days dreaming of the future, sightseeing the past, and living in the present.



I visited the soul of Old Vegas, "Fremont Street" with neon signs dating back to humble beginnings as a gambling town for construction workers at the nearby Boulder (now Hoover) Dam and then as an oasis for the Mafia and defense industry. It's on Fremont Street where a zip-line carries people down the 800-foot stretch of souvenir stands and bars. It's also on Fremont Street where the casinos of yesteryear still have older machines and Vegas Vic is pointing at the Pioneer Casino.

Vegas Vic has been greeting Vegas visitors to the Pioneer Club on Fremont Street since 1951.

I also visited the world-famous Circus Circus, which was seen in its 1970's glamour in the 1971 James Bond film "Diamonds Are Forever", for the first time. Heck, my mom said that she first went there with my grandparents and her paternal grandparents in the early-1970's and she last went there with her friends in the early-1990's.

Unfortunately, Circus Circus is not as grand as the other hotels and it's fairly aged since it opened in October 1968 with few renovations. There is an upside to this. The EXIT signs lining the ceilings and walls are also older and since I do like the aesthetics of older Exit signs, this was a pleasant aspect of this.

Old EXIT sign (I assumed this was a 1968 Prescolite, similar to the ones originally installed in the Haunted Mansion at Disneyland in 1968-9 and even some in the Pirates in 1966-7)

What's in a Land?

Ah, New Orleans Square, the apex of Walt's thematic treatment of Disneyland and his personal legacy to the Park, with its two major attractions built perfectly for this extension of Frontierland's westward exploration into the unknown.

Disney historians and theme park articles alike have designated New Orleans Square as not only one of the last projects Walt worked on, but the first and only "land" to open during Walt's time.


Oddly, WED publications and park literature describes New Orleans Square as an extension of Frontierland and even as late as 1968, the Disneyland Dictionary of that year listed the Haunted Mansion as a Frontierland attraction while having a section dedicated to the then-one-year-old Pirates ride in New Orleans Square.


This all reminds me of something WED was trying to accomplish in 1968.

They were trying to realize Walt's dream by at least constructing the Vacation Kingdom aspect of his ambitious EPCOT plans and this naturally included a distinct-yet-familiar Magic Kingdom park with a mixture of new experiences and classical attractions suited for a Florida audience.

Instead of using New Orleans from its mid-19th century heyday, WED evoked the spirit of Johnny Tremain in a recreation of 1700's New England with cobblestone alleys, brick storefronts, and Revolutionary-era antiques.

Like New Orleans Square in California, Liberty Square was meant to be a unique experience for guests in Florida and it's no accident that both lands share a Haunted Mansion, an appropriate anchor attraction, and a number of shops and restaurants.

However, unlike New Orleans Square, Liberty Square wasn't marketed as an extension of WDW's Frontierland, but as its own land since the beginning, despite Liberty Square and Frontierland blending together as a coherent timeline of American history.

To understand my point, walk along the Rivers of America at Walt Disney World near Peter Pan and the Haunted Mansion all the way to the entrance to Big Thunder. Look at the architecture and how the 1600's Hudson River Valley metamorphoses through 1700's Philadelphia (Hall of Presidents), 1700's Virginia (Liberty Tree Tavern), 1830's St. Louis (Diamond Horseshoe), and the vernacular styles of Colorado (Grizzly Hall), Kansas, and Texas (Pecos Bill) terminate at the 1880's Arizona-California area of Thunder Mesa (Big Thunder)---with the notable misplaced exception of Splash Mountain and its setting of 1860's-1870's Georgia.

In addition to how Frontierland and Liberty Square would often get lumped together on the same page in some of the guidebooks of the early 1970's, it's one of Disney's more complicated blunders, but of course, WED would change its tune between 1966 and 1971.

But excuse the tangent and let's look at how locations within both US Magic Kingdoms were advertised since the beginning. After all, this will help us understand what constitutes a Land versus an attraction in relation to the Park.

In 1954, Herb Ryman's treatment of a pirate-themed street in "True-Life Adventureland" was foreshadowing the placement of a piracy-themed attraction in Adventureland and his concept art for a rustic recreation of New Orleans along the Rivers of America in Frontierland were the basis for this "hybrid-land" because this little bend of the river was the junction between Frontierland and Adventureland, which were both based on Man's struggle to tame the wilderness and expand civilization, and this meant that a transition between both realms would need to be both American and foreign. Walt's obsession with New Orleans and trains had been instrumental in providing the perfect locale.

Think of it, New Orleans was a defining part of the American frontier as it not only served as a thriving port for the region, but it had been the site of the Louisiana Purchase in 1803 where Jefferson's Empire of Liberty (the United States) had acquired about 827,000 square miles of land west of the Mighty Mississippi from the French government.

However, New Orleans had a flavor that was not entirely American, so solely placing it in the all-American* Frontierland would be a disservice to the Big Easy, given its vibrant history of being exotic and foreign with regards to its history.

So while it was marketed as a whole new land, the Disneyland Tencennial Guidebook in 1965 said, "The charm and grace of old New Orleans will be re-created in Frontierland". This asks the question if it was deliberate or a mistake and looking at how Sam McKim's 1958-1964 maps of the Park, there is no reference to New Orleans Square other than being a future attraction on par with the planned Haunted Mansion or the Thieves Market, so I assume it was in practice treated as a sub-land of Frontierland before it was marketed as a whole new land in 1966.

But getting back to my main point. If New Orleans Square was the newest land at the Park when it debuted in 1966, then what makes a land different than an attraction since WED treated it as both?
Wouldn't it make sense to throw the towel in and say it was always a separate entity, even when being planned as a Frontierland attraction?

No, because either way I try to look at this, it twists into a game of mental gymnastics, which brings me to wonder if there is an almighty Disney Dictionary that has all the information on these matters culled from the remnants of WED's past as well as the paper-trails of Disney management, including even cast members and operators.

Let's continue and discuss how Disney World guests demanded a ride from California that brought its own section of the park separate from the ambiguous theming of the land it was situated in and how that section is worthy of being treated separately while also being a specific extension of that land's general theme.

You know, the very reason why I created a site about this sort of thing?

In the case of Walt Disney World's Magic Kingdom, the infamous Caribbean Plaza was marketed as a unique extension of Adventureland, while retaining a singular setting**, so logically it may be treated as sovereign. However, it was not the Magic Kingdom's 7th land. WDW's only recognition of Caribbean Plaza's independence is the directory sign in the Hub that points westward towards "Adventureland and Caribbean Plaza". In fact, the only other major sign of sovereignty by WDW was the welcoming sign that sat under the western arch from about 1973 until 2006.

So this brings me to this wild ride of defining things in a way that makes an inkling of sense (at least to me) with this reference guide I made.


REFERENCE GUIDE (Some of the lands at Disney parks or sections can be fluid in terms of how they are defined)

Cardinal Land: This refers to the five major MK lands: Main Street USA, Fantasyland, Frontierland, Tomorrowland, and Adventureland.

Hybrid Land: This is a thematic transition point between two cardinal lands, such as New Orleans Square, Caribbean Plaza, or the planned Holiday-Land for WDW's MK.

IP Land: Fantasyland can be described as an early attempt at an IP land, but a great example of an IP Land would be the Storybook Circus at Walt Disney World or the under-construction Star Wars Galaxy's Edge at Disneyland. Perhaps, the Wonderland section of Disneyland's Fantasyland qualifies as it houses the Alice in Wonderland dark ride and the Mad Tea Cups.

Sub Land: The early concept art of New Orleans Square had it placed initially in Frontierland as a sub-land. A great example of a sub-land would be Caribbean Plaza's placement in Adventureland or the planned Thunder Mesa in Frontierland. This is usually a distinct part of a Cardinal Land and it has enough of a distinct atmosphere to be marketed as a separate land, but its placement within said Cardinal Land is thematic consistent.

Attraction Land: This is a land designed for a single attraction, such as Disneyland's Bear Country or Walt Disney World's Caribbean Plaza, and typically embodies the theme of said attraction.

Square Land: New Orleans Square and Liberty Square are the only two examples I have at this time.


Thank you for accompanying me on this wild ride through Disney-Town and into the Hell of ignorance and confusion. Of course, that was a joke. Have a great day, everyone.




*All-American as it referring to how Frontierland concerned itself with the American frontier and yet it dealt with the Southwestern/Mexican element of the North American frontier.
**The singular setting is the "Spanish motif" WED used to connect the Pirates of the Caribbean directly to Adventureland without having to replicate New Orleans Square.

New Year, New Theme Park Land

I am not going to address the Twitter storm with Bob Iger and what he said about "nondescript" experiences because I don't have enough context on it beyond what was available online, but I will say that the Twitter "arguments" (for lack of a better word) had me in stitches and it revealed something. Nuance is a lost tool in the great world of discourse. Instead of having some die-hard Disney enthusiasts argue with "anti-Museum" Disney corporate-nerds argue over whether the Great Movie Ride, Horizons, and Maelstrom attractions are worthy of even archiving, let's establish something. I love Disney and I can see the merits to both preserving some aspects of the Parks and yet improving upon those experiences. I've heard the "Disneyland is not a museum" line more times than I would like, but I feel that this topic is really misunderstood. I understand that my witty review of the IP takeover of Epcot seemed either too serious or not serious enough, but I am just going to say that Disney is going through a new year with new things to offer.

I will admit that the notion of a Star Wars-themed land in the northwest corner of the Disneyland Park really disturbed my perception of the Park and it made me more active in the Disney-sphere. I welcome the new addition, set for opening in June 2019 (only sixty years after a certain major improvement to the Park's landscape).

Let's remember that new additions often bring casualties to the preservation of once was. While I agree with the premise that Walt wanted his Park (and by extension, Parks) to improve and grow, I will say that the preservation of certain aspects of the Park are ideal and remnants of the past should at least be archived and saved for future use or display. That's the sensible thing Disney can do to cater to a large number of people who enjoy the history as well as not destroy its own past. 

So let's talk about the casualties of the Star Wars' Galaxy's Edge (Disneyland):

1. The 1956 Sky-Way Station in Fantasyland---In 1994, the Sky-Way closed at Disneyland and the Fantasyland Station, which had a memorable alpine motif, sat abandoned. Before anyone thinks I support leaving abandoned buildings in a theme park to rot, bear with me on this. Instead of demolishing it, it should have been preserved and removed to a different location or maybe Disney revisiting its past of turning ambient places into crowded merchandise stands (Caribbean Plaza).

2. The Rivers of America---I am not opposed to improvements to the Rivers of America, but I was definitely concerned with how short a cruise aboard the Mark Twain would feel. In a park with limited space, the expanse of trees bordering the northern edge of the Rivers of America made Frontierland feel more open than it is and it provided a rural feel to the urbanity of New Orleans Square and the Riverfront area of Frontierland. While the 1977 closure of Nature's Wonderland changed the pace and the panorama of Frontierland, it was still preserved the natural aspect of the land.

3. The Railroad---Now I understand that Disneyland's Railroad has been rerouted and changed a few times (1958, 1962, 1965, 1971, and 2016), but bear with me on this as well. Rerouting the train tracks to curve inward towards Frontierland made the land smaller and feel more crowded.

 

So, what do you all think? Comment below and be sure to stick around.

Welcome to IPCOT: Mr. John's Wild Rant about Epcot

When I first went to Epcot in the 2000's, I do remember that it was a departure from the typical Disney park for a variety of reasons. First off, Epcot was more of an adult-oriented theme park because it not only served alcohol, but there weren't a bunch of attractions themed to Disney characters or to fairy-tales. It was more educational in its intent, but the thing I took away from that first visit was how Disney didn't just focus on the animated features or the typical Magic Kingdom fare (Pirates, Haunted Mansion, Space Mountain, etc.), but how Disney focused on educating people in a fun manner. Of course, this can be seen at the Hall of Presidents, Great Moments with Mr. Lincoln, most of the original presentations at Disneyland (Jungle Cruise, Nature's Wonderland, and the Hall of Chemistry), and even the Pirates of the Caribbean, but this was different because the education Epcot gave guests was a park-wide experience.

However, I feel with the Intellectual Property (IP) element of overlaying attractions to a single character (e.g. the Norway Pavilion replacing the Maelstrom with Frozen) can not only be even interpreted as remotely insensitive (this coming from one of the most politically-incorrect people around), but it dilutes the educational aspect of the park.

So, welcome to IP-Cot where all the pavilions that housed their own country now has a character meet-and-greet and a gift shop dedicated not to the wares of said country, but the merchandise for an animated film. 

That would be a nightmare. Of course, I like how the Park can change over time and mean new things to new generations, but then again the character, history, and theme should really be a unique experience. After all, isn't Fantasyland the home of fairytales and royalty?

Let me get off my soapbox and I'll just say that I went to Disney World during the Summer of 2016 after the Frozen boat ride opened up. I loved the Maelstrom and while I noticed how dated it was, it could've still been updated in terms of design. Though, I'm glad they didn't pull a "Horizons" style move and demolish the place for a cheap ride. However, I never understood how Elsa has ties to Norway. Might as well rename it Arendelle. 

Heck, I'm looking at the ambitious plans to relocate a certain Parisian rat to the France Pavilion and the destruction of the Universe of Energy Pavilion in Future World for a movie tie-in for the 2020-2021 celebration of the 50th anniversary of the Walt Disney World resort and I wonder if Disney will release the Impressions of France film because I enjoyed it a lot.

Of course, IP characters always had some presence in Epcot, but my concern is that all the Pavilions will lose their own attractions for IP-related alternatives. 

I do realize that the Mexico Pavilion was closed and they were replacing the River of Time boat ride with the Three Caballeros in March 2007. In fact, I enjoy that ride, but the point is that Epcot is supposed to be unique and decisions regarding the management of the park have not been favorable to what I saw as a young boy going to Epcot for the first time.

Then again, one question I am struggling with is Canada. Who would represent Canada? Marty Moose? Wait, wrong park and wrong film. Though, seriously who'd be willing to sponsor the Canadian pavilion?

Perhaps Disney is creating a sponsor as I type this. We never know. 

Anyway, if they try to IP-ize all the pavilions at Epcot, then might I ask for a duplicate of the Mr. Toad's Wild Ride that operated in the Magic Kingdom from 1971 to 1998?

   

The Red Dead River Expedition: Video Game Review #01

One of my favorite pastimes is playing video games and I dedicated the final weeks of 2018 towards playing video games, which is one of my favorite forms of escapism beyond the theme parks. As some of you may know, I am autistic and I have these very specific interests as a result. As some of you may also detect, I am a historian and one of my favorite parts of history is dealing with the discovery and settlement of new lands, specifically in the Western Hemisphere. For example, I've been in a frontier craze due to the release of the video game "Red Dead Redemption 2" in late 2018.

On Christmas morning 2018, I wrapped the game and the following night, I played the game with my brother for the first time. I will admit that my late-night YouTube binges have enlightened me to the wonders of the game for over a month.

As part of my site, I plan to cover things that are of interest to me, including history and video games. Naturally, a review of "Red Dead Redemption 2" was in order. Here are a few things I enjoyed about the game: the setting, theming, realism, details, and accuracy.


1.SETTING AND THEMING

"Red Dead Redemption 2" takes place in the fictitious states of the Old West in the year 1899. So we know that since American historian Frederick Jackson Turner had delivered his Frontier thesis for the American Historical Association during the Columbian Exposition in Chicago just six years before the events of this game. Looking into how that thesis had not only compartmentalized the values of the frontier spirit, but general understanding into American history (albeit not entirely accurate), the thesis served as a basis for how people viewed the exploration of the western reaches of North America and the subsequent settling of said frontier. It was in 1890 when the US government declared the closing of the frontier, which places the heyday of the American frontier as ending almost ten years prior to the story in RDR2.


St. Denis in the fictitious state of Lemoyne (a recreation of Louisiana and its environs) is based on, you guessed it, New Orleans. It may not be the antebellum New Orleans Square, but it still retains that flavor with clapboard shacks bordering alligator nests in Bayou country, the iron galleries (balconies, but with columns), barely paved roads, and open-air markets. To add to the New Orleans theme, Rockstar Games added a multilingual element to the area where residents can be heard in not only English, but French, Spanish, Chinese, and Italian, which reflects the multi-ethnic background of the real New Orleans.

The other states reflect not only their real-life counterparts, but they place those settings in a duality between the urban and the rural and this offers the player the choice of operating as a moral and productive member of society or as a morally-challenged outlaw.


2. REALISM AND DETAILS

"Red Dead Redemption 2" is one of the newest and most detailed video games at this time. Similar to the Splinter Cell games of the 2000's, RDR2 is known for the attention to detail and atmosphere. The lighting, textures, and properties in the game border on the hyperreal where we are lulled into a state of immersion. The focus on surviving on the border of the wilderness and civilization adds to the realistic nature of the game and it especially drives home the fact that the scenery is a mixture of old and new, native and foreign, and definitely hot and cold. It's the same duality where American society is predicated, but it's given life when the game portrays both the locales and the human element in such detail.

The need to feed your horse, clean your guns, and the fact that mud, snow, and muck all share the same texture that looks eerily real are all a part of the realism and attention to detail. You shot a lantern in a wooden barn with stacks upon stacks of hay? Well, hey then you got yourself a fire that spreads quickly and engulfs the barn.


3. ACCURACY

One of the things in the game that really stood out was the historical accuracy of the game. While it would be difficult to base an entire video game on an accurate representation of history, "Red Dead Redemption 2" did a stellar job because the setting within the last year of the nineteenth century reflects that it was 1899. There were only a handful of phonographs (mostly spotted in the company of rich people), a network of telephone lines, electric lighting in the more prosperous areas, and none of the technology that would be developed in the next century.

Like I said before, the locales were themed to exist in the 1890's and the Rockstar team that developed the game did what they do best and they created a world based on research. Much like the Grand Theft Auto series, "Red Dead Redemption 2" exists in a world that reflects the past. It's the past where the most recent news would concern 1899, not 2019.


THE DISNEY CONNECTION

I will admit that I thought about how Disney portrayed the West in their films and theme parks while I played this. St. Denis unmistakably reminded me of the original plans for New Orleans Square from 1957 as well as part of what would be built in the 1960's. However, the cleanliness of New Orleans Square failed to appear for logic of historical accuracy within the city in the game. Obviously, the Bayou country surrounding the city particularly at night reminds one of the Blue Bayou and the creepiness that lurks in the Pirates of the Caribbean.

However, I had a question over whether the towns of Red Dead Redemption 2 belonged to Main Street USA due to its turn-of-the-century setting or if the rustic feel and looks of the towns fit in Frontierland because it doesn't really fit the idealized town depicted by Main Street.

The general layout of the towns of Rhodes and Valentine remind me of Harper Goff's imagining of Main Street USA in 1954, which was based on Fort Collins, Colorado, due to the horseshoe marks in the dirt roads, the plank sidewalks outside of rustic storefronts, and the prevalence of hitching posts (which can be spotted on Main Street USA). In fact, the Main Street Goff conceived is more in line with Frontierland than the Main Street USA Disneyland guests enter.


CONCLUSION

"Red Dead Redemption 2" was the best game I played in a long time. It was worth the money and the anticipation. I think it will serve as a testament to how theming, accuracy, and realism can enhance something and it's certainly fun to play with my younger brother.