Eddie Sotto's take on the current state of the parks (Part II)

[Eddie Sotto]

While not flying, i think we are getting close to cars driving themselves. We already have cars that can park themselves and newer luxury cars have some spacial awareness technology. GPS is also pretty ubiquitous at this point *turn right here So its a matter of combining these into one seamless technology. Once we have automatic cars; insurance should drop, commute times would lessen, lower accident rate. I would be similar to a mass transit system but with the American desire to have independent movement and personal space.

You automatically end up at Inspiration Point with your girlfriend and the top goes down, the music comes on and the lights go off, and you can blame the whole thing on the car. "I told it to go to Burger King...really!"

 

[ChrisFL]

That will be interesting to see if that can really happen. I work with lots of 3D printing operations and it is still in it's infancy, but there is room to improve.

Well they're actually printing body parts with 3D printers and human cells, kidneys are the closest to being reality so far (about 10 years out from actual transplants they think)

As far as plastics...they're everywhere, that stuff is relatively easy. They're making car dashboards, working gear assemblies, toys and many other things already.

Costs and time will as usual be the deciding factor, but I can't imagine shipping things from China to the U.S. and then to the East Coast, for example, can be that cheap or that quick.

 

[Eddie Sotto]

Well they're actually printing body parts with 3D printers and human cells, kidneys are the closest to being reality so far (about 10 years out from actual transplants they think)

As far as plastics...they're everywhere, that stuff is relatively easy. They're making car dashboards, working gear assemblies, toys and many other things already.

Costs and time will as usual be the deciding factor, but I can't imagine shipping things from China to the U.S. and then to the East Coast, for example, can be that cheap or that quick.

Was not aware of printing flesh, but we use those technologies for rapid prototyping.

 

[ChrisFL]

Was not aware of printing flesh, but we use those technologies for rapid prototyping.

In case you're interested:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7SfRgg9botI

 

[Eddie Sotto]

Carthay Circle Theater.

The walls came down here in SoCal to unveil the new Carthay Circle Theater in DCA. Very cool to have a Spanish Colonial Revival Park "Weenie"! A new icon has emerged today and very faithful to the original. Very scaled down. Nice job for sure. There are some pics on this thread.

http://mintcrocodile.blogspot.com/2012/05/carthay-circle-theatre-exposed-and-more.html

I guess it's a Restaurant. It screams "Theater" so they will have to mention food in a big way to get you to think of it in that manner. At least till everyone gets it.

Here's the original. Pretty huge building.

http://www.flickr.com/photos/vokoban/6261222632/
http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-LY0y5kXU4...CXKAURA/s1600/blog+Carthay+Circle+Theatre.JPG

Not sure about the marquee.
http://instagr.am/p/LBA-qhq_Lf/

Now I know....They did all that incredible work perfecting the accuracy of every detail on that building except at the end, on the one thing you focus on, they used a white plexiglas sign with aluminum tracks and 1950's plastic letters! We discussed my "detail/catalog curse" a while back? Now you see why I can't enjoy anything. Most guests won't think twice, and it still works, but I'm cursed!

As you notice in the original CCT images (or theaters of that time) they used black marquee signs with backlit white glass letters. Classy. The Main Street Cinema got it right.

http://www.matterhorn1959.com/blog1/25.cinema.jpg

Maybe it is temporary. Cheap fix with big effect for the dough too.

 

[Eddie Sotto]

In case you're interested:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7SfRgg9botI

Medical science is pretty amazing at times. Thanks. If they could only keep those reports on what you can and can't eat from contradicting each other.

 

[jt04]

The walls came down here in SoCal to unveil the new Carthay Circle Theater in DCA. Very cool to have a Spanish Colonial Revival Park "Weenie"! A new icon has emerged today and very faithful to the original. Very scaled down. Nice job for sure. There are some pics on this thread.

http://micechat.com/forums/disneyla...own-around-carthay-circle-al-lutz-note-4.html

I guess it's a Restaurant. It screams "Theater" so they will have to mention food in a big way to get you to think of it in that manner. At least till everyone gets it.

Here's the original. Pretty huge building.

http://www.flickr.com/photos/vokoban/6261222632/
http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-LY0y5kXU4...CXKAURA/s1600/blog+Carthay+Circle+Theatre.JPG

Not sure about the marquee.
http://instagr.am/p/LBA-qhq_Lf/

Now I know....They did all that incredible work perfecting the accuracy of every detail on that building except at the end, on the one thing you focus on, they used a white plexiglas sign with aluminum tracks and 1950's plastic letters! We discussed my "detail/catalog curse" a while back? Now you see why I can't enjoy anything. Most guests won't think twice, and it still works, but I'm cursed!

As you notice in the original CCT images (or theaters of that time) they used black marquee signs with backlit white glass letters. Classy. The Main Street Cinema got it right.

http://www.matterhorn1959.com/blog1/25.cinema.jpg

Maybe it is temporary. Cheap fix with big effect for the dough too.

EXACTLY! Now that you have pointed this out I realize that there was something 'off' about the building without being conciously aware of it before. The marquee is wrong. I am old enough to remember seeing a lot of spanish revival architecture and I think that is why this new "main street" resonates with me. Of course by the time I was old enough to notice it had neon attached all over and cheap plexiglass. Much more reflective of the 1950's and early 60's. That needs fixing if they are trying to reflect the period when Walt arrived in Hollywood.

In any case, the rest of the street, from what I have seen, really captures the style and often in subtle ways. The mission look just has a timeless 'soul' about it. It works in this situation I think. And I hope you will point out any contradictions you see so they can upgrade them over time. The 'uncanny' aspects really detract but are nearly impossible to detect by the untrained eye. I mean that marquee had to slip past a lot of eyes without it registering. And I have trouble believing it was just a simple budget issue because the fix just could not have been that much more expensive.

Your "curse" is our gift.

 

[flynnibus]

As you notice in the original CCT images (or theaters of that time) they used black marquee signs with backlit white glass letters. Classy. The Main Street Cinema got it right.

http://www.matterhorn1959.com/blog1/25.cinema.jpg

Maybe it is temporary. Cheap fix with big effect for the dough too.

Doubtful.. look at the horrible job they did on the marquee of the theater just down the block for the Disney Junior show. Great looking building.. with a complete clash right there staring you down.

They can't be missing that mistake twice in the same project months apart.

 

[Eddie Sotto]

EXACTLY! Now that you have pointed this out I realize that there was something 'off' about the building without being conciously aware of it before. The marquee is wrong. I am old enough to remember seeing a lot of spanish revival architecture and I think that is why this new "main street" resonates with me. Of course by the time I was old enough to notice it had neon attached all over and cheap plexiglass. Much more reflective of the 1950's and early 60's. That needs fixing if they are trying to reflect the period when Walt arrived in Hollywood.

In any case, the rest of the street, from what I have seen, really captures the style and often in subtle ways. The mission look just has a timeless 'soul' about it. It works in this situation I think. And I hope you will point out any contradictions you see so they can upgrade them over time. The 'uncanny' aspects really detract but are nearly impossible to detect by the untrained eye. I mean that marquee had to slip past a lot of eyes without it registering. And I have trouble believing it was just a simple budget issue because the fix just could not have been that much more expensive.

Your "curse" is our gift.

You give me a lot of credit in assuming they even read or care what I think! But thank you very much. We live in a 1920's Spanish home, so I've spent about 15 years researching that Mission and Colonial Revival style, (collecting photos, books, wrought iron, lighting catalogs from the 20's, etc) to restore our old home.

I love the "Hollywood Spanish" look very much and really enjoy the Disney take on it. The DHS Hollywood Blvd. is really great.

My sense is that given it's a Restaurant, they will eventually have to do more to create a "dining" identity. Plastic Letters are not a compelling marquee for high end dining, they say "popcorn", so I'd guess they will change out that panel over time. They rushed to get the area open, so we'll give them a chance to settle in and see where things lead.

 

[Eddie Sotto]

Doubtful.. look at the horrible job they did on the marquee of the theater just down the block for the Disney Junior show. Great looking building.. with a complete clash right there staring you down.

They can't be missing that mistake twice in the same project months apart.

You raise a good question. Is the "Hollywood Backlot" street now part of the Buena Vista Street 1928 story, or is it set in "today" with a period backlot "street" as a "set"? Hmmm. I saw the modern overlays of signs and stuff as part of the backlot idea and went with that.

 

[ChrisFL]

The walls came down here in SoCal to unveil the new Carthay Circle Theater in DCA. Very cool to have a Spanish Colonial Revival Park "Weenie"! A new icon has emerged today and very faithful to the original. Very scaled down. Nice job for sure. There are some pics on this thread.

Carthay Circle Theater, now available in 3 convenient sizes (DHS has a very very small one on Sunset Blvd., its part of one of the stores)

 

[lazyboy97o]

You raise a good question. Is the "Hollywood Backlot" street now part of the Buena Vista Street 1928 story, or is it set in "today" with a period backlot "street" as a "set"? Hmmm. I saw the modern overlays of signs and stuff as part of the backlot idea and went with that.

The Hollywood Backlot is [becoming] Hollywoodland, being more of the 1930s-1940s Hollywood to compliment the 1920s-1930s Los Angeles of Buena Vista Street.

My personal gripe is with the plaque pointing out the premier of Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs and event that has yet to occur or just occurred. I think it breaks the story of this being a time, while also trying to stay with it by claiming the event happened at this place. I think the desire to make it obvious that Buena Vista Street is taken from Walt's early years is an unnecessary break in theme that undermines a lot of work.

 

[Eddie Sotto]

The Hollywood Backlot is [becoming] Hollywoodland, being more of the 1930s-1940s Hollywood to compliment the 1920s-1930s Los Angeles of Buena Vista Street.

My personal gripe is with the plaque pointing out the premier of Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs and event that has yet to occur or just occurred. I think it breaks the story of this being a time, while also trying to stay with it by claiming the event happened at this place. I think the desire to make it obvious that Buena Vista Street is taken from Walt's early years is an unnecessary break in theme that undermines a lot of work.

Interesting. That stood out to me as it was not really true. Maybe the best way to tell that story is on the inside with some beautiful photos of the real Premiere at the real CTT, which I'm sure they probably have already done. Perhaps, leave it at that.

 

[Eddie Sotto]

Carthay Circle Theater, now available in 3 convenient sizes (DHS has a very very small one on Sunset Blvd., its part of one of the stores)

The scale of the real one was very impressive. That tower in it's day must have really been visible from quite a distance. I vaguely recall seeing it from the car before it was torn down.

 

[Eddie Sotto]

Wired or Tired?

One thing that brought back memories from DLP was the fact that Buena Vista Street team decided to expose the overhead the electrical wires and cable system. Some images of it in front of the theater are here.

http://mintcrocodile.blogspot.com/2012/05/carthay-circle-theatre-exposed-and-more.html

When we were planning the 1920's (El Train) Main Street, even before a drawing had been done, one Imagineer on our land team wrote a scathing memo for all of the land designers (he later left the project so don't try and figure it out). He argued that the idea of having an Elevated Train system as part of MS was a form of "urban blight" and that we were ruining the innocence of Disney by adding that dose of reality. It was my first week and I was already being attacked. The memo went on to mention exposed wiring, telephone poles, and other ugly things in urban life, after I had mentioned being inspired by the 1969 movie "Hello Dolly!". The NYC Street in that film was pretty realistic, yet romantic, and that's likely where the fear came from. We argued that all of these "negatives" were to be filtered into a clean, enameled, scaled down and quaint "positive", that was fun and reassuring instead of a crime scene. The wires on BV Street remind me of that argument, and from what I can see does not hurt at all, but in it's way adds credibility. Very LA. Will have to see it in person with the street open and the Red Car running.

 

[flynnibus]

Interesting. That stood out to me as it was not really true. Maybe the best way to tell that story is on the inside with some beautiful photos of the real Premiere at the real CTT, which I'm sure they probably have already done. Perhaps, leave it at that.

Yeah, that's what stood out to me as well.. instead of reading as a explanation.. it read as an attempt of a commemoration plaque of something that didn't really happen 'here'. It should be a plaque explaining the significance of the CCT... not crossing the line into acting like it's the actual theater.

 

[jt04]

You give me a lot of credit in assuming they even read or care what I think! But thank you very much. We live in a 1920's Spanish home, so I've spent about 15 years researching that Mission and Colonial Revival style, (collecting photos, books, wrought iron, lighting catalogs from the 20's, etc) to restore our old home.

I love the "Hollywood Spanish" look very much and really enjoy the Disney take on it. The DHS Hollywood Blvd. is really great.

My sense is that given it's a Restaurant, they will eventually have to do more to create a "dining" identity. Plastic Letters are not a compelling marquee for high end dining, they say "popcorn", so I'd guess they will change out that panel over time. They rushed to get the area open, so we'll give them a chance to settle in and see where things lead.

I'd guess they care a lot about what you think especially since it opens so many people's eyes.


I agree that DHS looks great and reflects the time perfectly but I think the 1920's era BVS will be even more compelling.

Feels like Christmas Eve. :xmas:

 

[Eddie Sotto]

Yeah, that's what stood out to me as well.. instead of reading as a explanation.. it read as an attempt of a commemoration plaque of something that didn't really happen 'here'. It should be a plaque explaining the significance of the CCT... not crossing the line into acting like it's the actual theater.

In a way, that is VERY LA. So much has evolved and the history has been retrofitted and wiped away. The plaque that tells you about what the building used to be, what happened there, and now it's no longer a Theater, it's now a Restaurant and they are using the marquee to advertise specials. Half of the remaining single screen movie palaces still in town are hardware stores, bookshops, and flea markets now. You have to piece the clues together as to what it was..So LA!

I was at the park for an hour today and saw the spire, it looked great. Rode the Subs with screaming babies. Therapy, gotta love it.

 

[jt04]

In a way, that is VERY LA. So much has evolved and the history has been retrofitted and wiped away. The plaque that tells you about what the building used to be, what happened there, and now it's no longer a Theater, it's now a Restaurant and they are using the marquee to advertise specials. Half of the remaining single screen movie palaces still in town are hardware stores, bookshops, and flea markets now. You have to piece the clues together as to what it was..So LA!

I was at the park for an hour today and saw the spire, it looked great. Rode the Subs with screaming babies. Therapy, gotta love it.

Do you get recognized a lot when in the parks? Does Disney have people follow you? :lookaroun


:lol:

 

[Eddie Sotto]

Do you get recognized a lot when in the parks? Does Disney have people follow you? :lookaroun


:lol:

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