Eddie Sotto's take on the current state of the parks

[janoimagine]

Also, all the talk of design and bookstores contributes to my already-manic excitement about my first trip to CA which is in exactly a month..

You definitely have to hit Hennessey and Ingalls in Santa Monica, you won't be disappointed, I can never seem to get out of their without dropping a couple hundred bucks (Ouch) ... but an incredible selection of art, photography, and architecture books, you'll love it.

 

[Eddie Sotto]

Catching up:

I'll say. Welcome back to the chat. Thanks for all of your great responses and commentary, keep them coming!

 

[Eddie Sotto]

Also, all the talk of design and bookstores contributes to my already-manic excitement about my first trip to CA which is in exactly a month..

For what it's worth, here are my favorite "Walt" things to do in LA.

The Tam O' Shanter Restaurant- Opened in 1922 and was one of Walt's favorite places to eat near the old Hyperion Studio. A John Hench drawing is in the lobby. You may see Tony Baxter there, as it's still a WDI hangout.
http://www.lawrysonline.com/tamoshanter_gen_info.asp

Walt's Barn at Griffith Park. The "Lilly Belle" barn from Walt's home lives on park property now for you to tour. It's a wow. http://carolwood.com/WaltsBarn/

Walt's home and studio site tour in Los Feliz.
http://www.epictrip.com/Los-Feliz-travel-l128450,Hollywood,Los-Angeles,California.html
http://bigorangelandmarks.blogspot.com/2008/07/no-163-site-of-first-official-walt.html

Chili John's a Walt beans and chili favorite..
http://losangeles.citysearch.com/profile/318063/burbank_ca/chili_john_s.html

That should do it for now..we'll do LA Disney movie locations next time.

 

[janoimagine]

For what it's worth, here are my favorite "Walt" things to do in LA.

The Tam O' Shanter Restaurant- Opened in 1922 and was one of Walt's favorite places to eat near the old Hyperion Studio. A John Hench drawing is in the lobby. You may see Tony Baxter there, as it's still a WDI hangout.
http://www.lawrysonline.com/tamoshanter_gen_info.asp

Walt's Barn at Griffith Park. The "Lilly Belle" barn from Walt's home lives on park property now for you to tour. It's a wow. http://carolwood.com/WaltsBarn/

Walt's home and studio site tour in Los Feliz.
http://www.epictrip.com/Los-Feliz-travel-l128450,Hollywood,Los-Angeles,California.html
http://bigorangelandmarks.blogspot.com/2008/07/no-163-site-of-first-official-walt.html

Chili John's a Walt beans and chili favorite..
http://losangeles.citysearch.com/profile/318063/burbank_ca/chili_john_s.html

That should do it for now..we'll do LA Disney movie locations next time.

This is fantastic, we supposed to be in Southern Cal next week on business, I can see I may need to extend my trip to hit a few of these.

 

[Eddie Sotto]

This is fantastic, we supposed to be in Southern Cal next week on business, I can see I may need to extend my trip to hit a few of these.

Shameless PLUG Alert.

Don't forget to take your clients downtown to Rivera! We are the official restaurant of the LA Film Festival which starts this Wednesday. Lots of Indy film types hanging out, should be fun. Who knows, I may be there too?

www.riverarestaurant.com

BONUS ROUND. DING!

And just for you, The Eames House in Santa Monica.
http://www.eamesfoundation.org/visit_house.html

 

[janoimagine]

Shameless PLUG Alert.

Don't forget to take your clients downtown to Rivera! We are the official restaurant of the LA Film Festival which starts this Wednesday. Lots of Indy film types hanging out, should be fun. Who knows, I may be there too?

www.riverarestaurant.com

BONUS ROUND. DING!

And just for you, The Eames House in Santa Monica.
http://www.eamesfoundation.org/visit_house.html

Thanks for this, I am already scheming to get us to stay at the Downtown Standard, putting us close to the riviera.

 

[Eddie Sotto]

Thanks for this, I am already scheming to get us to stay at the Downtown Standard, putting us close to the riviera.

Ok, then if you are downtown, then you must also hit "the Edison Bar". If I was allowed to design a bar to my own personal taste, this is what I would have done. It's the "Tower of Terror" meets Fritz Lang's "Metropolis"".

http://www.edisondowntown.com/

Downtown is also close by (110 Fwy N to I5 Fwy N) getting to WDI, Griffith Park, Glendale and all that other stuff.

 

[janoimagine]

Ok, then if you are downtown, then you must also hit "the Edison Bar". If I was allowed to design a bar to my own personal taste, this is what I would have done. It's the "Tower of Terror" meets Fritz Lang's "Metropolis"".

http://www.edisondowntown.com/

Downtown is also close by (110 Fwy N to I5 Fwy N) getting to WDI, Griffith Park, Glendale and all that other stuff.

The Edison is fantastic, had drinks and appetizers their a while back. (If your a deviled egg's fan, they have some of the best, not that I eat like that all the time, but man are they good!) That description sum's it up perfectly, T of T meets the Metropolis. Thats a pretty killer website they have, I had never seen it before.

 

[MiklCraw4d]

For what it's worth, here are my favorite "Walt" things to do in LA.

Thanks! I'd put out a few requests for things like this on the blog and elsewhere, but haven't had much luck and haven't had time to research on my own. The things I'm interested in seeing are the things like this - the problem is, the best places don't have a million brochures and banner ads so they're hard to find if you don't know someone on the ground. As a fan of Walt, the 30s, and chili, I couldn't be more excited.

The Edison site is killer.

I just know that Disneyland is going to fry my brain after a lifetime of Orlando visits. Now I just need a tour of WDI and lunch at Club 33.

Thanks for the suggestions..

 

[Eddie Sotto]

As a fan of the 30s, and chili, I couldn't be more excited.

Well, if the 30'd means Old Hollywood, Film Noir, etc. here's a site for you..

http://dearoldhollywood.blogspot.com/
http://www.mussoandfrankgrill.com/
http://www.chateaumarmont.com/
http://morasmodern.com/

and a good read on the way..

http://blackdahliaavenger.com/

 

[MiklCraw4d]

Well, if the 30'd means Old Hollywood, Film Noir, etc. here's a site for you..

Indeed it does! Like I said, the weird spectrum of interests that parallel Disney fandom - film noir, art deco... tiki fantastico and the jet age at the same time! Victorian steampunk and EPCOT push-button futurism. I'm all over the place. I try to nail down all the old Hollywood things I'd like to see, and then I need to start thinking about Tiki bars... and Populuxe coffeehouses...

There's just not enough time.

Thanks for the links. It's surreal to think about walking down the street past places where Walt and Roy lived, or where the golden age animators gathered. I saw that one of the ABC lots is the old Vitagraph studio... that's just astounding. It's hard to think of these things as ever being real places, as opposed to some mythic memory in the collective unconscious.

 

[Eddie Sotto]

It's surreal to think about walking down the street past places where Walt and Roy lived, or where the golden age animators gathered. I saw that one of the ABC lots is the old Vitagraph studio... that's just astounding. It's hard to think of these things as ever being real places, as opposed to some mythic memory in the collective unconscious.

I like to make iPod playlists that can "score" these areas musically when I visit them, it adds alot to blurring both worlds together. Lately I've been putting video into the IPhone and watching the imagery from the past in the same location today. Cheap Time travel.

 

[Eddie Sotto]

100 Pages later.

I can't believe we've hit 100 pages so soon. The momentum has slowed a bit the last week or so, and that tells me that we've satisfied most of the topics and questions. So unless there is something burning on someone's mind out there (besides "How can I become an Imagineer?), I'm kinda done for now. It was a great fun and engaging conversation. I enjoyed it and thanks for your support and intelligent commentary. Here's to WDI and it's future!

BTW- If I started my own blog in the future, would that be of interest or value to you?

 

[HMF]

BTW- If I started my own blog in the future, would that be of interest or value to you?

Sure' I would read it.

 

[Missing20K]

I can't believe we've hit 100 pages so soon. The momentum has slowed a bit the last week or so, and that tells me that we've satisfied most of the topics and questions. So unless there is something burning on someone's mind out there (besides "How can I become an Imagineer?), I'm kinda done for now. It was a great fun and engaging conversation. I enjoyed it and thanks for your support and intelligent commentary. Here's to WDI and it's future!

BTW- If I started my own blog in the future, would that be of interest or value to you?

Thanks for your time, insights, stories, and vast knowledge. Hopefully you'll still lurk around here and continue contributing when you see fit.

As for the blog, count me in as a potential reader.

 

[dreamfinder]

I'm always up for adding more to my blogroll...

 

[CBOMB]

I can't believe we've hit 100 pages so soon. The momentum has slowed a bit the last week or so, and that tells me that we've satisfied most of the topics and questions. So unless there is something burning on someone's mind out there (besides "How can I become an Imagineer?), I'm kinda done for now. It was a great fun and engaging conversation. I enjoyed it and thanks for your support and intelligent commentary. Here's to WDI and it's future!

BTW- If I started my own blog in the future, would that be of interest or value to you?

Thanks for the great read here. I will be looking forward to your blog if you decide to go forward with it.

 

[WDW1974]

Great reads, Eddie.

I think you should hang around and pop into other threads that interest you.

Also, not sure if you saw it (or maybe responded in private) but 'whylightbulb' commented on a thread recently about Bruce Vaughn. I don't want to misstate what he said, but the point was he found it hard to believe that you had defended his leadership at WDI ... there was some comment about shouting in there too ... but since I can't find the actual post (think it was in the Harry Potter thread but might be off), I wonder ... what do you think of the current leadership in Glendale? Do you feel WDI is about to head into the toilet with Bruce being 'Jay's hatchet man'? Or do you feel they're about to undergo a creative renaisssance? Or in between?

The projects that are happening around the globe? From an Imagineer's perspective, do you feel they are making the right creative decisions? What project most excites you (at least of what's been announced)? Is there something coming that when you heard about gave you the 'this is a pile of fetid cow menure' type reaction?

With Marty and Wing gone, it does make one wonder.

It also seems clear that Tony Baxter has a very limited shelf life on Flower Street now despite being pals with John Lasseter.

Oh, and what's a good quiet time to enjoy Rivera (hope to come in sometime post-Emmy week)!

 

[Eddie Sotto]

Great reads, Eddie.

I think you should hang around and pop into other threads that interest you.

Also, not sure if you saw it (or maybe responded in private) but 'whylightbulb' commented on a thread recently about Bruce Vaughn. I don't want to misstate what he said, but the point was he found it hard to believe that you had defended his leadership at WDI ... there was some comment about shouting in there too ... but since I can't find the actual post (think it was in the Harry Potter thread but might be off), I wonder ... what do you think of the current leadership in Glendale? Do you feel WDI is about to head into the toilet with Bruce being 'Jay's hatchet man'? Or do you feel they're about to undergo a creative renaisssance? Or in between?

The projects that are happening around the globe? From an Imagineer's perspective, do you feel they are making the right creative decisions? What project most excites you (at least of what's been announced)? Is there something coming that when you heard about gave you the 'this is a pile of fetid cow menure' type reaction?

With Marty and Wing gone, it does make one wonder.

It also seems clear that Tony Baxter has a very limited shelf life on Flower Street now despite being pals with John Lasseter.

Oh, and what's a good quiet time to enjoy Rivera (hope to come in sometime post-Emmy week)!

Well, my per view is limited as I'm not working there, but I know both Bruce and Craig and have high expectations for the future. Marty and Wing had their time, and now I'm anxious to see what will evolve with fresh smart horses. Call me an optimist, but I have faith in WDI. When I was there, the strongest creative voice was Eisner (they have Lassiter now, BIG DIFFERENCE) and the WDI leader was Jeff Rochlis, a hatchet man to end all hatchet men. So I've seen it all in one form or another, but they are more poised to win than ever. Nothing is easy in a corporation. Praise and blame for anything are usually deserved by more than one person so I hate to point fingers (you run out). I got into this vowing not to become a critic, but hoping to moderate a thread that could through funny stories and real experiences, lend a real perspective beyond the "dreamer and doer" myth, and into just how complex and difficult the role of "Imagineer" can be.

Email us at Rivera when you get out here.

 

[Fade_to_Blah]

Thanks Eddie, great read...would love to see you hang around in other areas of the forum!