You Can Leave Your Hat On!

Heard an interesting rumor today.

No, not that there'll be alcohol in the Magic Kingdom.  That's a fait accompli!

No, not that there gonna build a Cars Land clone in Disney's Hollywood Studios.  That's still just a rumor, for now.  But you are definitely getting warmer.  The rumor that caught my ear today involves DHS.  Particularly, the park's icon.  The somewhat unintentional icon of the park, after the water tower.  What's that?  Oh yeah, there's a water tower at Hollywood Studios.  That's the park's first icon.  No, really, I promise.  There's one there.  Somewhere.

I'm talking of course about the giant Sorcerer Mickey hat in the park's hub.
 

Built in 2001, the big hat is perhaps the most polarizing icon in all of Walt Disney World, next to the days when Spaceship Earth was accompanied by a magic wand.  According to some now, the hat is about to join the wand and glove in the icon scrapyard.

This source claimed that the hat and the Chinese Theater replica are bound for rubble, to be replaced with another clone.  This time, the Carthay Circle Theater will be erected in their place, along with the Red Car trolley.  Just like they opened at Disney's California Adventure's Buena Vista Street this summer. 


Star Wars geeks rise!  The clone wars have begun!!! 

Personally, maybe I'm in the minority, but I love the Sorcerer's Hat.  I don't want to see it go anywhere.  I understand the major complaint; it doesn't fit the theme of area.  It's supposed to be old Hollywood and there's this giant wizard's cap.  And it blocks the Chinese Theater.
Well, I'm told that Disney no longer has the rights to call it Grauman's or use that name in any promotional material hence the reason it's got a date with a wrecking ball (if that's true.)  So by that rationale who cares if you can see it anyway.

Of course if they take down the theater, what does that mean for The Great Movie Ride?  Will they just change the facade (p.s. what becomes of all those celebrity hand prints?)  Oh the questions this rumor brings up!

More importantly, I'd be very surprised to see the hat come down for another reason.  I personally spoke to an Imagineer within the last year specifically about the Sorcerer Hat.  And this person was on Team Hate It.  Even they said to me despite how they felt, that hat has such deep foundations that removing it would be a major construction / demolition project.  I can't imagine park management wants that happening right in the center of the park.  Imagine the chaos.  Not saying it hasn't happened before.  I'd just be really surprised.  Especially when so much merchandise, marketing material, etc already exists in which that hat is the representation of the park.  I think of the whole Four Parks, One World campaign.  The hat features prominently.
 

I have a hard time believe it's going anywhere, but who knows?  I wonder what every one thinks.  Are you pro-hat or anti?  Do you want to see it gone in favor of a Carthay Clone?    

Wine's Being Poured . . .Thank the Lord!!!

For those not in the know, Walt Disney World is in the home stretch to completing the largest expansion in the theme park history, New Fantasyland!
 
This will double the size of that beloved land!  Truthfully, the expansion might as well be called Princess Land as, if you've got boys, it won't have much impact other than getting a few more people out of your way for Peter Pan or Mickey's Philharmagic!  At least until the final piece is built, The Seven Dwarfs Mine Train, a late announcement roller coaster, perhaps a bone thrown to us tripods, but what looks like a nice meaty bone at that! 

Inexplicably, the current excitement that has the online Disney fan community trembling with excitement and drooling all over themselves with anticipation (and an insatiable appetite for charcuterie!)  Is it a fast, high-tech ride?  No!  Is it a lights & musical extravaganza show?  No!
I'm talking about Be Our Guest, the restaurant . . . !  Wa wa waaaaaa!!!
 
"You shouldn't have come to the west wing!  It's where I store the good stuff!"

That's right ladies & gentleman.  Everyone has been losing their stuff over another restaurant opening.  But before I get too snarky, Be Our Guest isn't just another restaurant, it's a restaurant with robots!  Oh, robots, why didn't you say so?  I'll happily forgot another gate-buster attraction for a place to eat.  After all, it's not like there's anywhere else to get food in the park . . . ahem. 

Okay, as is probably apparent, I'm not exactly stoked about Be Our Guest.  It's not that I don't like it.  I just don't care.  I sincerely don't understand how crazed fans are for a restaurant.  I was baffled when a few weeks ago Disney started taking reservations for the new eatery and Disney fans set their alarms to get up before the sun to pour coffee in their eyes and get to dialing.  And there was great crying and gnashing of teeth that so many couldn't get through! 

But finally, news has filtered out of Fantasyland that might have changed my whole perspective!  In it's entire history, Magic Kingdom has never sold alcoholic beverages.  All three other parks at Walt Disney World serve beer, wine, and liquor . . . generally in controlled environments.  Perhaps not always so controlled in Epcot's World Showcase (again, I'm sorry about that . . . well, those incidents!) 

It's all about to change!  Be Our Guest released their menu, and to make sure they fit that French theme they are going to pour the wine and cut the cheese!!! 
 
"Whoa . . . that gargoyle's wasted!"

Be Our Guest will offer a variety of wines to compliment the food as well as certain regional (i.e. expensive) beers. 
Now they're only going to be served inside the restaurant.  You can't walk up to the window and get a traveler as you can at other parks.  I've spent many an afternoon peacefully wandering about Animal Kingdom with a Safari Amber in hand (and not "getting wasted" or disturbing any other guests.)

Yet still, the moment these words hit the WWWW (World Wide Whacko-Web) the teetotalers and contrarians lost their $#%&!!! 
"This is an outrage!"  "Magic Kingdom should NEVER serve alcohol!"  "Walt is spinning in his grave!!!" 

These are direct quotes I saw online btw.  Let's first address that last and put it to bed right away.  Walt drank.  Deal with it. 
 
Also, ever heard of Club 33?  The private restaurant hidden in Disneyland?  It serves alcohol.  Has since Walt opened it (and drank there) himself. 
So Uncle Walt is still resting peacefully with this decision, even if you're not. 

Second concern:  People will be getting wasted and causing problems in the park.  I agree in the other parks there are abuses.  The parks need to take control of those situation quickly, swiftly removing the bad apples!  Or at least offering them a free bottle of water and place to sit for a few.  But those are probably people who have a problem anyway, and as I saw written online, most of the bad interactions with drunks were with drunks who snuck in their own alcohol in resort mugs, etc.  That's security's fault.  If they can't stop it, they can't stop it.  Shouldn't affect my dining experience.   
And more importantly, they're only serving in the restaurant with meals.  And as I've said before, that joint will be turning tables over faster than the Mad Hatter and the March Hare!  You'll be lucky to order a second beer before they're shoving you out the door for the next sitting.  Unless it's your first beer and you weigh 75 lbs, it's scientifically impossible to get "wasted."  I promise you whatever alcohol is imbibed inside will be sweated out before you can walk to Splash Mountain. 

So we come to the final reason I believe most are upset by the introduction of "booze" in Magic Kingdom.  You have a personal and more likely MORAL objection to drinking.  Well, all I can say is good for you.  I don't.  I love drinking.  It's celebratory.  It's social.  And when done with self-control and maturity can enhance the enjoyment of many a situation (including reading Disney blogs . . . try it!)  Your personal convictions based on whatever you believe shouldn't affect my experience. 
Walt not only drank, he smoked like a chimney too and there are still smoking sections in the park.  I don't like them (especially the one by Speedway because the exit walkway passes right over it and you must traverse through a cloud of risen cigarette smoke.)

But I realize WDW is for everyone . . . not just me and my personal beliefs!  I don't believe in limiting anyone's enjoyment or freedom for my own convictions (dayum, this is gettin' political!) 

I know this will change no minds.  Those who are against alcohol will dig in.  They'll flood Guest Services with complaints.  They're probably already firing off angry emails and Tweets! They're speed dialing WDW-DINE to raise cane!  Not sugar cane of course because that could lead to the production of rum!

Oh, speaking of rum and moral convictions.  If you feel so strongly against drinking alcohol, you should be against it not just in the specific but in all representations.  And therefore you shouldn't come to Walt Disney World anyway.  Let's see, what is almost EVERY pirate on Pirates of the Caribbean drinking?  Kool-Aid?  Crystal Lite?  What does that beautiful honey-colored bear singing when she lowers from the ceiling in Country Bears?  "Tears will be the chaser in my WINE tonight?"  And she's holding her Chardonnay as she swings?  I'm quite impressed that she never spills since drinking clearly "always" gets you "wasted."    
 
Alright, I was really trying not to get snarky, but I'm losing restraint.  Just wanted to throw some thoughts out there.  The alcohol is there now.  It's an option.  Nobody is going to force you to drink.  So put on your big boy and big girl pants and ignore it.  Don't make a big deal.  It's up the management to control it, just like in every other restaurant where the staff is within their rights to cut anyone off.  If they don't, it's their liability.

Just strap on your ears and go about your fun! 

As will I! 


*hiccup*

The Worst and Best Anniversary

 
Today is September 11th.  It's 11 years since the horrific morning that this date was forever changed in all of our hearts & minds, as well as our history books.

Today, as every September 11th the last decade, I heard people asking what were you doing?  Do you remember where you were when you first heard? 

I do.  Vividly.  I was making my daily 1 hour & 15 minute drive to work in Northbrook, Illinois, for a company headquartered in the World Trade Center.  Our CEO had gone in early and decided to run out for a cup of coffee and bagel from a deli he liked across the street.   

My coworker directly behind me had a daughter working in the financial district of Manhattan.  Thankfully, she was going in late that day.

I remember every detail of that day.

Sometimes I picture very specific things I watched unfold on television or online, and I'm just completely overcome with sadness and grief and even anger.  Things I never want to picture again, let alone have to consider my options in such a nightmarish scenario.
I cannot imagine how the families who actually lost loved ones feel, not just on this day, but every day.  It's heartbreaking every time I consider it.  

But today someone asked if I remembered the first anniversary of 9/11.

Ah, that I remember as well.  And thankfully, I remember every detail of that day, September 11, 2002.



The only way to cope with terrible things is to scrape out whatever joy you can manage.
Where was I that day?  Did we do anything to commemorate that first horrible anniversary?

I was standing about a hundred feet outside of Dinosaur, as Disney's Animal Kingdom and all of Walt Disney World, along with the whole country paused to observe a moment of silence and a message from our President.  

This was the first time I'd ever visited Animal Kingdom.  It was the first time I'd been back to Walt Disney World in a decade.  And it was the day I rediscovered how much that whole place meant to me, and how important . . . no, how necessary it is.

As you can imagine, the park was pretty empty.  Normally I'd have rejoiced at 5 minute wait times on every attraction.  Even after such a long absence, I knew this was not normal at Walt Disney World.  And I knew why.  I held my wife's hand and looked around at the few guests around us, and the Cast Members who had stopped whatever they were doing as well.  There were hugs and tears and lots of hand-holding that day.  The wounds were still fresh for all of us.  Even in this happy place, we had to acknowledge it.

But there was definitely a healing presence.  A spiritual balm.  I can't imagine many other places in the world that could be so soothing to the soul on such an occasion.  And this is in no way to make light of the events of 9/11/01.  I wish I could somehow bottle the feelings I'm describing and give them to the families, the children, the spouses of those lost as some form of comfort.  I wish I were rich enough to take each and every one of them there.  It wouldn't take away the pain, but it might help. 

It's well documented now how much I love Disney's Animal Kingdom.  It's home to some of my favorite attractions.  I love the atmosphere.  I love the sights.  I love the sounds and the smells.  (I also love the ribs!) 

But there's still something more.  Something esoteric.
This is now to be a day not only of tribute, but of reflection.  I wish we could all look back on that day, not just 11 but 10 years ago.  How much we loved our fellow man.  How we were a country, a people, united.  Bonds we'd long ago forgotten, or perhaps never even had, were forged anew.  There were no strangers in the streets of America.  We stood in the face of terrorism meant to bring us to our knees stronger, as brothers and sisters, letting them know we will not be torn asunder!

That was the greatest tribute we could pay those we lost.  Even greater still if we still felt it.

So on this day of reflection, I am grateful that on the first anniversary of the most inhumane, selfish, blood-thirsty act of savagry ever committed on the planet, I was in a place dedicated to harmony and the understanding and conservation of all life on Earth, including our own.

I want to go back to that place, not just physically, but spiritually.

I want us all to go back there.

Perchance to Dream(find!)

In 1984 I was 9 years old (yikes) when I made my first journey to this mythic place called Walt Disney World.  Two years prior my grandparents had gone down for some grand opening and had brought me back my first Mickey Mouse doll and my brother a colorful commemorative book about some place called EPCOT Center.

While Mickey was and remains my idol, the pictures of that strange & wonderful other park captured my imagination!  Specifically one pavilion . . . Universe of Energy (see what I did there???)  With it's then cutting-edge animatronic dinosaurs, I was chomping at the bit to see it for myself!!!  Little did I know it was to be a different kind of reptile that would change my whole world!

Energy turned out to be at once amazing and terribly boring to this hyperactive 9 year-old!  The dinosaurs did not disappoint, but the film that followed seemed insufferable as a kid and there was no escape until the end.
But there was this other place, this pavilion that looked like pyramids made of prisms . . . the Imagination pavilion . . . that seemed like an intriguing destination.  For this little Midwestern daydreamer, it was in spades.  I had no idea what to expect from Journey Into Imagination, but the moment we rounded that corner and met that jolly bearded fellow in his intricate flying contraption (no not that one . . . this guy's beard was red) I was all in!  That "guy" was The Dreamfinder, the host of the attraction and creator of the park's first iconic character Figment, the childlike purple dragon.
  Later we would meet them live and in the flesh, and, uh, scales, strolling around the pavilion.  Well, meet is a strong word.  I saw them a few feet away, that is, before ducking behind my dad's legs.  Even at 9 I was a little uncertain about the whole "strolling character" thing.
It's very likely that Dreamfinder I saw walking about, interacting with guests was the man who originally brought life to the characters, Ron Schneider.  Ron was the first live Dreamfinder (not counting a couple stand-in's, including Imagineer-extraordinaire Joe Rohde.)  Put it this way, Ron was the first who could put Dreamfinder on a tax-return!
What I didn't know is how much more Ron had done for the theme park and live entertainment industry.  Now he's written a book chronicling a long, creative career in amusement!

"What do you mean you don't own this yet?!?!"  

From Dreamer to Dreamfinder: A Life and Lessons Learned in 40 Years Behind a Name Tag is a riveting, entertaining tale of Ron's path from drama school to Disneyland to Magic Mountain . . . back to Disneyland and across the country to this little upstart enterprise called Walt Disney World and EPCOT Center. 

After hearing an interview Ron did on the WDW News Today podcast this summer, I knew the book would be interesting as a Disney fan.  But I was blown away by Ron's storytelling and the fascinating career journey he's been on since the 70's.  Ron has an insight into live entertainment, improv, and theme parks like I've never heard anyone else discuss (other than the voices my own head.)  As a Disney theme park devotee, and also as a former performer who sold out, went corporate, and lives with the frustration every day, Ron is now my hero.  He had the talent and the courage to pursue an unconventional career, and it has worked out.
You will be amazed, you'll laugh, you will even get at least a tad misty here and there (the passage about Major particularly hit me.)  And of course, you'll get a peak behind the curtain to see not only this particular wizard, but get to meet many of the wizards that have made the magic work over the years.  

What I find most amazing (and borderline criminal) is that Disney or some other theme park hasn't placed him in some high position permanently, dreaming and directing creative endeavors.  I hope after this book, they will have the sense to do so.  As Ron's book points out over and over, the disconnects that often happen between the business side and the creative side are frustrating yet seemingly unavoidable.  It is inevitable, as those who are good with business and money tend to lack any artistic vision.  They see imagination as a waste of resources and therefore unprofitable, even in places where flights of fancy are what built the Kingdom . . . err, empire!
In college, I remember meeting privately with the Head of the Business Department (I wasn't doing so hot in the business class we were required to take) who looked on me with a bemused yet confused grin as I told him I wanted to perform and tell stories for a living one day, not understanding a word I said!  He had once been a high-ranking executive with Sears.  There were no margins or spreadsheets in my dreams and therefore I guess no cash value.  Ironically that business professional looked at me much the way Dreamfinder would look playfully on children in the park!

Since his days capturing imaginations and creating dreams with the purple dragon at his side, Ron helped open Universal Studios Florida, spent time working for another mouse, Chuck E. Cheese (don't judge - I'd write for even that mouse over sitting in a cubicle any day!) and was an integral creative figure in the creation of Monsters Inc. Laugh Floor!
  I'd take it as a sign of truly respected talent (whether they'll say it out loud or not) that his participation and contributions have been so invaluable that the Mouse House has to keep bringing him back!
And after reading Ron's book, I can only believe the best is still yet to come.    

If you call yourself any kind of Walt Disney World or theme park fan, you must purchase From Dreamer to Dreamfinder immediately.  Get thee to Amazon at once!  Or better yet, check out Ron's website http://dreemfinder.wordpress.com/

Thank you for your years of service to all of our imaginations, Ron Schneider!  They may have made some (inexplicable) alterations to the attraction, but thanks to you Dreamfinder remains eternal!

Don't believe me, ask anyone in attendance at Destination D last year!
 

Rest In Peace Brother (Bear!)

This week, the great character actor Michael Clarke Duncan will be laid to rest at the far-too-young age of 54.

As an actor I respected and enjoyed, I couldn't let him go without just posting a brief tribute.  M.C.D. was an imposing figure, but he was also said to be a sweetheart and it was very rare to see him not smiling and exuding joy and positivity!

But this is a Disney blog.  Why post a tribute to another actor on a Disney specific site?  Good question.

I could say because Duncan burst on the scene with his standout role in Armageddon produced by Touchstone Pictures, a division of this small entertainment company you may have heard of called Walt Disney Motion Pictures.

 
Interestingly enough, he played "Bear" the gentle-giant godfather to Liv Tyler.  

He followed up Armageddon with hits like The Whole Nine Yards and his Oscar nominated turn in The Green Mile.

Duncan's voice was instantly recognizable and unforgettable.  It may have been his most sought after characteristic, beyond his Titan-like physique.  He did voice acting for Disney on shows like The Proud Family, Kim Possible, George of the Jungle 2 (hey a guys gotta earn), and Air Buddies.

But perhaps his greatest Disney credit was his cameo on The Suite Life of Zack & Cody!

Okay, not really, although he did appear on the show!  Duncan's booming voice and growl filled the role of Tug, the gruff but lovable leader of the bears in Disney's animated feature Brother Bear.
He would reprise the role in the direct-to-video sequel, Brother Bear 2.

While I couldn't find a decent clip of the movie, I did find this test footage featuring his voice work.

I felt it important to post one last goodbye to a member of the Disney family!  Another great performer has left us too soon.

Farewell Michael.  See you on the other side! 



 
Michael Clarke Duncan
Dec. 10, 1957 - Sept. 3, 2012

                                                            Welcome home, Michael! 

The TTC: The Greatest Argument for Staying ON Property!

When it comes to doing Disney World properly, the first rule of Fight Club is always "stay on property!"
There is no place on said property where that rule rings so glaringly true as when visiting Magic Kingdom.

When you look at a map of Magic Kingdom you will see the park property sits by large body of water called Seven Seas Lagoon.

If you're staying at a Disney hotel, the shuttle will drop you off just a short walk from the park gates. Your only encounter with that water will be walking past it to go inside. However if for some unimaginable reason you choose to stay in some random off-property resort you will become well acquainted with this lovely lagoon. Even if they offer you free shuttle service to the parks, when it comes to Magic Kingdom, all non-resort guests get dropped off at the same place. Waaaaay over there on the opposite side of the lake.

You'll see a large concrete structure in the distance not dissimilar to a parking garage or elevated train stop. It might as well look like the monolith from 2001: A Space Odyssey because it will make you feel like an ape wanting to smash something! 

 That is the Transportation & Ticketing Center or TTC for short. The TTC is where off-property guests line-up for their first Disney ride of the day. Either a monorail ride around or a ferry across the lagoon. Either way, get ready to wait in line. Wait to board either mode to the other side, and then wait some more to get in the park. Not to mention, a lot of stairs. This is vacation, not aerobics! Not a fun way to start your vacation.

I like to call the TTC the Island of Misfit Tourists. It is a confused and crowded labyrinth of crushed dreams and dampened vacations. You're here to see the mouse, not feel like a laboratory rat. The TTC is the reason I also suggest even if staying on property,when you go to the Magic Kingdom, stay there! Park Hoppers be damned! The only reason to leave is to go back to your hotel. Whether that be for an afternoon swim and a nap, or at the end of the day. Do not, I repeat do NOT attempt to visit any other park! Not even Epcot which has a monorail line. You still have to disembark and reembark at the TTC. Forget it! Trying to get to Disney's Hollywood Studios or Disney's Animal Kingdom from Magic Kingdom is about as enjoyable an experience as being water-boarded. In fact, at least if a twisted way water-boarding could be considered refreshing.

When you step off that ferry to catch a bus to another park, the TTC will make even a valued Disney guest feel like an unwelcome stranger in a strange land. There are arrows directing (allegedly) to the bus stops. I can't prove it, but I believe every other arrow points you in a different direction, just to mess with your head. It's like being in Wonderland. Only the wonder is why you'd ever come back. Even when you've walked for what feels like an arduous mile to find the lot that time forgot where busses pick up and drop off, you must battlie crowds of on-coming mouth breathers from the no-tell motels across Kissimmee.

"This sign says nothing about hunchbacks, Sasquatch, or a bog of eternal stench!"

Like a hobbit amongst trolls, fight past these plastic visor-wearing, burnt-cleavage sporting troglodytes knocking into you, hurling spittle and obscenities as they drag their offspring along (and that's just the men.) Even the state of this lot is decidedly un-Disney. One wonders if they spent extra money to make it look so dilapidated. Broken asphalt, dead foliage, overflowing trashcans. I believe it's a lesson from management to the off-property visitor. This is what saving a few bucks a night has earned you. The TTC is the greatest argument for paying the premium to stay in a Disney resort I've ever experienced.  

"Where you going?  Oh it's one of these directions!"  

5 Questions with Jeff Kurtti

Ever since I was a kid, I've always thought the guy with the best job was the guy who got to write the novelization of movies, cartoons, etc.  In 1989 I bought the novelization of Tim Burton's yet-to-be released Batman.  I read it cover to cover, multiple times before the movie even opened.
And I began to really consider what a great gig that was for the author.  First off, I'm lazy.  So the idea of just writing down what somebody else already did was perfect, right?  Plus, the writer got advanced access to the movie, the script, probably marketing materials.  How cool was that???
Truth be told, I realized quickly it was not the job for a lazy writer.  The pressure of being an author representing a huge franchise could be the most daunting challenge of all.  Still I couldn't and cannot now think of any better way to make a living than writing about stories, characters, people, and places that I already love so dearly. 
And that's why Jeff Kurtti is very much a hero of mine!

 Jef Kurtti writes about Disney.   

Disneyland Through The Decades


A Bug's Life:  The Art and Making of an Epic of Miniature Proportions 
 
Walt Disney's Imagineering Legends and the Genesis of the Disney Theme Park
 
Dinosaur:  The Evolution of an Animated Feature

Just to name a few!  Tangled, Mulan, Princess & the Frog, . . . I could keep going and going!  
He's written books about Disney movies, Disney art, Disney Imagineers, and Disney parks.
His insights into the stories of Disney are deeply thought out and observed with a unique, uncanny perspective.  Jeff has worked with the Walt Disney Family Museum.  He was a producer of the great documentary The Boys: The Sherman Brothers' Story ( a must see for Disney fans!)
But my first experience with the writing of Jeff Kurtti was through what could be considered the sacred text of Walt Disney World fanatics, his book When The World Began : Walt Disney World The First 25 Years!
 
15 years later it is still the premiere literary work about our favorite resort.  I pray Disney already has plans to tap Jeff for a 50 year edition.
Jeff has persevered with and worked for the Disney company for . . . well, we'll simply say "a few" years now!  His singular voice, intellect, and wit make him not only an accomplished writer but an amusing voice of insight, reason, and sanity!    
So it is with great honor and adoration and hell of a lot of respect, I present . . .

5 Questions . . . with Jeff Kurtti! 

Q:  Disney movies (even working in a movie theater, as I recall) have played a large role in your career.  Can you name your top 3 Disney movies and what was their impact on you?

JK:  The first movie I saw in a theater and the moment when my "Disney Switch" got flipped was Mary Poppins at the Mount Baker Theater in Bellingham, WA in 1965. From that point on, I wanted to know all about Walt Disney and everything connected with him.
As a teenager, a friend took we with him to an advance screening of The Rescuers at the University of Washington.  There were several of the filmmakers there, it was one of the "college tours" they used to do.  It was a very exciting event, and I have a special place in my heart for that film to this day.
About a year later I worked in a movie theater in North Seattle called the Crest 70, and we had gained some national renown for showcasing widescreen movies and state of the art stereo.  We were selected by Buena Vista to do a test reissue of Sleeping Beauty in Technirama 70MM, and Disney sent up Eric Larson, Howard Green, and Dick Cook for a three-day appearance/press junket.  I was 17, and was their "plaid skirt" during those three days, and became friends with all of them.  That was a big turning point for me, as you might expect.

Q:  I've found recently that writing about one particular subject, no matter how much you love it can alter your perspective of it.  As can other people connected to it.  I'm reminded of something I heard you say in an interview, and I'm paraphrasing: "You can love this company all you want, but it's never going to love you back."  

Has writing about Disney & working on so many Disney projects changed your perspective at all? 

JK:  Apropos of that quote, I learned a long time ago to separate the Company from Disney.  They aren't actually the same thing, they run parallel, and cross-resource, but the culture of Disney is strong and unchangeable; the Company, by its nature and need, is more fluid.
Working on Disney projects has certainly altered my ability to be as "immersed" as I was as a kid, but I began studying the "behind the scenes" stuff when I was young, so I don't notice it as a change of perspective.
Having kids helps you get a perspective on Disney, and lots of other things, that's very refreshing.

Q:  Since this blog is Disney Parks heavy, do you guys get to take the family to any of the parks much? Calling Seattle home, I imagine Disneyland is a little easier trip? Have you been to Carsland yet? 

JK:  We have been to all the domestic Parks, and go on a Cruise about once a year or so.  We have not been to Carsland yet, but I think all of my boys will go insane with delight.  We will be good Disney nerd parents and watch both of the features the day before we take them.
When we lived in Glendale, we all had Annual Passes, and the kids were very used to just "going" to Disneyland.  And if you look on page 110 of my book  Disneyland Through the Decades, that's my oldest son, Brendan.

Q:  Aside from your writing, for which I'm a huge geek, one thing I greatly admire is that you are incredibly outspoken and candid about your feelings, beliefs, political views, etc.  As a writer working on a Disney related project, I sometimes find myself biting my tongue (err, fingers) in arenas like Facebook where there's such a large Disney fan community for fear of offending potential reader (let's be honest, book buyer!) 

 I admit, I'm finding it harder to do, regardless of the outcome.  Have you ever felt any backlash, specifically from the Disney company for being so honest?

JK:  No. I am actually allowed to have my own Facebook Page and my own opinions, like everyone else.  I am who I am, and if people don't like a political view or an idea that is different from theirs, they should Unfriend me immediately and go to my Fan Page instead, which is safer for people who are scared of "politics."
I had a Disney Fan get very angry with me because I think Ayn Rand is a huge fraud.  He became indignant and sent me a message saying "You aren't who I thought you were."  Well, first of all, he friend Requested me.  Second, did he think I live with bunnies and flowers in a magical pixie glade or something?  I can't really bear responsibility for things people presuppose.  Finally, what does my thinking about the fraudulent philosophy of a terrible writer have to do with anything?  It's just an opinion.  As Jefferson said, "What matters it to me if it neither picks my pocket or breaks my leg?"
In arenas of Disney I actually feel more comfortable and less "questing" in my discussions, since I have done so much "homework" for so many years.  Sharing Disney information also comes from a far less threatening place for people most of the time.
On a big picture scale, I certainly can play the nice game of compromise and deference when necessary, but in areas that have no relationship to my work, who cares what I think?  Heck, even people who agree with me don't care what I think.

Q:  The Disney Insider. The Walt Disney Family Museum. Since The World Began (the MUST-READ for anyone claiming to love Walt Disney World. The Boys. 

Your name has been attached to some incredible Disney projects. What's next?

JK:  I'm at a crossroads right now, to be honest.  Moving to a remote place and focusing on raising my kids has changed my perspective somewhat.  There are some personal projects I am developing that mean a lot to me, so I'm interested to see where they go.  Certainly I plan to continue "Wonderful World of Walt," if Disney Insider wants to renew it, and other things pop up here and there, now and again.  I'd love to do more books, but it feels like that part of my career has ended.  I am poking around a few ideas with some colleagues, but I'm not sure where they'll wind up.

As a fan, I cannot wait to see where that road leads!  But I certainly hope we haven't seen the last books from Mr. Kurtti!  Be sure to check out Jeff's feature "Wonderful World of Walt" in the Disney Insider!  Seriously, do it now!  This weeks article "The Unexpected Walt Disney" is fantastic!  disney.go.com/disneyinsider