The Economics of Annual Passports

A common theme on Disneyland message boards is that annual passholders are causing strange things to happen at the parks. True, they behave differently than day trippers and vacationers, and this can have adverse effects on the resort.

Passholders are more likely to drive alone to the park, overloading parking lots (which Disney did not adequately plan for). The parks are not necessarily more crowded, but the crowds are distributed differently. Today, Friday nights feel more crowded than Saturdays. Premieres and openings see massive crowds, sending Team Disney Anaheim running for ze hills. The day before summer blockout days begin are especially uncomfortable. Some long-time fans have pretty much thrown out all conventional wisdom about which days are best to visit.

I've noticed that annual passholders don't hit rides like other guests do, sometimes preferring to hang out, clogging walkways, tables and other areas. I remember Friday nights in 2007 in which the park was packed. It was difficult to move in most lands, yet Indiana Jones would have a 15 minute wait. Space Mountain would post a 30 minute wait. Very strange behavior, indeed.

Of course, there's nothing inherently wrong with an annual passholder program. I had one for a couple of years and you probably the same. Season passes are standard features at amusement parks across the country. While most people are content to visit once or twice a year, a theme park operator also has a subset of their customer base that enjoys visiting more often than the average person. They pay a lump sum for nearly unfettered access so that the marginal cost of subsequent visits is relatively low. This is all fine and well, of course, but can there be too much of a good thing?

Consider the ways in which an inexpensive annual passholder program can create perverse incentives to visit the park. Once you get past that initial lump sum cost, the marginal cost of visiting the park is relatively low. The price of your admission (and parking if you added it on) is a sunk cost, one that you don't consider anymore. The marginal cost of visiting the park now consists of transportation costs and time. This has a tendency to cause annual passholders to overuse the park because they don't consider the full cost of their visit anymore. 

Driving works in a similar way. For the typical car owner, it costs about 50 cents per mile to operate their vehicle. Most of this cost consists of the initial capital outlay for the vehicle and depreciation. The capital outlay is a sunk cost and depreciation isn't on the average driver's radar. 

When the car owner does decide to drive, they primarily consider the cost of fuel, which is significantly cheaper than 50 cents per mile, leading to overuse. Even the cost of fuel is in the background as you don't have to insert quarters into your dashboard to begin driving. This in turn leads to overburdened roads and highways, more air pollution and more accidents.

The concept is the same, an initial lump sum cost, followed by a relatively low marginal cost to actually use the product or service, causes overuse in some cases. This is all very much simplified, of course, but the key is finding an appropriate price point so that TDA doesn't find itself dealing with so many power users that the resort's infrastructure is overtaxed. Society is also interested in maximizing utility. Who gains a greater benefit from a visit to Disneyland, a child on his or her first visit or an annual passholder's hundredth visit this year?

While we'll probably never see the A-B-C-D-E ticket books return, Disney may want to set that initial lump sum cost a little higher in order to limit the amount of super users. Or perhaps they could build transportation systems, parking lots, attractions and shows that could actually handle all these people.

In any case, for as long as Disney continues to offer cheap passes, let the good times roll. Just don't complain that it takes a half an hour to board a tram.

Why Be Afraid of Originals?

After a sudden turn of events, I was able to see World of Color in person (from the blue section, which means a giant speaker pole is in the middle of the action at all times) so that I would be able to complain about it with all two of my readers with full impunity.

My opinion of the show did not really change much after a live viewing. I like World of Color, but it's telling that if I told you about my favorite parts I would only be able to point out the cool effects that stuck out, such as this sequence that suggested diving under the sea or another one in which the water collapses on itself and leaves a figment of color hanging in the air, which is beautifully choreographed. I can't really say that I was jonesing another dose of classic Disney film sequences on mist screens though. Fantasmic! has that covered and over-reliance on the technique can make you want to pull your hair out.

I found the extended mist screen film clips mostly distracting because at its core World of Color is essentially a character hunt. It's an opportunity to point and then demonstrate your ability to remember what you've seen at home on DVD. The basic premise goes like this.

1. Pick a bunch of random Disney movies.
2. Mash them all up.
3. ?
4. Profit.

World of Color takes this concept and runs for ze hills. People are already reciting along with the show, despite the fact that the thing has only been playing to the masses for two days. We expect this on the Haunted Mansion, but a brand new show? A group next to me was even reciting the whole exchange between Buzz and Woody about whether or not Buzz could fly, which is straight out of the first Toy Story movie. We all know this material and we've seen it a million times. I'm sure it took a little longer for some guests to realize that memorizing and reciting, "Is this haunted room actually stretching?" would delight fellow parkgoers, because Lord knows the Waltons from Nebraska spent good money to hear Ashley from Anaheim play the role formally belonging to Paul Frees.

There's nothing inherently wrong with character-driven or movie-based attractions and shows. People clearly go to Disney theme parks to see their favorite characters and movies come to life. Believe it or not, I like to do that as well. Indiana Jones and Star Tours are two film-based synergistic attractions that are among my favorites.

What we tend to forget is that people also go to Disney theme parks for the originals. Sure, Walt Disney may have named his castle to promote an upcoming film, thus inventing synergy and making hypocrites out of all Disneyland purists, but the major focus in those years was on original concepts and ideas. The Haunted Mansion, Pirates of the Caribbean, It's a Small World and others all took Disneyland to amazing heights. Imagineers carried on the tradition long after Disney's death, walking a fine line between original and character-driven attractions. At some point an emphasis was placed on more of the latter and less on the former.

Why is there a fear of originals among the powers that be at Disney, especially at the park that started it all? Are they afraid that original attractions won't attract enough visitors to make such an investment worthwhile? Are original attractions too risky? Do character-driven attractions represent fail-safe investments so that even if the underlying attraction is poor, people will still enjoy seeing their favorite characters?

Expedition Everest, a rare specimen, proves that originals remain in demand, even if the Yeti doesn't work. Though California Adventure was lambasted for its poor theme and lackluster atmosphere, its standout attraction was in fact an original, though flawed, attraction called Soarin' Over California. Perhaps the initial failure of DCA led to the mistaken belief that originals are not what guests want to wait in line two hours for.

Whatever is actually going on here, I hope that originals make a strong comeback. They came back in a big way at Tokyo DisneySea, which represents a good balance between characters and originals. Closer to home, Tomorrowland, with its numerous areas in dire need of attention, presents a perfect opportunity to make right those mistakes made over a decade ago. So, too, does the mythical Anaheim third gate, currently a small piece of land that could someday make a big impact.

Photo credit:  
Lion king in mickey-shaped bubbles - dreamagicjp

A Belated Tribute to People of the Park

People of the Park was a short-lived web site in which users posted unflattering pictures of Disney theme park guests. It was inspired by the popular People of Walmart site, which features photographs of fashionably-challenged and downright ugly customers, or "creatures," as the site's authors affectionately call them.

Links to People of the Park eventually made their way to Disney theme park fan forums. These forums were divided, with some users laughing off the site and others announcing their indignation. Other forums forbid discussion of the web site altogether. The rapidly rising popularity of the new site prompted a flood of outraged Disneyland fans to rush the site in order to register their hypocrisy for all the world to see. Here is a typical comment.

Obviously you are trying to copy http://www.peopleofwalmart.com/ Butttttt you just aren't funny, or clevor, and like people have said in your past posts, you are taking pictures of children which isn't cool. YAY lets make fun of KIDS!! NOT. Anyways, NICE TRY YA JERK

You see, People of Walmart (which does feature the ocassional child and is itself inspired by similar web sites) is, of course, funny. Obsessed Disneyland fans don't identify with Walmart shoppers, so naturally it's okay. People of the Park, however, hits a little too close to home to be funny. It shatters egos. It causes one to pause and think, "What if people are laughing at... me?" The reality is that if you are a human being, you have been judged, criticized and ridiculed at one point or another in your life, whether it was out in the open or behind your back. In fact, a useful skill to develop is the ability to take criticism in a productive or positive way. The ability to laugh at yourself, too, is valuable.

However, many of those who seek Internet enclaves such as Disneyland fan forums don't want to live in the real world. In the enclave, your massive obesity problem will never be mentioned, even though it may take decades off your life. The enclave accepts those who enjoy dressing as their favorite Disney princesses, despite the fact that it's not Halloween, and you're 45 years old. Those not necessarily seeking an enclave and possess a sense of humor must walk on eggshells to preserve peace. Acceptance is great, but speak one wrong word to the wrong person and you may cause a rift in the enclave that can never be undone, a condition known as "taking the Internet a little too seriously."

Some of the outrage directed at People of the Park is fueled by a misunderstanding over how photography in public actually works.

I can and DO laugh at myself all the time, in private or with my family/friends,co-workers. That doesn't give some stranger with $10 for a camera the right to take my photo without my permission for ALL the world to see.

In actuality, everybody, including this misinformed person, has the right to take pictures of other people without their permission in a public place as long as there is no reasonable expectation of privacy. Imagine you are in a drug store and decide to take pictures of people. Any pictures you take of people doing the very public things that people do in a drug store are nice and legal. There is generally no reasonable expectation of privacy here. However, you probably don't want to snap a photo of some lady's prescription, especially if she's in the corner and trying to shield it with her hand. In this case, she has a reasonable expectation of privacy and is taking steps to maintain that privacy. You'll be found in the wrong here.

Disney certainly has a right to limit photography in their parks, but any pictures you take before they ask you to leave are yours. As long as you leave, you're not breaking the law and they don't have the right to delete your photos, try as they might. The laws that govern photography protect freedom of expression, and yes, allow people to take pictures of fat people on scooters and post them on the Internet. That's why America is the great nation that it is.

The morality of this kind of photography is where we are divided. First, karma doesn't exist and if it were real, it works the opposite way that you think it does. Second, what is so threatening about taking someone's picture and posting it on the Internet? Poking fun at somebody doesn't necessarily mean you hate them and it certainly doesn't doesn't mean that the person doing the poking believes there is nothing about them that could be subjected to ridicule. Remember, the site isn't coming into your home and telling you that you look like a putz. That would be harassment.

Pictures of myself are floating around on the Internet, some that are posted with my permission and some without. One could make fun of my yellow teeth, my sausage fingers or whatever stupid thing I happen to be doing. 

But the worst element of the backlash to People of the Park is the sheer hypocrisy of the outraged. If you've ever been to a Disneyland meet, you'd know that the cattiest, bitchiest, most judgmental people in the world are Disneyland fans, and that's okay. What isn't okay is expecting others not to make fun of you when you clearly enjoy the type of humor you profess to hate, whether it's People of Walmart, mean-spirited late night talk show monologues, gossip rags (apparently, when the subject is a celebrity it's no-holds-barred) or simply talking behind another person's back.

My favorite response that came out of my very important research into People of the Park was this one, which really says it all.

Most of those were just awful and mean. Like making fun of the little girl for what she was wearing or the matching families. Isn't WDW supposed to be the place we can go and act/dress silly without anybody caring? And shouldn't people be enjoying their vacation instead of taking pictures of the way other people are dressed?


A lot of those were probably from another country.

Because funny looking = foreigner, right? Come on, let's get over ourselves. Sometimes a funny picture is just a funny picture and it's nothing to get all bent out of shape over. 

Like man, dig it.

And if all else fails, consult this helpful flowchart.

Space Mountain Around the World

If there's one thing people love about developing nations, it's the bootlegs. My former professor of development economics once remarked that you can buy first-run films on DVD in Shanghai, three for ten dollars, a fringe benefit of his research trips. Now that's a deal. Developing countries pirate movies, games and, apparently, Disney theme park attractions. Throughout the world there are three bootleg Space Mountains, and like all bootlegs, are of varying quality.

Space Mountain - Divertido - Mexico City, Mexico

Anyone else have a bad case of deja vu?

Space Mountain Mexico appears to be built under a giant fumigation tent in front of a cheap knock-off of Sleeping Beauty Castle. Like the original Space Mountain, many fans have wondered what the ride looks like with the lights on, and what better light than that provided by the sun. Space Mountain Mexico used to be the Tornado at Alton Towers. Alton Towers, which purchased the coaster after a heavy night of binge drinking and QVC watching, sold the machine to Divertido after the English park realized what it had done. Whoever had the bright idea to stick Divertido's new coaster in a fumigation tent and name it "Space Mountain" should be named an honorary Imagineer.

 Scary but for the wrong reasons.

Here, the excellent staging of Divertido's Imagineerciόn department gives the entire experience a distinct rape room quality. No expense was spared with the fluorescent lighting on Space Mountain Anaheim's non-union equivalent. Unfortunately, in 2004, despite massive fan backlash that included an Internet campaign called "Save Space Mountain Mexico," the ride was sold to Salitre Magico in Columbia, though there is some question about whether or not it actually got there. For more information about Mexican roller coasters, please visit Montanarusa.com, Mexico's most thrilling and extreme web site.

Space Mountain  - Formosan Aboriginal Culture Village - Taiwan

 I know where I'm going on my next vacation.

The most impressive thing about Space Mountain Taiwan is its attention to detail, or balls, depending on your point of view. I want to meet the man who designed this suburb knock-off and shake his hand. Here is where the magic of bootlegging really shines, the ability to be so completely off the mark sometimes, and right on target other times. Like all bootlegs, something feels off. This copy is not quite as refined as the original, and it is probably filled with asbestos, but kudos nonetheless. This Vekoma classic has been operating since 1992 and is a staple of Aborginal Culture Village, or "Abo Ville" as we annual passholders call it.

 Space Mountain - Dream World - Bangkok, Thailand

 This is how Space Mountain would have looked if it were originally built for a family fun center.

In its former home at World Expo Park in Queensland, Australia, this coaster suffered from poor ridership and a habit of spreading cholera. When Dream World acquired the coaster in 1994, its owners did what television executives do when faced with failing ratings, steal someone's idea and call it your own. Thus, Space Mountain Thailand was born. 

 What Space Mountain Anaheim looked like before it suddenly went down for refurbishment in 2002.

Dream World is known for innovative roller coasters and Space Mountain Thailand is no exception. Featuring Christmas lights shoved into transparent water hoses, the coaster takes riders zooming past hanging rocks that were found outside one day and wrapped in a garbage bags for some reason. Hey, still more fun than the Rocket Rods and its successor, Nothing.  

They might also be cuts of meat wrapped in plastic.

Photographer Dave Arnold, who also runs the web site Dubai Theme Parkz, beautifully captures the wonder and magic of Space Mountain Thailand. Rumor has it that they are going to add a loop. Stay tuned.

The Space Mountains 'round the world are a varied bunch, but all of them have one special thing in common, undeveloped laws that prevent Disney from bringing suit against their owners. Godspeed, Space Mountain rip-offs!

Fantasmic! is Better

Disclaimer: These are my pre-viewing impressions of World of Color. It's a place for those of us who cannot see the show yet to discuss our thoughts about it. Those who have seen the show should feel free to tell me where I am right or wrong. 

 The World of Color viewing area is estimated to hold between four to nine thousand souls, depending on who you trust. There are two showings per night scheduled, meaning that an estimated eight to eighteen thousand paying customers per night may see the show as it was meant to be seen by show creator Steve Davison.

If you do secure a spot in the main viewing area, be it through a dining package or Fastpass, there is no guarantee that your view will be unobstructed. Early reports suggest that those finding themselves in the back of these flat viewing areas will miss plenty of eye candy, even more so because this setup encourages parents to place children on their shoulders. This is fine for fireworks, but not so much for a show that is more down to Earth.

The show can be seen throughout Paradise Pier, but these offer limited views of the mist screens, which are used extensively. A third showing is rumored to be unofficially scheduled each night but it's a gamble for the day tripping visitor. Most people wouldn't plan their Disney trip on a rumor.

The technical achievement that is World of Color may very well be marred by poor planning on several fronts, an unfortunate reality that Disney('s) California Adventure is no stranger to.

DCA's Original Design: When California Adventure was built, no thought was given to a massive, groundbreaking water show in Paradise Pier. World of Color was added after it was apparent that Eisner's "build it cheap" strategy would require another billion in capital investment long after the former CEO deployed his golden parachute. Comparisons to Fantasmic! could be made, but World of Color's spouts were not installed 37 years after the fact.

This is unlike the situation at Tokyo DisneySea, where a "build it right the first damn time" philosophy persevered. DisneySea's Mediterrenean Harbor was designed from the start for a large scale show such as BraviSEAmo! The show itself also adapts to its own artificial lake and is viewable, and most importantly, enjoyable, from many angles.

Back in Anaheim, expect to see plenty of craned necks twice a night. The new viewing area specially built for World of Color is nice, but is it enough to provide the best possible experience? Will guests mind becoming dripping wet by the show's end, as early reports suggest? How will this play out during Christmastime where, yes, it gets cold in Southern California at night?

As much as Disney attempts to fix California Adventure, and they are doing a decent job of it so far, the original design will remain an ever present thorn in Imagineering's side.

Disney's Insistence on Catering to Annual Passholders Over All Other Types of Visitors: Casual Disneyland visitors who are enticed by World of Color's media blitz don't know it yet, but they will be competing for prime viewing real estate with other guests who have been planning their attack strategies for months now. Seeing World of Color is not necessarily as simple as purchasing a ticket and showing up an hour before showtime. To secure a prime viewing spot, one may have to race for a very limited Fastpass or purchase a picnic lunch or dinner.

In any case, I would declare the first few weeks of this show's run strictly an annual passholder affair. The latest rumors put the number of passholders at 900,000 to a million, which doesn't just mean large crowds at night, but parking headaches as well. Annual passholders arrive to park with lower automobile occupancy than other types of guests. Less dedicated guests may want to hold off until the interest dies down.

The Show Itself? Internet strangers have been nice enough to offer a high quality HD video of the show on YouTube. Parts 2 and 3 are here and here. Apparently this person won some sort of radio contest. Here are my video impressions of the show itself because I have a phobia of aggressive water.

World of Color is an amazing technical achievement. I have never seen such synchronization of light and water before. All of the water fountain gizmos I gushed over before the show's premiere deliver on the eye candy and then some. The show looks like it's good for at least one viewing for that reason alone, as if it were an elaborate tech demo of the technology. The standout scenes so far are not the Disney character sequences, but the abstract displays of water, light and color coming together in such unique and impressive ways. It is actually the extended sequences in which those classic Disney scenes we've seen 10,000 times before appear that detract from the show, and, along with a complete lack of story or substance, is what gives the show its "film trailers on mist screens" quality.

The Little Mermaid scene, for example, appears to be culled directly from the film with little modification (the Pixar sequences do appear to feature new animation, to be fair). Even worse is the haphazard sequencing of the show. Unlike Fantasmic!, in which Mickey's imagination is taken over by that awful woman, World of Color is one nostalgic romp through Disney filmmaking after another. In the Up scene, balloons fill your field of vision, which is an impressive effect to be sure, but what does it all mean? We are offered only a catchphrase from the film before we are swept into the next sequence. World of Color has all the flash and style of a Jerry Bruckheimer production, as well as its complete rejection of any substance whatsoever. The show's running theme, if any, is to be visually impressive for the sake of being visually impressive.

When I watch Fantasmic! I get goosebumps when Mickey's imagination turns into an "overwhelming nightmare." So too did I get goosebumps during the "Part of your World" sequence in World of Color. But I can get that at home with the DVD just as well. The show offers nothing new to Ariel's world. You can only experience Mickey's imagination, however, when the Rivers of America are transformed each night into a battleground between good and evil. This is a show that does not need a spoiler warning because nothing actually happens that you haven't seen before.

Fantasmic! sets the stage with, "Are the powers of Mickey's incredible imagination strong enough, and bright enough, to withstand the evil forces that invade Mickey's dreams? You are about to find out. For we now invite you to join Mickey, and experience Fantasmic -- a journey beyond your wildest imagination."

World of Color might as well be introduced with, "Hey gang! Anybody remember Toy Story???"

Does it make me want to go? Disney's incredible water spout technology almost makes up for its failure to win the Kuka Arm instead of Universal. Comparisons to Fantasmic! are inevitable, and World of Color fails to best the 1992 classic, at least from my limited vantage point. Ultimately, whether or not one decides to visit a Disney theme park depends on his or her preconceived judgments about whether or not it's worth it to make the effort. These are influenced by word of mouth, advertising and media. At this point, I'll probably wait until the honeymoon is over before giving this show a whirl in person.

Photo credits: 
Maleficent the Dragon in Fantasmic - Loren Javier
My FastPass To The World of Color Cast Member Preview - Loren Javier

Death by Committee

Adam Carolla is a modern day philosopher. After a series of failed television pilots, radio shows and movies, he finds himself dolling out wisdom on his daily podcast, in which he loses money on every single download. Today he was a guest on the Howard Stern Show and asked a question that is relevant to anyone who appreciates art, be it comedy, film or theme parks. "When did any art form get better by committee?" his rant begins.

"Did anything ever get better, is there any great work, any concerto, any painting, any poet, where a hundred fucking friends of your mom just stood there and said, I don't think I like it? Change that, Leonardo. That should be different. No, it's impossible."

What ultimately goes into Disney theme parks today is dominated by managers, focus groups and other uncreative types. These are committees, whether they are bored housewives corralled into a focus group or executives with agendas, that kill art. They are often persuaded not by what makes good art, but what's new, hot, trending or simply easiest to digest. Disney theme park attractions are no more influenced by the talented folks at Imagineering than by the Disney DVD section at your local Best Buy. Based on which bitter Imagineering blog you prefer, the death by committee disease has even seeped into the highest levels of WDI.

What we want to do is to differentiate from committees this idea of collaboration between visionaries, which is what WED Enterprises once was. Looking back at the great works of Imagineering art and contrasting them with what appear to be committee-driven ideas, it's clear where each project draws its influence.

Collaboration between visionaries.

Inspired by best-selling DVD.

First of its kind.











Budget crunch.

When creativity is allowed to thrive by collaboration.

When creativity is suffocated by committee.





There will always be a need for managers and market research, but they should support art, not dictate it. Top level executives must be Imagineering's biggest defenders, not their saboteurs. The job of anyone with an MBA and a suit should be to get out of the way and allow the talent to really fly. Use that education of yours to figure out how to sell Mount Prometheus to Southern Californians, instead.

Hey John, I Believe You Forgot Something

Disney legend John Hench created this wonderful tribute for Imagineering's 50th anniversary, which is meant to showcase the incredible achievements of WED and WDI over the past 50 years. Unfortunately, Mr. Hench made an egregious error.

I'm sure it was just a mistake.

Tokyo DisneySea and the Uncanny Valley

Most of the time, Disney theme parks look like just that, Disney theme parks. Crowds of tourists, queues, attraction marquees, cast members, roller coaster tracks and a myriad of elements give away the illusion. However, find the right angle, zoom in enough and squint just a little bit, and Disney theme parks can reach the uncanny valley, where the line between reality and illusion is blurred. Nowhere does this happen more often than at Tokyo DisneySea. Click on the title of each photo for larger versions.

 rails - Flickr user dreamagicjp

The above photograph was taken in the American Waterfront, a land at DisneySea. But if we didn't know any better, we might think we were looking at a typical American city in some forgotten past. It's Christmastime and the elevated train is whizzing by. It's still a little too clean but the recreation is surprisingly effective.

"

Taken by Flickr user Kazesuki

Again, too clean, and the railing is probably superfluous and people normally do not walk in the street in real life, but it feels authentic nonetheless.

Broadway? - Flickr user drkigawa

This time it's the sponsorship that betrays the illusion, but this facade is far more effective than the Hyperion Theater at California Adventure, which comes off looking flat. Here's to hoping the rumors are true and that the Hyperion will receive a complete redesign very soon. 

Fishing Village - Flickr user sfgamchick

The lighting on Mount Prometheus in the background is too theatrical. Otherwise, you might as well be in Provincetown, Cape Cod.

Mount Prometheus - Flickr user kelvin255

Mysterious Island exists only in our imaginations, but the realistic rock work on Mount Prometheus brings this exotic, imagined mountain to life. It is not a geological wonder but an engineering wonder. The absence of the engineer's mark is why this land is so effective. Here's Fort Rock in Oregon, a real geological wonder, for comparison.

On Flickr, I've put together a gallery that features some of these photos and more. My own photos can be viewed here.

Haha, Here's a Trip Report for June 3rd, 2010

If you've lived in Orange County all your life you probably trip and fall over opportunities to visit Disneyland for free.

All Orange County residents are bound by compulsory service to serve at least a year on active duty at the park, which comes with a pittance and free admission. Working in Southern California, you may find your company working with Disneyland (and after the work is done, free admission) or you may attend a company party held at Disneyland, two experiences I know very well. You'll likely know someone who knows someone who can "sign you in," and be dragged to the park because a significant other does not tolerate your elitist views on Disney theme parks.

So you want to know what I think?

Trams: The new doors installed on the trams are, of course, some lawyer's wet dream, conceived to prevent sue-happy Americans from falling out. I knew I would have a hard time collecting statutory and punitive damages from Disney with these newfangled doors in the way, so I decided not to fall out and sue. I guess they worked!

Captain EO Tribute: Disneyland is a museum, after all!

Also, 3D crotch bulge! At last you've returned.

Great Moments with Mr. Lincoln: What an ingenious solution! Move the 50th anniversary movie to the lobby! It took four years to figure this out?

It's now connected to the Disney Gallery, which resembles more of a store to pimp reproductions of Disney artwork than a gallery to admire Disney artwork.

And I agree, Miley Cyrus is truly a great American.

Rivers of America: A couple of changes noticed on the old river. A stream and new vegetation has appeared just after Splash Mountain and the Hungry Bear. The final bend just before the dock invokes a strong Southwestern motif. Additional animal life improves the atmosphere.

These are probably inconsequential changes that will go unnoticed by the general public but are otherwise appreciated by fans. They were likely designed by someone with a true sense of appreciation for this often overlooked Disneyland gem. If more tasteful improvements and additions like this are budgeted for, there may be hope for the old park just yet. We are still waiting for the ultimate Rivers of America upgrade, some version of Discovery Bay planned and designed so many years ago.

World of Color: Over at DCA, they are really pushing World of Color, going so far as to countdown to the water show that will end all water shows. The mass of spouts, nozzles and machinery that will power the performance is on full display and impressive in its own right as technicians make final preparations throughout the coming days. The test videos that I've seen are amazing, as if they are some kind of water show tech demo.

What remains to be seen is how the actual content of the show resonates with audiences. I would definitely prefer a show that is more abstract, such as BraviSEAmo!, over a traditional Disney character-driven show, but characters alone wouldn't stop me from enjoying World of Color.

I suppose it depends on whether or not World of Color feels like a real, unique show, and not just a rehash of Disney film clips. Fantasmic! strikes a balance between the mist screens and the live performance, something World of Color may have a harder time with. Lacking a human component, the challenge for World of Color will be to capture the essence of the Disney films and personalities it has at its disposal without simply turning it into a 26-minute trailer for Disney films.

Space Mountain: In the past I have harped on Space Mountain for always being dirty. On this day, it was reasonably clean, but not to the extent that you could eat off of it, something I would like to try someday.

General Notes

-"This is my daughter's favorite ride," overheard on Pirates of the Caribbean. So much for pixies and princesses, huh?

-I take bad behavior at Disney parks in stride, but it's fun to bitch about it. Flash photography in dark rides is an art. "C'mon kids, let's get a picture of us surrounded by darkness!" Teen girls who scream at the drop of a hat (or the bump of a boat) distract and disturb. Theme park etiquette dictates that you scream during drops and maybe when the lights suddenly go out, not during the entire ride and whenever nothing is happening, for example.

-The grounds were impeccably clean and generally well maintained. Most of the wear and tear could be found in high traffic areas, especially where thousands of feet trample through, which is to be expected. The problem was always when nearly half the effects in any given attraction were simply not working, and those days appear to be over.

All in all it was a fun experience, but man, the parks really get packed around quittin' time. When you've got Space Mountain holding steady with a 30 minute wait time all day, but ratchets up to 60 minutes by 6 o'clock, you know it's time to head home. Something, something annual passholders.

An Unfortunate Myth

The author of EPCOT Central often writes about the perceived downfall of Epcot in educational value. The blogger sums up their philosophy below.

EPCOT is not for a family of six who wants to spend their time being passively entertained. EPCOT is not for small children who want desperately to dine with a princess or pirate. EPCOT is not for people who find the news and documentaries boring and pointless. EPCOT is not for guests who feel education is meaningless.

Some theme park fans scoff at this kind of longing for silly little things like educational value and enlightenment in Disney parks. A commentator on EPCOT Central expresses the opposing viewpoint.

That fact of the matter is that you have to change and grow if you want Disney to remain #1. the things that were once fun and thrilling arent so much now a days, now a days poeple want thrill rides and less education.

I've never heard an abandonment of education mentioned in the context of "growth," but the point is clear, we just aren't that into learning anymore.

The common perceptions about what people believe and how things really are in the world are often wrong. For example, 75% of Americans believe that crime is going up and getting worse. However, statistics reveal a long-term downward trend in crime throughout the country. Another example is that many Americans believe illegal immigration is ruining the country. The best studies show that there is probably not a huge impact positively or negatively. It's a real issue, to be sure, but the outrage is not proportional to the net result (see the work of Borjas, who is quoted by both pro- and anti-illegal immigration advocates). By the way, what would most people say when asked which state downloads the most porn? California? Actually, it's Utah.

But one of my biggest disappointments is this idea, so astutely stated by the EPCOT Central commentator, that Americans are not interested in education anymore and that in some mythical time they were more interested in education. We are not interested in learning anymore. We are not interested in intelligent entertainment anymore. Are kids, for example, simply mindless drones that exist only to be molded by commercial interests, flashy colors and derivative entertainment? Based on what I see coming out of entertainment companies, this is what the really smart people who run them actually believe as they routinely underestimate the intelligence of America. Individuals get in on the act as well, often underestimating the intelligence of each other in a kind of elitist superiority contest.

As is usually the case, this kind of widely held belief is dead wrong. A cursory glance at the top 1000 web sites according to Google shows that Wikipedia is number four with an estimated 390 million unique visitors per month. A closer look at the most popular Wikipedia entries include historical events, entries about specific countries and historical figures. Every month, millions of pages about math, science and history are served up. The arts, too, get a good look. William Shakespeare is in the top 100. And yes, you'll find plenty of traffic for entertainment figures near the top, but educational entries are often spread among many more specific entries in a particular field of study. There's only one Michael Jackson. Even Abraham Lincoln made the top 25 for 2009. Clearly, Great Moments with Mr. Lincoln ought to be shuttered forever. I can't imagine how hard the fight was to get that attraction reopened.

The fact of the matter is that education is more popular now than it ever has been. More people are going to college than ever before. Woman outnumber men in universities today. Don't be fooled, people are smarter and more curious than they ever have been. Children are as curious about knowledge today as they were in 1955. Nothing has changed but our perceptions.

There's a demand for learning, especially learning that educates as well as entertains, and the powers that be at Epcot are missing the boat.