Monday, March 4, 2013

Vintage Reproduction Walt Disney World Map


I've blogged about this amazing map many times at Imaginerding and at Mice Chat. Jeff and I reviewed a reproduction of this map on Communicore Weekly and on our Disney Review column.

The reproduction map is gorgeous and huge!

We worked with the company doing the reproduction map to offer Communicore Weekly listeners (and viewers) a discount on all three sizes of the map.

Visit this page for the Communicore Weekly 10% Discount!


Monday, February 25, 2013

Wreck-It-Ralph Blu-ray

Wreck-It Ralph is coming to Blu-ray on March 5, 2013! Disney has shared a clip from one of the bonus features about creating the 8-bit digital world.



Thursday, February 7, 2013

Disneyland Trip Report Walt Disney World Books


My latest column at Mice Chat is a list of Walt Disney World history books. 65 titles are on the list with several added from this year.
Communicore Weekly

The latest episode of Communicore Weekly (the Greatest Online Show™) features a Disneyland trip report from Jeff and a Disneyland Five Legged Goat.

I review Disney Dream Weavers by Chuck Schmidt.




Sunday, February 3, 2013

Peter Pan Blu-ray Release

Peter Pan is going to be released on Blu-ray on Tuesday, February 5. Jeff and I have our review copies and will be doing a full review at Mice Chat and on Communicore Weekly (the Greatest Online Show™).

Disney has shared some media to whet our appetites.



Monday, January 28, 2013

Bob-A-Round and Bob-A-Long with Bob Gurr

After a year of hearing "Bob-A-Round Boats and Five Legged Goats," we finally get around to talking about the Bob-A-Round and Bob-A-Long Boats at Walt Disney World with our special guest, Bob Gurr!
I review a great book featuring an amazing film by Hayao Miyazaki The Art of My Neighbor Totoro




Wednesday, January 2, 2013

Theme Park Lecture


Guild presents ‘The Art of the Amusement Park’ with Taylor

<p><strong>M-I-C-K-E-Y </strong>— George Taylor highlights a Magic Kingdom artifact. Taylor, who has become an internationally acclaimed essayist, author, podcaster and Disney historian, will give a lecture in January on the theme park. (Photo courtesy of George Taylor)</p>
M-I-C-K-E-Y — George Taylor highlights a Magic Kingdom artifact. Taylor, who has become an internationally acclaimed essayist, author, podcaster and Disney historian, will give a lecture in January on the theme park. (Photo courtesy of George Taylor)
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ASHEBORO — George Taylor, Disney historian, internationally known Disney writer and pod-caster, will give a lecture on the Magic Kingdom theme park at Walt Disney World.
Taylor serves as the assistant director of the Randolph County Public Library by day and an “all things Disney ‘imagiNERD’ ” during the rest of his waking life.
The free lecture titled, “The Art of the Amusement Park,” is hosted by the Randolph Arts Guild. The lecture highlights the attraction side of the park that the public experiences, the behind-the-scenes nuts and bolts, and the little known tidbits in-between.
This event is free to the public and is designed for the young and the young at heart. Participants are free to wear their Disney-themed attire. The lecture takes place Wednesday, Jan. 16, at 7 p.m. at the Moring Arts Center, 123 Sunset Ave., Asheboro.
For more information, call (336) 629-0399 or visit online atwww.randolphartsguild.com.
Taylor has been a Disney fan since his early days watching “Winnie the Pooh” and other classic Disney cartoons. It wasn’t until 1994, when he first visited Walt Disney World in Florida, that he became a full-fledged Disney Geek. He started collecting Disney theme park books during his first trip and now has amassed one of the largest private collections of Disney books in the world with over 650 titles.
Taylor started Imaginerding.com with his younger brother in 2007. Since then, he has become an internationally acclaimed essayist, author, podcaster and Disney historian.
Currently, Taylor writes two weekly columns at Mice Chat, one of the largest Disney-related sites in the world. His columns are read by an average of 100,000 people each week. He is also the co-host (with Jeff Heimbuch) of Communicore Weekly, a video/podcast that looks at all things Disney: History, books, bathrooms, restaurants and Five Legged Goats.
What’s a Five Legged Goat?
It’s a hidden detail at a Disney park that you might miss! The show has found a responsive audience and is surpassing George and Jeff’s wildest dreams. The stats continue to shoot through the roof with well over 150,000 downloads a month.
You can find Taylor in quite a few places:
* ImagiNERDing http://micechat.com/category/features/disney-world-history/ (a look at the nerdier side of theme park life).
* The Disney Review http://micechat.com/category/features/the-disney-review-features/(Reviews of books, Disney films and Blu-ray releases).
* Communicore Weekly http://www.communicoreweekly.com/ (The Greatest Online Show).

Tuesday, December 25, 2012

RING IN THE NEW YEAR AT THE WALT DISNEY FAMILY MUSEUM January Exhibitions, Programs, and Events


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The Walt Disney Family Museum always offers some amazing exhibits and programs. If you're in the area, I would urge you to stop in and enjoy the Museum and everything it has to offer.




RING IN THE NEW YEAR AT THE WALT DISNEY FAMILY MUSEUM
January Exhibitions, Programs, and Events

SPECIAL EXHIBITIONS


Now through April 14, 2013 | Special Exhibition Hall
Special ticket price for Snow White: $10 general | Special combination ticket which includes general museum admission: $25 adults; $20 seniors and students; $15 children ages 6 to 17.
On view through April 14, 2013, The Walt Disney Family Museum’s special exhibition celebrates Walt Disney’s first feature-length animated film: Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs. The exhibition showcases more than 200 works of art including conceptual drawings, early character studies, detailed story sketches, and animation drawings. Also featured are delicate thumbnail layout watercolors, meticulously rendered pencil layouts, rare watercolor backgrounds, colorful cels, and vintage posters all illustrating how Walt Disney advanced the creation of an entirely new art form.

Generous support provided by Wells Fargo.

Now through April 28, 2013 | Theater Gallery
Free for members or with Museum admission
Between Frames explores the evolution of stop motion animation in the United States in special effects, television, and film. The exhibition highlights behind-the-scenes photographs, rare armatures and puppets, and original storyboards from cult favorite films and television including King Kong, GumbyStar Wars, Jurassic Park, Robot Chicken, and Tim Burton’s The Nightmare Before Christmas and showcases stop motion innovators like Ray Harryhausen, Phil Tippett, Will Vinton, Tim Burton, Henry Selick, and more.

SCREENINGS + DISCUSSIONS
Film of the Month: Sleeping Beauty (1959)
Screens 1/131, daily at 1:30pm (except Tuesdays and 1/19) | Theater
Free for members or with Museum admission | Without Museum admission: $7 adult; $5 youth

Additional screening: Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs (1937)
Screens 1/131, daily at 4pm (except Tuesdays and 1/19) | Theater
Free for members or with Museum admission | Without Museum admission: $7 adult; $5 youth

The Disney Classics: Preserving Walt’s Vision
Saturday, January 19 | 3pm | Theater
General: $20 adult; $15 youth | Members: $18 adult; $14 youth
Perhaps no other film library showcases Americana more than the one created by The Walt Disney Studios. Ever careful to preserve this collection for future generations to enjoy, the Disney Studios has maintained the pioneering spirit of Walt’s dedication to exploring new technologies.

Theodore Gluck, the Studios’ Director of Library Restoration and Preservation, will present an exclusive look inside the processes used to bring these beloved films to a contemporary world. Starting with the development of Technicolor and continuing through the early days of CinemaScope, Gluck will demonstrate the challenges now faced by the Studio Restoration Team as they work to restore these world-renowned films to their original splendor.

(This program is presented in conjunction with the Museum’s feature exhibition, Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs: The Creation of a Classic).

SPECIAL PROGRAMMING
Look Closer
Friday–Sunday, January 25–27
11am, 1 & 3pm | Between Frames exhibition | Free with paid special exhibition admission
Hear expert highlights of our special exhibition, Between Frames: The Magic Behind Stop-Motion Animation.

CLASSES + ACTIVITIES
Learn from the Masters Series: The Conservation and Preservation of Animation Cels with Martin Salazar (Lecture and Tour)
Saturday, January 19 | 10am–noon | Learning Center and Special Exhibition Hall
General: $40 adult; $30 student (valid student ID required) | Members: $35

Drawing from The Walt Disney Family Museum’s collection of priceless Disney animation cels, Museum art conservator Martin Salazar will discuss how these cels were first created, explain the causes of cel deterioration, and demonstrate techniques he has developed to care for these treasures. Salazar will also discuss the ethical challenges faced by institutions when attempting to preserve fragile artifacts. The lecture will conclude with a guided tour of the Museum’s first major exhibition, Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs: The Creation of a Classic. Salazar will be assisted by Museum conservation technician Harvey Newman.

This class is for participants ages 18+, all levels of experience. Space is limited. Registration required. Email: education@wdfmuseum.org to register or for more info.


Learn from the Masters Series: Stop Motion Puppet Construction with Ruben Esqueda (Class)
Saturday, January 26 | 10am–1pm | Learning Center
General: $55 adult; $35 student (valid student ID required) | Members: $45

Ruben Esqueda, independent filmmaker and animation mentor since 1998, will lead a hands-on four-hour master class for animators at all levels of experience. Participants will learn the process of building a professional quality stop motion puppet armature, which will be ready for use in animation by the end of the class. Participants will also learn other types of puppet construction including wood, ball and socket, and prefabricated toy puppet armatures. The class will involve the use of wire-cutting materials and epoxy, so comfortable dress is recommended.

This class is for participants ages 18+, all levels of experience. Space is limited. Registration required. Email: education@wdfmuseum.org to register or for more info.

Open Studio
Saturday–Sunday, January 5–6, & 12–13
1–3pm | Learning Center | Free for members or with Museum admission
Create stop motion animation in our Media Studio and try your hand at two early steps of creating an animated film—storyboards and concept art—in our Art Studio.

Wednesday, December 5, 2012

Rolly Crump and Bob Gurr Books Giveaway!

Communicore Weekly (the Greatest Online show™) is giving away two books by two amazing Imagineers.


Both books are fantastic and should be in your book collection. Here's your chance to win both books!


a Rafflecopter giveaway

Saturday, November 24, 2012

Rolly Crump Book Available


It's Kind of a Cute Story by Rolly Crump as told to Jeff Heimbuch

My co-host on Communicore Weekly and partner in Disney Shenanigans™ has just released the book he wrote with Disney Legend Rolly Crump. Rolly helped design the Enchanted Tiki Room, it's a small world and parts of the Haunted Mansion.

I reviewed the book in this week's Communi Weeki Geeki Freaki Tiki Room themed episode of Communicore Weekly (the Greatest Online Show™).


You can also grab the iTunes link here.


Monday, October 29, 2012

Pumpkins on Main St and Spooky Communicore Weekly


Mice Chat Article

Pumpkins on Main Street at the Magic Kingdom!

Check out my article at Mice Chat detailing the amazing pumpkins.

Halloween Edition of Communicore Weekly





Tuesday, October 16, 2012

Pete's Dragon Giveaway!


We've got a copy of Pete's Dragon on Blu-ray to give away!

All you need to do to enter is like one of the Facebook pages that we've listed in the Rafflecopter giveaway. See the Rafflecopter contest for rules and details.

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Wednesday, October 10, 2012

Blu-ray Review: Beverly Hills Chihuahua 3


Beverly Hills Chihuahua 3

This has been dictated from Sumner, my youngest son.

The latest Papi adventure is available on Blu-ray. This is the 3rd movie so far. It’s like everything is happening that each human and each dog has dreamed about.  



There are lots of parts where I laughed out loud, especially when the little pups are on the screen. There is great music that you can sing or dance to and the video with Raini from Austin & Ally is on the DVD in English and Spanish. In the end they all realize that family is what matters.

There are great bloopers and a short with Papi so you can see what he does during the day. This movie is good for boys and girls of all ages, but I think teenagers might think it is silly.


I didn’t really edit it much…it is HIS review.