And The Initial Results Are In...

The initial results of the family picture session are in and as promised, I'm sharing with you all.

First, the nice, posed, smiling family.

Hannah J. Walters Design and Photography

And then something a bit more slice of life.  Yes, Jude is screaming at me in this picture.

Hannah J. Walters Design and Photography

Thank you to Hannah for helping us arrange this birthday present for Mom and for these great photographs.  Thank you also to Jerilyn for helping keep the kids smiling and looking at the camera for as long as possible.

If you are in Southeast Texas and in need of photography or graphic design, you can see Hannah's work and information here.  Highly recommended.

Have We Forgotten How To Love?

A little longer musing today - an oral devotion developed into the written post.

“And you shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, and with all your soul, and with all your mind, and with all your strength.  The second is this, ‘You shall love your neighbor as yourself.’  There is no other commandment greater than these.”

Mark 12:30

“On these two commandments hang the whole Law and the prophets.”

Matthew 22:40

"A new commandment I give to you, that you love one another, even as I have loved you, that you also love one another.  By this all men will know that you are My disciples, if you have love for one another.”

John 13:34 

The early church was known for its love – people saw how much the church came together (Acts 2); cared for widows and orphans.  In the ancient world, children who were exposed usually met one of three fates: death, slavery/prostitution or Christian “adoption”.  Of the followers of the way, it was said, “Falsehood is not found among them; and they love on another; and from widows they do not turn away their esteem; and they deliver the orphan from him who treats him harshly.  And he who has, gives to him, who as not, without boasting. And when they see stranger, they take him in to their homes and rejoice over him as a very brother.”  Apology of Aristides the Philosopher 15, c. A.D. 125

But are we known for love today?

Or are we more often known now for what we are against.

I read a lot and there is a lot that is troubling regarding what Christians are known for.

I read studies.  There is a study from the University of California Berkeley Social Psychological and Personality Science department that found that atheists are more compassionate than Christians.  Atheists give out of a empathy/sympathy for the cause (often have a personal connection), whereas Christians give out of sense of religious obligation.  Meaning Christians may give more out of doctrine, communal identity, or reputational concerns, rather than just compassion for the cause.

I read blogs like “why I don’t cry to Christians any more,” a personal account from a survivor of abuse/rape/assault, regarding the response she gets from the Christian community.  She states how she is not asking for answers from friends, but rather just wants a hug, a smile, a pat on the back, someone to listen.  What she gets instead are platitudes like “Well, I don’t think you should complain, God has a plan you just need more patience,” or cryptic bible verses, invitations to church.  Friends who refuse to visit her in the hospital or discuss her illness because it “gives the Devil power through acknowledging the illness.”  Male friends who walk away when she cries as to not give the wrong impression of emotional intimacy.  And how these responses are causing her to simply ignore the hurt within the Christian community, since she cannot find authentic community, love, and support within.

I read the opinions from waitstaff and studies that reveal Christians to be seen as horribly bad tippers.  From leaving Gospel tracts instead of a tip, to messages like “I give God 10%, why should I give you more.”

I read experiences from Disney cast members who dubbed Night of Joy, the Christian music festival in the park, Night of Terror because of the rampant theft, drugs, and sex that was occurring throughout the event.  Cast members who hated shifts those nights more than any other day in the park.  More theft during Night of Joy than during Grad Nights, another special event for a similar aged group.

I read news items regarding churches like the Village Church in Dallas and its controversy with a member and missionary who divorced her husband following a discovery of his involvement with child pornography.  While the husband entered a “process of walking in repentance,” the wife was disciplined by the church and held to her membership covenant because she sought an annulment from her marriage and rescinded her church membership after the discovery.  I bring this up because this isn’t a fringe sect.   This is a church headed by popular pastor Matt Chandler.  The church has since apologized for its handling of the situation.

And this does not even start to touch on the issues that have come up with regard to the improper mixture of politics and religion over the past couple of years.

To get a little more personal, I think to an event from Jamie’s early years in teaching, where a student was surprised to hear Jamie was a Christian.  This revelation hurt Jamie because she wants to be the kind of Christian where it is apparent, and it caused her to worry that she was not being “enough” of a Christian.  But when she dug in for an explanation, she found the student associated “Christian” with hateful, judgmental, narrow-minded, etc., and since Jamie was not any of those things, it was surprising to them that Jamie would identify herself as such.

So again that raises the question – are we known for our love?  I know that there are stories that can be pointed to of Christian love and charity, but I fear we are becoming more and more known for the kinds of stories that I cited above.

We’re given clear instructions on how to love and why it is important.  The two greatest commandments are summed in the first verse cited above as to love God and to love people.    On these two commandments hang everything.

Jesus then further gives us insight into how to love God.   “If you love Me, you will keep My commands.” John 14:15.  Notice it’s not in the reverse.  It is entirely possible to obey God’s commands and not love Him.  This was the Pharisees problem.  “Woe to you Pharisees, because you give God a tenth of your mint, rue, and all other kinds of garden herbs, but you neglect justice and the love of God.  You should have practiced the latter without leaving the former undone.” Luke 11:42.  But if you love him, you must obey His commands.

In Luke 10:27, Jesus provided four ways to love God – heart (emotional), soul, (spiritual), mind (intellect), and strength (physical being; our abilities).  And from scripture we see that to love God is to love people is to love God.  “Anyone who claims to be in the light but hates his brother is still in the darkness. Whoever loves his brother lives in the light, and there is nothing in him to make him stumble. But whoever hates his brother is in the darkness and walks around in the darkness; he does not know where he is going, because the darkness has blinded him.”   I John 2:9-11.  “We love because He first loved us.  If anyone says, “I love God,” yet hates his brother, he is a liar.  For anyone who does not love his brother, whom he has seen, cannot love God, whom he has not seen.  And he has given us this command: Whoever loves God must also love his brother.  Everyone who believes that Jesus is the Christ is born of God, and everyone who loves the father loves his child as well.  This is how we know that we love the children of God: by loving God and carrying out his commands.  This is love for God: to obey his commands.  And his commands are not burdensome.”  I John 4:19-5:3

We then come to loving people.  And I think we forget how radical this commandment is.  Notice it does not come with a limitation.  It’s to love everyone, even our enemies.  But since Jesus first announced this commandment, we’ve been trying to find exceptions.  Trying to limit the definition of who is our neighbor.  “But he, desiring to justify himself, said to Jesus, ‘And who is my neighbor?’”  Luke 10:29.  From there Jesus tells the story of the Good Samaritan.  How a man, presumably a Jewish man had traveled a particularly treacherous path from Jerusalem to Jericho, from mountain to sea level, and had been beaten, stripped, and left for dead by robbers. He was passed by two “holy” religious men, a priest and a Levite.  The epitome of Jewish religion and piety.  The Pharisees and the Sadducees.  And they did nothing.  He was then passed by a Samaritan, by a person a good Jew would have called a dog or trash.  And the Samaritan is the one who showed compassion.

I love how Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. summarized this parable.  The Priest and the Levite looked at the man and asked “If I help this man what will happen to me?”  They wanted to keep up appearances.  They were about their busy religious business.  “It weighed more with them that he might be dead and defiling to the touch of those whose business was with holy things than that he might be alive and in need of care."  Their concern was for their own defilement of touching a dead body, which would have required a ritual cleaning before entering the temple.
The Samaritan on the other hand looked at the man and asked “If I do not help this man, what will happen to him?”  Selfless, compassionate.  “The one who showed him mercy.”  He cared not for racial differences, he cared not for religious differences, he cared not for the harm that might come to himself.  He saw someone in need and helped meet it.

We should go and do likewise.

What I'm Listening To

I spend a lot of time in the car.  And I've found there are two types of people regarding their time in cars.  Those who prefer music and those who prefer conversations.  Growing up, I would never have imagined myself a talk radio person, but for me, the best way to break up the long drive is with long-form interview conversations.  Generally in the form of podcasts.  Thankfully the car has an option to connect to my iPod, so I can select the podcasts and go.  (This also enables me to switch to my music should I be in the mood).  When my iPod is not available, the go to is NPR - KERA 90.1.  But when I'm all connected as I like to be, these are my favorite things to listen to:

Wait Wait ... Don't Tell Me! -  The NPR news quiz.  I love this show.  It helps me keep up to date on current events, with a wonderfully sarcastic streak which I love.  I always apprecite Peter Sagal and Bill Curtis (rest in peace Carl Kasell) and am a fan of so many of the panelists.  I wish I would have known about this in preparing for UIL Current Events (and it does surprise me that it is twenty years old this year).

Word Balloon with John Siuntres - The comics conversation show.  John Siuntres is a former sports radio guy from Chicago who engages in in-depth interviews with comic creators and other geek culture related people.  I love that John is interested in the conversation, not looking for sound bites but truly looking to capture the creative stories.  And I appreciate his development of a great catalog of older creator interviews.

The Q&A With Jeff Goldsmith - I came to this podcast in a little different way.  Goldsmith recorded conversations from the TCM Film Festivals and I first noticed those.  I've since listened to some of his conversations on more recent films with the creatives involved and appreciate his style.

ID10T with Chris Hardwick - I listened to a lot of podcast interviews by Chris Hardwick from the Nerdist and through ID10T.  I appreciated his style of interview, again preferring the longer conversation style and letting the guest cover the topics they desired to explore, not just a series of soundbites.  Further, I genuinely appreciated his outlook on life (as I remembered him from the Singled Out days and noticed the turn around).  The variety of guests that he has been able to interview is amazing.  I'm a little conflicted on this one due to his own #metoo allegations from his ex and he has not posted any new interviews since that time.  Still working through my own feelings on listening any further or to old podcasts, but wanted to include for completeness.

All of these have a long enough runtime to be enjoyable on my drive.  And I generally learn a lot about the creative process from people I admire and respect (plus make some new discoveries and learn to appreciate a few things I had written off before).

If you listen to podcasts, what are you listening to?  What are your go to genres?

Teachers in America

Time Magazine released an article online this morning regarding teachers in America.  The online headline reads 'I Work 3 Jobs And Donate Blood Plasma to Pay the Bills.'  This Is What It's Like to Be a Teacher in America.

The story is also the cover story for this week's magazine (Sept. 24, 2018, Vol. 192 No. 12).  The related cover to the online headline reads "I have a master's degree, 16 years of experience, work two extra jobs and donate plasma to pay the bills.  I'm a teacher in America."  The cover also carries other teacher's stories, with the following headlines:

• My child and I share a bed in a small apartment, I spend $1,000 on supplies and I've been laid off three times due to budget cuts.  I'm a teacher in America.
• I have 20 years of eperience, but I can't afford to fix my car, see a doctor for headaches or save for my child's future.  I'm a teacher in America.

The magazine also includes 13 stories on life on a teacher's salary.  Stories of worrying about not being able to afford a replacement vehicle if their current car breaks down, not being able to afford appropriate medicine for their children and family, worrying about affording a second child, about refusing to go to the doctor because the cost cannot be paid.  It's heartbreaking what people are going through to continue to pursue their passion to teach and mold our next generations.

We have a serious problem with education in America.  And teacher's are feeling the brunt of it.

According to the article, public-school teachers are experiencing the worst wage stagnation of any profession, earning less on average, in inflation-adjusted dollars, than they did in 1990.  The pay gap between teachers and other comparably educated professionals is now the largest on record.  Just in 1994, the gap was only 1.8% less per week than comparable workers.  The gap is now 18.7%.

Insurance rates for teachers continue to rise, with the teacher bearing more and more of the burden, the retirement age is increasing, and retirement benefits are being cut.

Nationwide, the estimated average public-school teacher's salary is now $58,950 according to the National Center for Education Statistics.  That however is a figure that varies widely with locale and does not always track with the costs of living.  That is also the average across all years of experience. For comparison, just two years ago, the average teacher's starting salary was $38,617 - 20% lower than that of other professions requiring a college degree.

Further, in twenty-nine states, spending per students is below Great Recession rates, leaving schools dilapidated, overcrowded, and reliant on outdated textbooks and threadbare supplies.

We have school districts across the country facing a hiring crisis.  In nearly any other field, such a crisis would be met with signing bonuses, free housing, tuition reimbursement, and other perks to draw people to the field.  Hiring shortages in teaching are met with increased class sizes, shortening school weeks, and emergency certifications for those not trained as educators.  

Because of this, the number of new educators completing preparatory programs fell by 23% between 2008 and 2016, according to the American Association of Colleges for Teacher Education.  Further, teacher attrition is up.  At least 17% leave the profession in the first five years.

This is particularly felt in rural schools.  For example, the median beginning teacher salary for rural districts in Texas was $34,858 compared to the state's average starting salary of $45,507.  The turnover rate is likewise 19.2% in rural districts, up compared to the 16.5% state average.

In Texas especially, we have a vicious cycle resorting in less and less funding being available for public schools.  Education usually bears budget shortfalls, especially in Republican controlled state bodies.  So the state decides it is giving less to individual districts, who then generally raise property taxes to offset the loss (as local districts are generally funded through property taxes).  Then, because the district has raised more money, the state sends less the next year, and so on and so forth.  

Combine this cycle, with increasing dollars and attention being diverted to charter schools and private schools, ill-designed standards being implemented to line Pearson's pocket, and almost outwardly hostile legislatures and Department of Education, and its no wonder teacher's have had enough, with many noticeable strikes last year and more planned for the future.

We have to do better. 

At some point, we have to recognize the value of education.  We preach it all the time, especially now, with the almost 100% expectation that every person should go to college.  But we do not value fundamental, primary education through our actions and votes.  

I get that no one likes taxes, but when taxes are the primary way to fund our schools, it becomes important to vote for additional taxes at least some of the time.  I've seen several districts that desperately needed bond measures to pass in order to build/rehabilitate dilapidated facilities lose in the elections.  They cannot get the funds needed from the state and the people in their own community will not vote to support it.  So, what happens?  The status quo.  Teachers continue to improvise and make the best out of an increasingly bad situation and children continue to attend classes in a building that should have been brought up to code years ago.

Here in Texas, we have people continue to vote at the state level for people who have promised to gut public education.  For example, ask any teacher their thoughts on Lt. Governor Dan Patrick and you're likely to get an earful.  He has a horrible record regarding education (unless you want it privatized).  And yet he gets re-elected because he has that all important R next to his name.  There are even teachers who will vote for him and against their own interests because of the R.

We have to expect more of our public officials and we need to expect more of ourselves.

If you know a teacher personally, hug them.  Thank them for what they do.  For the long hours, for the lack of recognition, for the incredible ask that we are putting on them.  Ask them how you can help, even in some small way.

Until we can get larger changes made in the state and in the nation regarding how we properly value public education and compensate our teacher's accordingly, it's on all of us.

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Update - And now apparently TEA is requesting nearly $1.5 billion less from the state government, with the deficit to be made up in local property taxes.  You can't make this up.

Public Domain

I've been spending a lot of time contemplating the public domain.  The public domain refers to that body of literature, of art, of music, of film, of any creative work where no intellectual property claim can be asserted.  The works we have determined belong to everyone.  Generally, these are older works, the classics.  Ones where the author or creator has been dead for a very long time.  Songs like Amazing Grace.  Plays by Shakespeare, Moliere, Oscar Wilde.  For other works, failures to renew older copyrights often led to works ending up in the public domain earlier than their creation would have required.  Like the original Night of the Living Dead or the Corman Little Shop of Horrors film.

Generally, the public domain is a useful tool for new artists.  It allows them to pull from familiar works to create new derivative works.  All of the songs that have been set to Amazing Grace or the various adaptations of the song.  A lot of modern Christian music benefits from the ability to freely take old hymns and adapt them in new ways.  Further, sometimes you get new and unexpected sequels, like Death Comes to Pemberley by P.D. James, a 2011 sequel to Pride & Prejudice.  Because Pride & Prejudice was in the public domain, James was able to use all the existing characters and settings created by Jane Austen to create a new work.  The public domain likewise enabled Seth Grahame-Smith to take the original text of Pride & Prejudice, remove select portions, insert a few new ones and create Pride and Prejudice and Zombies.

I've been thinking about it a lot, as the first two plays that I've been working on make heavy use of public domain material, or at least material that is hopefully in the public domain. Thou Fair Eliza as an adaptation of Pygmalion leans heavily on the original 1913 script being in the public domain.  This enabled me to use a similar technique to Seth Grahame-Smith, condensing the existing material and removing certain characters altogether, while inserting new bridge scenes and expanding on others. Further, it allowed me to include portions of Ta-Ra-Ra Boom-De-Ay and the Robert Burns poem Thou Fair Eliza within the script.  There is a little fuzziness on the issue due to later revisions of the play by Shaw that were copyrighted as well.   Regardless, all works by George Bernard Shaw will fall into public domain in 2020.

The End of Civil Discourse presents a different challenge.  Are there any intellectual property rights implicated by the spoken word content of the televised debates?  If so, whose property would it be?  ABC's, Vidal's and Buckley's?  Or is the content part of the public domain?  From what I can find, it seems to be public domain as the content of the "news" or unscripted discussion is not protected, but the broadcast itself is.  Meaning, I couldn't show the actual taped debate, but I could have someone say the words they spoke.  If I can settle that issue, the next I need to tackle centers on likeness rights.  Fun times.

It's trickier than you might think.  After all, "Happy Birthday to You" was under copyright in the United States until 2016.

* - Obligatory note for this post.  This post does not constitute legal advice, nor does it create a legal relationship where attorney-client privilege could attach.  You cannot rely on this post for any legal proceeding you may have, please seek your own independent legal counsel for that.  This is just my ramblings on the writing process.

If I Were Disney CEO Part 21 - Disney Regional Entertainment

This weeks post explores a slightly different post regarding my thoughts on opportunities for expansion and development of Disney parks.  The topic for today focuses on a defunct branch of Disney Parks and Resorts that I would like to revive: Disney Regional Entertainment.

Disney Regional Entertainment was originally developed to create local based Disney entertainment concepts in major metropolitan and suburban areas across the United States.  The division created the Club Disney children's play centers for shopping areas, the DisneyQuest interactive indoor "theme parks," and ESPN Zones, a Hard Rock-like themed restaurant with arcades and some with broadcasting facilities.  Nearly all of these are completely closed, with only two ESPN restaurants remaining at Walt Disney World.

I want to use Disney Regional Entertainment to develop to smaller, localized themed entertainment offerings across the country.  This would occur in two types of offerings: themed attractions and entertainment in connection with Disney resorts across the country, like the original Mineral King plans, and Worlds of Disney, a version of DisneyQuest that improves on its failings and creates a more attractive concept.  I'll talk about both in kind.

Additional Disney Resorts with themed attractions and entertainment:
The concept of additional hotels with Disney themed attractions dates back to Walt Disney with his ideas for a ski lodge in Mineral King basin in California.  This ski lodge would have been a recreation of a Swiss village in California, with a chapel, an ice-skating rink, lots of shops, restaurants, ski lifts, and lodging via two large hotels.  Disney treated the creation of Mineral King village like he treated his parks - it was a show and it needed to be presented as such.  The parking would be separate from the village, so that you rode a cog railway to access the village, making the village walkable and picturesque.   And of course, Disney wanted to bring his kind of entertainment to the village.  The original concept of Country Bear Jamboree was developed for Mineral King.

Mineral King concept art (c) Disney

Despite strong support from the governor of California and others and many initial approvals, the Sierra Club launched a successful campaign to prevent the resort from ever being built. I believe though that Mineral King provides a valid outline for regional entertainment going forward.

Disney has had many plans for resorts outside of Anaheim and Orlando.  Currently, Disney has vacation club time share and hotel properties in Hawaii, Hilton Head, South Carolina, and Vero Beach, Florida.  Disney had plans for resorts in Colorado, Washington, D.C., and New York City, but has not gone forward with them.  Disney resorts removed from Disney parks have historically been more difficult to keep occupancy rates at the high levels Disney requires.

One solution to increase the draw of Disney standalone resorts would be to add Disney attractions and entertainment to the resorts.  For instance, Disney's Hilton Head resort does not have a full-service/table-service dining option.  Would it be more beneficial to add a new table-service restaurant and add a character breakfast option? Would Hilton Head benefit from a Country Bear Jamboree?

Aulani in Hawaii seems to have addressed this issue.  It has a luau with appropriate cultural displays, storytelling around a pit fire, a high tech scavenger hunt with menehune, and a character breakfast.  It creates the experience that is more easily identifiable as Disney.

I would propose these kind of combination resorts in the following locations: a version of Mineral King in Colorado - a ski resort with the Country Bear Jamboree perhaps, a New Orleans resort with Princess and the Frog attractions and characters, and a Washington D.C. resort with an American History focus featuring Great Moments with Mr. Lincoln, the Liberty Tree, etc.

The key in selecting locations will be to identify areas that have higher-end moderate and luxury resorts with unique architecture and culture that can be adapted by Disney in its resort.  Existing ties with Disney properties is a plus.

This type of property would used in great combination with the second version of regional entertainment.

Worlds of Disney:
DisneyQuest presented Disney an interesting option.  The company looked to create an interactive indoor "theme park" putting virtual reality and like technologies into the space.  It was created as an opportunity for Disney to put the newest technology into attractions, games, and entertainment.  Almost a test lab for new attractions for the parks.  It was a Dave and Buster's on steroids.  Part arcade, part playscape, part "theme park."

DisneyQuest in Florida

The problem is that such a place gets stale quick if the games are not changed out frequently, if the technology is not consistently updated, if the place is not generally freshened up at regular intervals.  Accordingly DisneyQuest locations were only rolled out in Chicago and at Walt Disney World.  The Chicago location closed quickly.  The Walt Disney World location lasted for nineteen years, thanks in part to largely being a "free" add-on to the water parks and more option for multi-day tickets.  It was particularly popular on rainy days.

The concept is a good one, especially the idea of an indoor Disney theme park. For example, most people would look at the following aerial and see a shopping mall.

Grapevine Mills

I look at the aerial and see interconnected show buildings.  For example:

Perfect for conversion to an indoor theme park - just a start

Disney has experimented with indoor themed lands like Mermaid Lagoon in Tokyo DisneySea and many of the original EPCOT pavilions like The Land.  A true indoor theme park would be a very interesting change of pace.  There are issues.  For example, multiple entrances and exits, potential for vast un-themed exteriors, and limitations on type of attractions/lands that could be offered.  This size though would be best used for a new theme park resort.

DisneyQuest puts an interesting spin on this layout.  The DisneyQuest at Downtown Disney in Orlando was a five story, one hundred thousand square foot building.  I think this layout provides a good basis to start building regional entertainment options in metropolitan areas not suitable for the combination resort described above.

It should be noted, the way to combat the earlier problems that Disney encountered is to build more classic Disney attractions, A through C ticket level attractions that are essentially Disney and would contain nostalgia for visitors.  Further, the attractions should be built in way that allows for seasonal options (like the variations of the Country Bear Jamboree) or multiple variations (like Star Tours)

I envision these Worlds of Disney as following a similar plan but containing unique offerings. Each Worlds of Disney will have a "Main Street" floor acting as the entry to the worlds of Disney and containing a heavy guest services, shopping, and dining presence, and then floors each for Adventure, Yesterday (the Frontier), Fantasy, and Tomorrow.  Each floor would be themed to a specific Disney IP location and world that would fit the theme.  The goal would be to fill the building with a unique combination of current Disney rides and new small form attractions that would provide a varied experience for the guest.

For example, the following floors and their attractions would be possible options:
Adventure:

• A Tiki Room themed floor with the Enchanted Tiki Room with seasonal overlays, Liki Tikis, Tahitian Terrace restaurant
• A Jungle Book themed floor with Jungle Book dark ride, a Kaa caterpillar ride, temple ruins playscape, and Bare Necessities restaurant
• A Lion King themed floor with the Legend of the Lion King show, an elephant graveyard playground (slides down the bones like Simba and Nala)
• A Pirates of the Caribbean themed floor with the Captain Jack Stunt Spectacular from Shanghai, a pirate ship for exploration and Torgtuga Tavern

Yesterday/Frontier:

• A Country Bears themed floor with the Country Bear Jamboree with seasonal overlays, Hungry Bear restaurant, Dancing Pavilion ride
• A Western themed floor with Golden Horseshoe dining and show option, a larger shooting gallery, and mini-mine train with Rainbow Caverns ride.
• A Woody's Roundup land with Woody's Roundup show, Bullseye Whip ride from Shanghai, Jessie Critter Carousel
• A Liberty Square themed floor with the Hall of Presidents, Liberty Bell replica, Sleepy Hollow dark ride and Harbour House restaurant.

Fantasy:

• An Alice in Wonderland themed floor with Alice in Wonderland dark ride, Mad Tea Party teacup ride, Queen of Hearts Banquet Hall restaurant, and Cards maze
• A Toon Town themed floor with Roger Rabbit Dark ride, Jolly Trolley, Gadgets Go Coaster and dining
• A Dumbo themed floor with Dumbo spinner, Casey Jr Ride, and Dumbo Circus show
• A Winnie the Pooh floor with Many Adventures of Winnie the Pooh ride, Hunny Pot teacup style ride, Thoughtful Spot play area, and restaurant
• A princess themed floor with Fairytale Princess Hall, Snow White's Scary Adventures ride, Bibbidi Bobbidi Boutique, Carousel, and Royal Banquet Hall
• A Nightmare Before Christmas themed floor with dark ride, Oogie Boogie show, and dining hall
• The previously discussed Mermaid Lagoon

Tomorrow:

• A Buzz Lightyear Space Ranger themed floor with Buzz Lightyear Space Ranger Spin, the Alien Swirling Saucer whip ride, a Pizza Planet restaurant, and Space Ranger Training
• A Star Wars themed floor with Jedi Training, Star Tours (one or two simulators), and cantina, with some Galaxies Edge style shops
• A Marvel themed floor with the Iron Man experience from Hong Kong, Ant-Man and the Wasp Nano battle, SHIELD training, and Stark Exposition
• A Tron themed floor with End of the Line bar/restaurant, Tron racers, and VOID VR experience.

These are just a few of the types of themes that could be explored through the different Worlds of Disney.  The goal would be to appropriately mix the floors such that one floor would have a show as its central experience, one floor would have a signature dark ride and smaller attraction, one floor would have multiple flat ride attractions, etc.  There would also be the possibility that each Worlds of Disney location could have one signature E Ticket attraction with an entrance in the main building with the E Ticket show building behind.  Something like a Pirates of the Caribbean or Space Mountain. (Though this would be rare as it would be more likely to cannibalize from the anchor Disney resorts).

It provides a lot of different options, all with nostalgia built in and frees Disney up to put these in less obvious locations.

For example, one vision I have is for Disney to have a bigger presence in New York City.  The company was vital in the re-development of Times Square and I can envision creating a series of experiences that could create a grand Disney vacation package to the city.  Disney's Grand Metropolitan hotel.  Disney on Broadway tours with behind the scenes access to Aladdin at the New Amsterdam, which Disney owns.  ABC Studios tour.  Worlds of Disney New York City, with a new York themed entry floor.  It could be an incredible package.

These Worlds of Disney could go into locations like Chicago, Seattle, Phoenix, Columbus, Nashville, etc.

The combination of these two types of offerings could help draw regional crowds and appease guests Disney interests in between trips to the parks in Orlando, Anaheim, and hopefully Texas.

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As always, thanks for reading.  Up next in the series, the expansion of the Disney Vacation Club. A bit of a preview in some of the locations discussed in this post.

9-11

September 11, 2001.

A day that will be forever etched in our memories.

I'll remember how that day unfolded forever. I had turned on the television before heading out to classes, so that I could check the weather and more importantly check the traffic.  The screen tuned to a shot of the first tower with smoke billowing out of it.  Unsure of what I was watching, my attention kept turning back to the television as I continued to get ready.

And then it happened.  I saw the plane hit the second tower live as it happened.  Dumbfounded, I just stared at the screen.  Unfortunately, I still needed to head to class, so I got in my car and headed toward the university, radio station tuned to pick up any news I could.  Most classes were canceled, one in the afternoon went ahead.  In between everything, I kept heading back to the dining common space in the McCombs business building to stay tuned to the televisions.  Following the events through the attack on the Pentagon and the grounding of flight 93 in Stonycreek, Pennsylvania.

What I remember most of that day and those immediately following was the eerie quiet.  Austin is a noisy city, but with the planes grounded and the tension that followed, the city was eerily silent.  Everyone absorbed in the fear and paranoia of the day.  Turning inward and remaining inside.  To stay safe.  The busy activities of the city had ground to a halt.

And though we saw the worst of humanity in the actions of the terrorists that day, their anger and hate, their fear of anything different from their lives, we also saw the best of humanity in the days and weeks following.  The shared humanity that we all have.  The shared American spirit that lives in all of us who call this country home.

We saw first responders sacrificing their time and their lives to go back into the chaos, into the rubble, to save whoever that they could.

We discovered that there are still a lot of helpers in the world.
"My mother would say to me, 'Look for the helpers.  You will always find people who are helping.'  To this day, especially in times of disaster, I remember my mother's words, and I am always comforted by realizing that there are still so many helpers - so many caring people in this world." Mr. Rogers

We saw people protecting those of a different religion, recognizing that though the attackers may have been Islamic, that their actions and their hate were not shared by the millions of American Muslims who shared our fear and loss, and the millions of Muslims around the world who saw their religion hi-jacked by extremists.

We saw neighbor helping neighbor to rebuild, to grieve, and go forward.

We all became a little bit of a New Yorker in those days, sending aid, thoughts, and prayers for the city to get back on its feed.

And we saw Americans realizing that our divisions do not matter.  That we carry one unifying label, "American" and that we love our country and will stand united against its enemies.

I think this last one is very important for us to remember in this day and age.  We are now seventeen years removed from the events of that day, a day which we have vowed never to forget.  And while we do not forget the event, I pray that we remember the lessons we learned that day as well.

I pray we remember that though we may all have different backgrounds, different religions, different races, different political leanings, different experiences, for those in this country, we are all Americans.  We love and have an affinity for this country, more than any other in this world and we are all looking for a way to make our lives better and for the lives of those around us to be better.  We may have different ideas about what this country could and should be, we may have different ideas about how to get there, but "different" is just that, not necessarily better or worse.  We should be able to talk about all the different ideas and cultures and experiences that make up this great country and should be able to grow and change together as united citizens of these United States of America.

We should be able to recognize that that person on the opposite end of the political spectrum generally wants what is best for the country, even if it may not seem like it to you.  We have far more common ground than you could imagine, if we could only work together.

I pray we remember this spirit from the post-9-11 world.  And it starts with each of us.  To reach out to those around us and pitch in together.  To not denigrate the other side, or to blame all of our problems on the "Democrats" or "Liberals" or to point fingers at the "Republicans" or "Conservatives," or whatever other label may be applicable. To allow for an open discussion and debate of all sincere ideas on how to improve the country and to improve the lives of its citizens.

For the most important thing we learned is that there is a spirit in America that cannot be quenched.  That cannot be extinguished by any outside force.  We are the only ones who can quell it.  Abraham Lincoln spoke about this in his Lyceum Address.  "How then shall we perform it?  At what point shall we expect the approach of danger?  By what means shall we fortify against it?  Shall we expect some transatlantic military giant, to step the Ocean, and crush us at a blow?  Never! -- All the armies of Europe, Asia and Africa combined, with all the treasure of the earth (our own excepted) in their military chest; with a Buonaparte for a commander, could not by force, take a drink from the Ohio, or make a track on the Blue Ridge, in a trial of a thousand years.  At what point then is the approach of danger to be expected?  I answer, if it ever reach us, it must spring up amongst us.  It cannot come from abroad.  If destruction be our lot, we must ourselves be its author and finisher.  As a nation of freemen, we must live through all time, or die by suicide."

In our response to 9-11, we saw a nation unified, undeterred by the attacks, stronger than ever.  As a favorite columnist at the time and comic book writer would put it, "The people who committed this atrocity thought that they were striking at the heart of America.  They missed."

But I fear in the years since that day, we've allowed our divisions to start chipping away at this spirit.  We've listened to those voices that speak only for their own gain to divide us into groups of "us" and "them."  And have you noticed, the group that is the "them" continues to get bigger and bigger and more and more voices tell us who we should be against.  We listen to voices that keep telling us that our list of allies grows shorter and shorter, while the list of enemies continues to grow longer and longer.  We're forgetting those lessons of unity.

I pray we can turn this around.  That we remember and honor the fallen, we celebrate the first responders and their courage and sacrifice, and that we treat each other with the same grace and charity we did in that new world.

May we never forget.

Why I Love My Church 5 - Journey Groups

Yesterday we started our Journey Group for the fall season, following a kickoff with Group Link before Labor Day.  Journey Groups are our small groups, focused on home Bible studies, fellowship, and community.  We do not have traditional Sunday School for ages beyond fifth grade, so Journey Groups are our primary resource for deeper biblical teaching and for deeper connections among the members.

It's an embodiment of the early church in Acts, chapter 2.
"They devoted themselves to the apostles' teaching and to fellowship, to the breaking of bread and to prayer.  Everyone was filled with the awe at the many wonders and signs performed by the apostles.  All the believers were together and had everything in common.  They sold property and possessions to give to anyone who had need.  Every day they continued to meet together in the temple courts.  They broke bread in their homes and ate together with glad and sincere hearts, praising God and enjoying the favor of all the people.  And the Lord added to their number daily those who were being saved."

Acts 2:42-47

A place where we seek to abide daily, devote relationally, live authentically, and admonish biblically.

Small group bible studies hold a special place for Jamie and me.  We met at our community group in Austin.  We both had sought community in connection with the Austin Stone and had ended up in the same central Austin community group.  Since then, we have sought home Bible study in each church that we have attended since.

There's something special about studying in someone's home.  About gathering together, breaking bread and eating together, sharing in each other's lives.  Crying together.  Laughing together. Praying together.  Living together.

About taking our faith outside of the church and remembering that it carries with us each and every day, and in every location that we inhabit.

We look forward to the new year.  To getting to know the new members of our group.  To continuing to grow together with the continuing members.

If you're not in a small group, if you are not connecting with a small group of people to grow in your faith and in your life, why not?  What opportunities exist for you in your community?

If you are in the Wills Point area and would like to find a church to connect and grow with, and would like to learn more about Stonepoint, you can find out more here.

Top 10 Underappreciated Favorite Films of the 1990s

After a report was released in August showing the favorite 1990s movie of every state and revealing that The Lion King was the favorite 1990s movie of Texas, it got me thinking about the movies of the 1990s.  See, though I may have been born in the 1980s and be able to remember it well, the 1990s were my formative years.  These are the years that I began to set my own tastes in music, in film, in style, and in art.  The 1980s movies I watched on VHS or television.  For many of the 1990s movies, I remember being in the theater.  These are the films I chose to see.  The ones I waited for.  The ones where I then bought the DVD (or VHS still, even in college).

And with that fresh on my mind, I set out to write a list of my top 10 favorite movies from the 1990s.  And I can't do it.  It's too hard. The field is too varied and too vast.  How do you choose between Pulp Fiction, Se7en, Jurassic Park, Saving Private Ryan, Fried Green Tomatoes, Scream, Austin Powers: International Man of Mystery, etc.  There are way too many good recommendations that it is too hard to narrow down the field.

So, instead, I've chosen a different list.  A narrower category to select from.  My list of top 10 underappreciated films from the 1990s.  Films I love that no one else might even like.  Movies that I can sit down and watch anytime they are on.  Movies I love for a particular moment, a particular scene, a particular sentiment.  Some of these might not even be called "good movies," but they are movies I thoroughly enjoy.

So, without further ado, my list of Top 10 Underappreciated Favorite Films of the 1990s, in release then alphabetical order.

• The Rocketeer (1991) - this movie ticks so many boxes for me: classic Hollywood setting, superheroes, action/comedy, and an iconic look.  That Art Deco poster was such a perfect encapsulation.  I love the source material from Dave Stevens comics to the new ones that have been released over the past few years, and I adore the film.  I may have tracked down a Zavvi exclusive UK steelcase for the Blu-ray on this one.
• Mallrats (1995) -  first exposure to Kevin Smith, first exposure to Jason Lee, and one of the greatest Stan Lee cameos of all time.  When people talk about Kevin Smith films, the discussion is usually on Clerks and Chasing Amy, and while those have been over analyzed, I love this quirky little oddball of a film.  Though it has Kevin Smith's typical humor and nowhere near family friendly, its slightly milder than his later excesses.  Jason Lee's Brodie makes the film.
• The Birdcage (1996) - In making this list and looking at my favorite films of the 1990s, I realized just how much of a part Robin Williams played through these years in particular.  And this remake of La Cage Aux Folles is one of my favorites.  A great concept that still plays well today and a superb cast.  Robin Williams, Nathan Lane, Hank Azaria, Gene Hackman, Dianne Wiest, and Christine Baranski.  All at the top of their game.  The penultimate dinner scene is incredible.
• Mars Attacks! (1996) - one of my favorite Tim Burton films.  It's just so silly.  And that makes it amazing.  A truly all star cast including an unrecognizable early Jack Black.  And the inspiration references fly by throughout the film. 
• My Fellow Americans (1996) - I know Grumpy Old Men is the better film, but I love this odd little comedy.  Perhaps it's the pairing of Jack Lemmon and James Garner. It's definitely a comfort film; something to slip on when I'm not feeling well.  A ridiculous plot saved by a stellar cast. 
• Can't Hardly Wait (1998) - in the dorms at UT there was one station that cycled through about 4 or 5 movies on repeat.  This was one of them, so I saw this film a lot and grew to love it.  It has a who's who of teen actors from the 1990s and an epic party night for the plot.  A great soundtrack and a lot of fun.  
• Playing by Heart (1998) - This is probably the most random film on the list and feel needs a little more explanation.  I have a soft spot for films with large casts that tell seemingly unrelated stories that all converge at the end.  And this one has one great cast of couples.  Sean Connery and Gena Rollins, Jay Mohr and Ellen Burstyn, Gillian Anderson and John Stewart (pre-Daily Show), Ryan Philippe and Angelina Jolie, Dennis Quaid and Patricia Clarkson.  I'm not a fan of all of the plotlines (like the priest committing adultery), but there are great character moments in this movie.  I also liked the film when the title was originally Dancing About Architecture in reference to a paraphrase quote in the film: "Talking about love is like dancing about architecture."  
• Dick (1999) - If you ever wondered what was on the missing Watergate tapes, this movie has your answer.  An 18 1/2 minute long love message from a teenager lovesick over Richard Nixon.  I never knew I needed a farce surrounding the Watergate investigation, but I'm glad I've seen it.  And Dan Hedaya is a criminally underrated actor and gives a hilarious portrayal of Nixon in the film.
• Drop Dead Gorgeous (1999) - a dark black comedy mockumentary about a Minnesota beauty pageant.  A biting satire with an excellent cast.  Kirsten Dunst, Ellen Barkin, Allison Janney, Denise Richards, Amy Adams, Brittany Murphy, Kirstie Alley.  A beauty pageant crown so fought for, they kill each other for it.  I saw this with Brooke and Taylor in Austin at an art-house cinema and would have expected the crowd to be a little more connected.  Surprisingly, we seemed to be the only three laughing when the combine exploded.  I don't know what that says about us. 
• The Iron Giant (1999) - the one film on this list I know is a truly great film, just not well seen, particularly in its early release.  A hand drawn masterpiece in animation by Brad Bird.  Touching on cold war paranoia, the film celebrates the bonds of outsiders and childlike wonder.  If you don't cry at "I'm Superman," I don't know what to say.

That's my list.  Oddball picks and all.  What are some of your favorite "underappreciated" gems?

If I Were Disney CEO Part 20 - New Parks

"Disneyland will never be completed.  It will continue to grow as long as there is imagination left in the world.  It is something that will never be finished.  Something that I can keep developing and adding to."

Walt Disney

--------------------

While the quote by Walt spoke specifically about Disneyland, it applies to the broader Disney presence across the globe.  And there have been several parks and concepts that have never gotten off the ground.  There was Disney's ski lodge at Mineral King.  Walt Disney's Riverfront Square in St. Louis.  DisneySea at Port Disney in Long Beach, California.  Disney's America in Haymarket, Virginia.  The potential for Disneyland Australia.  Even Disneyland Dubai.  Some even with amazing concept art like the Disneyland Dubai art below.

(c) Disney

(c) Disney

There are several locations that have been proposed and many others that could potentially be beneficial to the company.  I'm going to focus on one potential location for this blog, as I feel it would be one of the next logical steps.  The international locations are too difficult to determine. They are a mixture of international politics and market.  The American locations are easier to pinpoint.  And one in America jumps out as particularly well suited.

The Disneyland Texas Resort.

Now there have been rumors of a Disney park in Texas for a long time. A brief rundown of more recent rumors and the arguments surrounding them can be found here.   And looking over it, Texas makes a lot of sense for a potential location.  Climate similar to Florida that could maintain a year round park.  Availability of land.  Lower government regulation and pro-business stance.  Heavily populated state and growing population.  If Disney built between Austin and San Antonio, which to me is the most likely location, the resort would be served by two major cities and international airports.  From there, further easy access to two heavily traveled interstate highways (I-35 and I-10).  Build out where the resort would be more closely accessed by the 130 toll and you nearly have a copy of Orlando.

I think the biggest reason to build closer to this location in particular is not necessarily Texas, but Mexico.  Go to the outlets in San Marcos and count the Mexican license plates.  A location no farther north than just above San Antonio would be a great draw to Mexico as well, putting cities like Monterrey within a six hour drive of the resort.

With a location established, the question becomes what kind of resort to plan for and build.  Two park and hotels like Disneyland?  Four park and hotels like Walt Disney World?

First, I do not think we will ever see another four park resort from Disney.  Walt Disney World will remain unique in that regard, as becoming the size of a city brings its own challenges that I do not see Disney longing to repeat.  To me, I believe the two park model is the most sustainable resort model for the company.  It makes the resort a destination for at least a long weekend or longer vacation, but does not bring the regulatory, transportation, or related hassles of something the size of Walt Disney World.

That said, I do want to take a tangent and explore one other option before outlining the Disneyland Texas Resort I would build.

I could envision a resort with a single park.  An ultimate Disney park, if you will.  It would be large enough to require at least a two or three day visit to see it all.  If you took a traditional castle park and built it with just a version of Main Street, Adventureland, Fantasyland, and Tomorrowland for a start.  Then Frontierland would be a complete circle around the Rivers of America, build out from the junction of Adventureland and Fantasyland, requiring you to pass under the train station to access that section of the park.  World Showcase would then be built in a similar fashion at the junction of Fantasyland and Tomorrowland, again requiring you to pass under the train station to access.  You then have a great hidden Mickey, and a giant park containing all of the best experiences that Disney has created in one central park.

Rough diagram of the ultimate Disney park

Should Disney ever want to invest in one single park in any location, this would be a good model to use.  The company could start building just the main Adventureland, Fantasyland, and Tomorrowland component, with the Frontierland and World Showcase extensions following at five year intervals as part of the master plan.

With that little tangent indulged, I'll focus on specifically what I would envision the two park resort in Disneyland Texas to look like.  The challenge with adding a third American resort is how to add without solely cannibalizing from the Anaheim and Orlando locations.  The trick, as I see it, is to build something new but familiar.  Maintaining unique experiences in Anaheim and Orlando that would draw people to those parks, but adding something clearly recognizable as Disney to draw people to the new resort.  I can see this accomplished to a great extent by bringing over attractions that previously have only existed in the international parks.

Park One - Texas DisneySea

First, for the castle park, I would not build Disneyland Texas at all.  Rather I would build Texas DisneySea.  This would not be a copy of Tokyo DisneySea, but would rather be an interpretation of the traditional Disneyland style park through the lens of the sea.  An exploration of the themes of Adventure, the Frontier, Fantasy, and Discovery through their connection to the sea.

The park would open with the Port of Entry, passing under a replica of  Ellis Island leading into a Fisherman's Wharf-esque version of Main Street, owing much to the American Waterfront section of Tokyo DisneySea.  An east coast port town.  To the left, behind the buildings on the main path, guests would be able to see the S.S.Columbia, a representation of a 1930s passenger cruise ship, containing a grand dining hall and lounge, a deck to explore, Turtle Talk with Crush, and a dockside stage, as in Tokyo DisneySea.  This cruise ship serves as a kind of arcade on the left side of our main path and acts as a connecting tissue to the next land, the Port of Adventure.

Ellis Island

By Ingfbruno; cropped by Beyond My Ken (talk) 04:23, 19 October 2013 (UTC) - Own work, CC BY-SA 3.0, Link

The SS Columbia (this is the theme park version so you know)

By Aquitania at the English Wikipedia, CC BY-SA 3.0, Link

The Port of Adventure would be a 1930s pulp Adventureland, focusing on the grand age of travel and a South American flair. With the sea as the focus, the Port of Adventure must have a Jungle Cruise, though this version could be like the one in Hong Kong, where the Jungle Cruise circles Adventure Isle, with the SS Columbia at one end of the river.  Instead of a treehouse on the island, I would bring over the ropes courses from Shanghai Disneyland.  Rafts to Adventure Isle would take you back and forth from the ropes courses and exploration trails.  The Skippers Canteen would be welcomed as would a version of the Roaring Rapids from Shanghai.  The land would culminate in a Pirates subsection, perhaps with a Pirates of the Pacific ride combining the classic attraction with the Shanghai Technology.

Hong Kong Disneyland Jungle Cruise

The next land would be the Port of the Frontier. Since Texas in many ways starts the Frontier and the state contains a lot of what is typically represented in Frontierland, that will be the starting point instead of the culmination of the land.  Typically, Frontierlands start with a location east of the "Wild West" like Georgia and New Orleans in Disneyland or New England in Walt Disney World and then move to the rocky desert of West Texas, Arizona, New Mexico, and Nevada.  Here, I would start with the rocky desert and move to what Texas would consider the frontier.  The land would still circle the Rivers of America, here with a sidewheeler like the Molly Brown at Disneyland Paris.  The progression here would be from Western River Expedition, the white whale of Disney theme park attractions, representing Texas and the rocky west, to San Francisco Square with the Pirates of the Pacific, the Hotel Hightower Tower of Terror and Mystic Manor.  An Adventurer's Club restaurant and Ghirardelli Square recreation could make this a very popular corner.  From there, the land shifts to the Pacific Northwest with a logging company flume ride and Redwood Challenge trail.  In the center of the river instead of Tom Sawyer Island, I would build the Big Grizzly Mountain Runaway Mine Cars from Hong Kong, location similar to Big Thunder in Disneyland Paris, but with a visual that helps move the location farther west.

Molly Brown

The Port of Fantasy would focus on those locations from Disney fairy tales that have a connection to the sea.  Neverland with Skull Rock and the Jolly Rogers from Peter Pan.  Moving from Mermaid Lagoon in Neverland to Atlantis from the Little Mermaid.  The fjords of Arendelle in Frozen.  Even adding the Sinbad ride from Tokyo DisneySea.  Anchored by the castle of Corona from Tangled, emulating Mont St. Michel with a large moat that nearly completely surrounds it, allowing for fountains in front of the castle, this could be a very beautiful land.

Tangled Castle

The park would be rounded out by the Port of Discovery.  Yes, the Port of Discovery not the Port of Tomorrow.  This would be one of the quickest ways to distinguish the park from the other stateside parks, by focusing on the Steampunk future of Jules Verne and HG Wells.  This would also allow 20,000 Leagues from Tokyo and the Nautilus from Paris to be front and center, along with Aquatopia, Mysterious Island and Journey to the Center of the Earth and other similar inspired attractions.

Nautlius in Paris

By Wing1990hk - Own work, CC BY 3.0, Link

This focus on the sea and the interpretation of the Disney park in this way could bring a very unique vision of a castle park to the states.  And it would make a good compliment to the way the sister park would be executed.

Park Two - Disney's Texas Adventure Park

This park would celebrate Texas and all the cultures that make up the great state, something Texans love to do.  To be sure, a big component of the park would be a celebration of the food and the music that makes Texas great.  For one, licensing deals would have to be relaxed and obtained such that Dr. Pepper could be served at the resort and this park in particular, as well as Blue Bell ice cream and for there to be a Whataburger in park.

Guests would first pass through limestone and iron turnstyles, reminiscent of Central Texas architecture in the Lundberg Bakery and Millett Opera House.

Lundberg Bakery

By Larry D. Moore, CC BY-SA 3.0, Link

Millett Opera House

By Dtobias - Own work, CC BY-SA 3.0, Link

Guests would then notice the Train Depot, modeled after the historic San Antonio I&GN/MoPac Depot.   Similar to Disneyland, guests would pass under the train station into the first land.

At the station, the trains would be modeled after the classic Texas Special style, a great diesel train look, distinguishing it from the traditional Disney trains.


By Frisco Railroad - eBay item card front card back, Public Domain, Link

From there, guests step into the first land.  Pecan Street serves as the Main Street for the park.  Modeled after small-town East Texas in the mid-1950s, the land would have many familiar touchstones.

On the right hand side, guests would pass a gas station/ice house (preferably Gulf Oil), a hotel (potential flex space or actual hotel), the bank (atms, fastpass planning), a grocery store serving as the bakery and then sundry shop, the Majestic Theater for movies, serials, and shorts, an electronics/record store (phone supplies, Disney records, etc.), and a pharmacy with a soda fountain (our ice cream shop).  The town water tower would be visible over the buildings (though actually accessible in the adjacent land).  The theater and the electronics store could get wonderfully meta, playing movies that Disney made through the mid-1950s and showing the Disneyland television show on tvs in the store window.  At the end of this side of the street facing the center of the hub would be a classic diner, serving as the table service restaurant for the land and serving breakfast, lunch, and dinner.

On the left hand side, guests would pass the county courthouse (guest relations), the barber shop, a 5 & 10 (for souvenirs), a deli like Fossati's (for counter service), and a clothing store (more souvenirs).  At the end of this side of the street facing the hub would be a classic A-frame style Whataburger.

I would also love to work a Western Auto store front and classic circle-9 logo sign somewhere in the street, for sentimental reasons.

Great space for interior seating and shade for outdoor seating

Everyday would be Friday and always Homecoming.  At 3:00 pm the Homecoming Parade would come down the street, getting everyone ready to root for the home team.

The "castle" of the park, the icon, would be the Texas Hall of State building from the State Fair.  An excellent art deco design, the icon would provide a great backdrop for fireworks and a great canvas for projection mapping, as well as acting as a connective tissue to the land behind.  The size of the building could allow it to house a theater attraction for the history of Texas, like the American Adventure in EPCOT, as well as housing a signature restaurant, gallery, and shops in the wings.

Working around the park in a clockwise fashion, the next land would be San de Isina, a celebration of Texas' Spanish and Mexican heritage and culture.  In many ways, the land would be similar to a traditional Frontierland, in that it would have a river circling an island in the center, with the rest of the land circling the river.  Here the river would be narrower and there would be several bridges crossing over to the island.

The land essentially would represent the San Antonio Riverwalk at river level.  The island at the center of the river would contain an open air mercado, for shopping and exploration.  The area north of the river (park interior side) would have a table service Mexican food restaurant and other shops.  The south side of the river (park exterior side) would host the attractions.  One attraction would be a Coco ride in a theater facade.  There would be a tiered stage like the Arneson River Theater for mariachi performances and the like.  A quick service taqueria would also be on this side.

Arneson Theater

The signature attraction would be a Battle for Texas animatronic attraction housed in the Alamo.  This would be the parks Pirates of the Caribbean.  Heavy on animatronics and sets, putting guests in the center of the Battle for the Alamo.

The land would also house a boat ride around the river, like those in San Antonio.

A celebration of Mexican and Tex-Mex food.  A celebration of Latin and Tejano music.

Continuing around the park, the next land would be Campeche Bay, a Galveston-inspired, French Texas land.  A celebration of the Gulf Coast.  It would be one component of a celebration of French Texas and an opportunity for wonderful Victorian architecture.

The land would house a Great 1900 Hurricane simulator ride, perhaps using the Stormrider technology.  A French Victorian Haunted Mansion.  Pirate's experiences - after all Galveston was Lafitte's island.  And a docked Yellowstone Steamboat.

The land would also house a signature table-service Gulf seafood restaurant like Gaido's. Classic seafood, not Cajun.  That's next, for the land would border a river that separates it from the other side.  Separating it from the more deep wood Gulf Coast.

The first railroad stop would also be here, with a train depot inspired by the classic Union Depot in Galveston.

The next land up would be the Blue Bayou, a celebration of the deep Gulf Coast.  Of Cajun Texas and of the Golden Triangle.  This would be much more heavily wooded.  This is the land of gumbo, of boudin, of jambalaya and red beans and rice.  The land of zydeco.

The land would house a Princess and the Frog dark ride, as well as a Bayou Gusher space shot ride (like Geyser Mountain) inspired by Spindletop.  There would also be a Gumbo Shack for the best in Cajun and Creole cuisine.

The next land and the one directly behind the Hall of State, would be the State Fair.  This would be a version of the State Fair in Dallas, that would allow for the incorporation of more Disney characters.  This would be most noticeable by a Woody from Toy Story version of Big Tex, complete with voiced announcements. If desired, the land could even be completely Toy Story.  It could be the Toy Story Fair.

He's almost wearing Woody's colors

This land also gives a lot of flexibility in ride additions.  There would be a Texas Twister roller-coaster (a fake wooden steel roller coaster like California Screamin). Here the Mickey Ear loop could be placed back in.  There would be a Lone Star Ferris wheel, a carousel, a swings ride, a Dumbo-esque spinner, and a teacup ride.  There could be a Pecos Bill dark ride.  Midway games and even Toy Story Midway Mania.  Corn dog stands, funnel cakes, and cotton candy.  Disney could even partner with the vendors from the State Fair to bring the winning creation from the food contests to the park.

If needed, this land could be a small sliver of midway leading directly out of the Hall of State to the north, with the attractions all outside the berm, beyond the railroad tracks.  This would be the location for the second train station, with a train depot inspired by the art deco T&P Station in Fort Worth or the Fair Park Station addition.

T&P Station

By Renelibrary - Own work, CC BY-SA 3.0, Link

Fair Park Station

The next land would be Space Center.  A recognition of modern Texas and the connection of Houston to NASA.  The land would contain an Astrodome recreation (perhaps with a version of Space Mountain in it). Mission: Space (at least the Soarin' over the Earth green version) in a Space Center like building, which would also house a planetarium. A space shuttle recreation for exploration.  And an observation tower like Reunion Tower in Dallas.


By Kevin D. Hartnell - Own work, CC BY-SA 3.0, Link

The next land up would be Thunder Mesa.  Our West Texas section, the cowboy section.  This is another reason why the traditional Frontierland would be left out of the Texas DisneySea park.  The attractions and experiences work better here.  This land would house Big Thunder Mountain Railroad, as well as a mini-mine train through Nature's Wonderland.  A shooting gallery.  Big Thunder Ranch, with petting zoo.  A chuck wagon stand serving Texas chili (no beans only).  And a BBQ restaurant.  BBQ, Chili, and country music.

The last additional railroad station would be here.  Modeled after the depot in Sierra Blanca, this is the stereotypical Texas train depot.

The final land would be New Walterburg, a celebration of the Czech and German heritage in Texas.  It's almost an offshoot of Pecan street, another slice of small town life, here in Central Texas.

The land would house a classic water tower with the New Walterburg name facing this portion of the park.  The tower would occasionally "leak," spraying guests with a nice mist, cooling them down in the hot summer months.

There would be a dance hall like Gruene Hall serving as the Golden Horseshoe for the park.  Counter service dining and live entertainment.


By Michael Barera, CC BY-SA 4.0, Link

There would also be a Scholz Garden inspired table service restaurant for a German inspired breakfast, lunch, and dinner.  Chicken fried steak and schnitzel.


By Larry D. Moore, CC BY-SA 3.0, Link

Plus, there would have to be a bakery for quick access to kolaches and klobasnek at all times of day.

The signature attraction would be a tubing river rapids ride, with Marc Davis-style animal sight gags along the way, perhaps with longhorn cattle.

All in all, this is really the one park that I would most want to see realized.  A celebration of everything great in Texas.

The resort would then be flanked by a dining, shopping, and entertainment district called Disney's Sixth, modeled after Sixth Street in Austin.  Presuming the shopping district does not get built in Hong Kong first, it would be Disney's sixth such district (if you count Ikspari in Tokyo).  There would also be two hotels, the DisneySea Hotel, themed to a grand East Coast hotel like the Knickerbocker in Manhattan (to tie in with the Port of Entry section) and the Grand Texan Hotel, themed to a grand cattle baron/oil baron ranch like the King Ranch.

(c) King Ranch

It would be a great and grand resort and I would love to see it come to life.

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As always, thank you for indulging me in this particularly long thought exercise.  Next in the series, regional entertainment offerings.  Potential opportunities for smaller Disney themed experiences.