Epiphany!

[DuffyDad]

This is a totally self-involved message, except that it's also a message of gratitude to everyone here. I realized, just today, how much I really love Disney - the films, the parks, the way people are so into it - everything! I have been struggling with my old ideas of myself and being afraid of being a "Disney geek" or worse - a "Duffy geek! Oh no!" But I am. しょうがない。 It's the truth. I love the history, the culture, and the products! I love that I'm excited about the future of Disney and hopeful about its new leadership. I love the artistry, even if it's not always realized and free. Rarely is anything perfect, except that everything always is.

I still think the historic inaccuracy of Pocahontas is inexcusable and the film isn't "magical" enough to make up for it, but it looks so good. I still think Walt Disney may have been homophobic and racist, but that doesn't mean he's not one of the great artists and visionaries of all time. Also, he's not the only artist who made/makes Disney what it is today. I still feel abashed about spending money on character goods and snacks while others in the world have so little, but my heart feels lighter when I let go (and I pray someday I'll get back to my path of service, outside of the classroom). I am so grateful to this community for being a place where, most of the time, I don't feel judged for loving toys and cartoons, and for having a soft geeky Disney heart.*

*And not knowing nearly as much as everyone else here!

THANK YOU ALL. Really.

To make this a bonafide topic, can others post about what you appreciate about the TDR MiceChat community?

[JoeInJpn]

Well, it took you 30-some years. But welcome to the club!

I had a similar epiphany going to Tokyo Disneyland for the first time in 1995. Even though I grew up 20min from the original Disneyland, I would visit with my family a few times a year. During my teen and college years, I preferred the "thrill parks" like Magic Mountain. However, "Grad Nights" at DL were fun.

When I visited Tokyo Disneyland that first day with my future wife and my best friend, it was a truely magical time and eye-opening experience. The atmosphere of the park, the fun of the shows/events, the excitement of the attractions and the care of the CM's made me want to come back again. Perhaps I was homesick for LA. But I bought my first Annual Passport anyway.

When I returned to Japan for good in 1998, the 15th Anniversary events had just started, and the rest is history. Well, my history anyway. My first digital camera was bought in 2000 and my site officially opened 9 years ago yesterday. The same day Pooh's Hunny Hunt opened.

Now, I figure I have visited TDL and TDS more than 700 times total. And while rules have changed, crowds have grown and I've gotten older, I still feel that same rush of magic that I felt on the first day in 1995. Here's hoping to many more visits, and perhaps some with you DuffyDad. I feel your favorite character is a great addition to the Resort. Even if I'm not of big fan of Duffy, I'm glad he (along with the MiceChat community) helped make a big Disney fan out of you.

Don't you feel lucky being near (well, within a couple hours of) TDR? I love it! Hehehe. See you soon.

JoeInJpn

[DuffyDad]

Originally Posted by JoeInJpn

Well, it took you 30-some years. But welcome to the club!

I know, right! Thanks, Joe. I'm so excited to FINally meet you next week!

[gurgi]

I don't know if everyone has an epiphany, but I did as well. It happened while I was younger, but still, it happened. The cause was "The Little Mermaid". Before that, I knew about Disney through it's films, cartoons, and especially theme parks. My family made an annual trip to Disneyland, which I loved. Still, I didn't actually care about Disney much. I thought it was fun, but I didn't collect anything, or have a strong feeling about it. That all changed once I saw "The Little Mermaid". I don't know what it was, but it really was like a light switch. At that point everything just clicked, and I started collecting and appreciating the history of the company. There are things I don't like, and don't collect. I'm certainly no Disney apologist, but there are things I really love, especially the theme parks. So, I guess this year marks the 20th anniversary of my Disney passion...yikes!!

Welcome to the crazy club, Duffydad!

[TDLFAN]

It's easy to feel so... excited about being a Disney fan when all you know is TDR.

[jedimaster7313]

I think I have a lot in common with Gurgi- since The Little Mermaid is the same time period in which I really got hooked- I've always loved the parks the few times I've visited back in the 80's, and yes TDLFAN, it was WDW theme parks back then that got me truly hooked on Disney- back in the early Eisner years, when he was building the company, rather than tear it down which he did later on.

I looked forward to all the new hotels, rides, movies, etc that Disney had to offer- It wasn't till the 40th Anniv, when I first visited Disneyland & realized just how more magical it was in California. A few years later I visited DLP & saw what a beauty it was too- but was a little put off by some of the European tourists- but still I loved it.

Finally in 2004, my friend dragged me to TDR- against my own wishes I might add, It had nothing to do with the parks- I really wanted to see them, but absolutely dreaded the 14 hour flight to get there. Like everyone else who has been there- I was even more than hooked than before & then realized just how much more it felt like Disney than any of the other parks around the world. I still dread the flight, but feel that special feeling when I enter the parks at TDR

[TDLFAN]

Originally Posted by jedimaster7313

yes TDLFAN, it was WDW theme parks back then that got me truly hooked on Disney- back in the early Eisner years, when he was building the company, rather than tear it down which he did later on.

I looked forward to all the new hotels...

Like yourself, my very first experience with Disney was visiting the MK at WDW back in 1972. I even worked as a CM at WDW, so heck! Maybe that is why I am so horribly disappointed by the whole WDW nowadays. It's just not the same place it used to be back then. Unlike DLR and TDR...where the more I visit, the more in love I am ... WDW has become stale and magic-less... to the point that even HKDL has become a better park for me, considering their small number of rides and the size of it. And yes.. ENOUGH with the Eisner hotel mentality. I hate hate hate it. I hate that the WDC has become a "resort hotel operator" more than a "theme park operator". I also regret that the WDC is pushing their new synergy and hotel agenda on OLC, therefore the japanese have begun the long dreadful drop in quality at TDR as well... I see it coming. I am not blind to it either. This new deal with Marvel is yet another stake into Mickey's heart. Why is WDC interested in the Marvel characters? Are the Disney characters not enough? Or even better? I do not like the direction this company has taken in the last 20 yrs.. Ever since Eisner brought on the Star Wars and Muppet franchises, and other lesser quality stuff... Disney has become as bland as ... well, Campbell soups. I am most disappointed.
I would like to feel as exhilarated as Duffydad does... but it's become more and more apparent that Disney, as we know it today, is just interested in the bottom line and not in exceeding expectations with quality and "magic". It's going to take more than a new Murphy in CA to bring this company back to it's original level of quality.

[Janell]

I think I was hooked on Disney before birth. lol (my mother is a huge disney fan) Living close to Disneyland, I say I grew up in the parks. We went often, once they had AP's. For me Disneyland was a place where I got time with my dad. His work was crazy, he worked long hard hours and always made time for me. But we always spend a few days over New Years at DL and to me, that was time with my dad. I still feel the magic walking under the bridge of the train. Its like you are taken out of the real world, left your worries behind and are invited in to have a wonderful day. I love that feeling.

The second park I went into other then DL was Paris Disneyland. I remember thinking wow, this is similar but different. Same thing with MK. Tokyo Disneyland was something totally different for me. It overwhelming because I had dreamed of going there for so long. Its so different then DL, yet has that magic we all love. It was hard to take it all in, in just 4 days. Im sure there is so much I missed, but that what other trips are made for. My heart is in Disneyland, due to my childhood memories, but I love TDR and its the park I will travel too.

TDLFAN, Im with you, why Marvel? I heard on the radio Disney has the little girl's all wrapped up in princesses, but there is nothing for boys? I was puzzled, what about Toy Story, Cars? I just can't see spider man and Mickey hanging out. But what do I know? They put a ferris wheel in DCA and Walt never wanted a ferris wheel. They tend to do what they want. Its sad, just don't loose the magic please.

Why didn't they bring back some of the not so popular(because they don't use them) characters? Tokyo has a lot of characters that the states don't even use. Im sure there is something in there for boys.

[DuffyDad]

Originally Posted by TDLFAN

It's easy to feel so... excited about being a Disney fan when all you know is TDR.

Just couldn't help yourself, could you?

[DuffyDad]

Originally Posted by Janell

...I heard on the radio Disney has the little girl's all raped up in princesses, but there is nothing for boys? I was puzzled, what about Toy Story, Cars? I just can't see spider man and Mickey hanging out...
Why didn't they bring back some of the not so popular(because they don't use them) characters? Tokyo has a lot of characters that the states don't even use. Im sure there is something in there for boys.

Disney's best animated adventure for boys, in my humble opinion, has always been The Black Cauldron. It's a great adaptation, feeling totally different from what I remember of the books and really becoming a bonafide Disney classic in its own right. It has Disney's best villain, and one of its most interesting heroines, who is, for my money, more legitimate as a Disney Princess than Mulan (or Alice!...what was Tezuka thinking???) any day. It's also just an incredible film. It was ahead of its time and people overreacted to its violence and John Hurt's bone-chilling performance as the Horned King. Audiences now would really appreciate it. 2010 marks its 25th anniversary; maybe they're working on a theatrical re-release as we speak!...Riiight.

Believe it or not, this is the heavily truncated version:

I guess that was where it started for me with the films. Mickey's Christmas Carol was the thing that made me feel it was the holidays every year as a kid. My favorite book as a kid (other than Bible Stories That Live and The Rotten Book) was a version of The Princess & the Pea starring Minnie Mouse. One of my many favorite toys was my mother's old Mickey Mouse Club Mickey, from when she was little - he has the wind-key in the back and plays the March. I still take that out sometimes. I actually brought it to Japan. I was in the chorus club in sixth grade, and I won the coveted starring role as Mickey Mouse. I didn't remember this at all until very recently and it's too bad my family has no photos or videos of this, cos the memories are so fuzzy. I was such a shy kid; it would be nice to remember how I did this! I do remember liking The Little Mermaid when it came out, but I can't even remember if I saw it in the theater or not. I loved Return to Oz well before that, but never even realized it was Disney until a few years ago. For me, the turning point was Beauty & the Beast. I had never seen Sleeping Beauty, so for me this was the first time I really understood how powerful dark mood can be even in a more feminine fairy-tale (ie: not a "boys" adventure story like The Black Cauldron). And the animation was a whole new world! Then came Aladdin and Disney wasn't just for girls! I had forgotten The Black Cauldron was Disney by now. And then...I got over it. For a long, long time. Then I came to Japan and saw how the Japanese do Disney. It is everyone, everywhere, every age, both genders - ALL the time! And it's not just that I'm seeing things. So, I decided to see what all the fuss was about, discovered Duffy, discovered DisneySea, discovered MiceChat, and the rest is history unfolding.

I love what you guys are doing with this thread; it's almost making me cry. I'm such a little sap! Keep it coming!

[Janell]

Originally Posted by DuffyDad

Disney's best animated adventure for boys, in my humble opinion, has always been The Black Cauldron. It's a great adaptation, feeling totally different from what I remember of the books and really becoming a bonafide Disney classic in its own right. It has Disney's best villain, and one of its most interesting heroines, who is, for my money, more legitimate as a Disney Princess than Mulan (or Alice!...what was Tezuka thinking???) any day. It's also just an incredible film. It was ahead of its time and people overreacted to its violence and John Hurt's bone-chilling performance as the Horned King. Audiences now would really appreciate it. 2010 marks its 25th anniversary; maybe they're working on a theatrical re-release as we speak!...Riiight.

Believe it or not, this is the heavily truncated version:

I guess that was where it started for me with the films. Mickey's Christmas Carol was the thing that made me feel it was the holidays every year as a kid. My favorite book as a kid (other than Bible Stories That Live and The Rotten Book) was a version of The Princess & the Pea starring Minnie Mouse. One of my many favorite toys was my mother's old Mickey Mouse Club Mickey, from when she was little - he has the wind-key in the back and plays the March. I still take that out sometimes. I actually brought it to Japan. I was in the chorus club in sixth grade, and I won the coveted starring role as Mickey Mouse. I didn't remember this at all until very recently and it's too bad my family has no photos or videos of this, cos the memories are so fuzzy. I was such a shy kid; it would be nice to remember how I did this! I do remember liking The Little Mermaid when it came out, but I can't even remember if I saw it in the theater or not. I loved Return to Oz well before that, but never even realized it was Disney until a few years ago. For me, the turning point was Beauty & the Beast. I had never seen Sleeping Beauty, so for me this was the first time I really understood how powerful dark mood can be even in a more feminine fairy-tale (ie: not a "boys" adventure story like The Black Cauldron). And the animation was a whole new world! Then came Aladdin and Disney wasn't just for girls! I had forgotten The Black Cauldron was Disney by now. And then...I got over it. For a long, long time. Then I came to Japan and saw how the Japanese do Disney. It is everyone, everywhere, every age, both genders - ALL the time! And it's not just that I'm seeing things. So, I decided to see what all the fuss was about, discovered Duffy, discovered DisneySea, discovered MiceChat, and the rest is history unfolding.

I love what you guys are doing with this thread; it's almost making me cry. I'm such a little sap! Keep it coming!

You know the movies a lot better then I do. Sad to say. My mom wasn't a big Disney movie fan, because someone usually got hurt or killed. My mom wouldn't even take me to see Bambi, my grandmother(my moms, mom) did. Although I wasn't stopped from seeing the Disney movies, I just never did. But I will rent a few of the ones I haven't seen that you have talked about. It would be interesting to see them.

My love of Disney really came from the parks and a walking Mickey doll I had. Like DuffyDad, I still have my Mickey doll and another other plush I have gathered over the years. I keep them for my kids someday. I want to share with them what I have loved though out my life.

DuffyDad, too cute that you got to play Mickey Mouse in the play. It would have been nice if your family had photos or video but at least you have the fuzzy memories. :-)

What makes the parks so magical for me, is one it looks great, sure there are some dated areas, but really that is going to happen. You are taken to a different land, a different time and it feels like you are there. And its something that anyone would like, at any age. Something you can do and share together. If the seats were more comfortable, I could stay there all day. lol I enjoy just sitting and taking it all in. Watching people reactions when they see something, see the excitement in a child's eyes, when they see a character. Heck see the excitement in an adult eyes. :-) And the stories, adults tell about when they were a child in the parks. How things have changed, things have come and gone and what they miss. I guess when it comes down to it after writing this, its all about time with your friends and family is what makes Disney my favorite place.

[gurgi]

You know, Disney sure does have a lot of characters for boys. They have marketed them in the past, but why not exploit them like the princesses? Did they really need Marvel to boost the boy's market? What about Peter Pan and Captain Hook. Tarzan, Hercules, Aladdin, Mulan (the hero Shang is a good role model), Toy Story, Cars, Monsters Inc. The Incredibles, then you have some flops like The Black Cauldron (my favorite!) Atlantis, and Treasure Planet.

Needless to say, Disney has PLENTY of good male characters to market to boys, and I only listed a fraction of them. For some reason though, Disney didn't feel they were worth creating a franchise for like the princesses. They felt the need to go outside and get a bunch of superheros. I love the Marvel characters too, but have a hard time seeing them as part of the new "Disney Family".

[jedimaster7313]

I wonder if the whole Marvel acquisition is to just get back at Universal- I realized, Universal doesn't have to give up the rights to the Characters- they now just have to pay them to Disney, unless a contract deadline is looming & Disney may use the opportunity to take a jab at Islands of Adventure and make them have to re-design that area of the park.

I've been saying too, that there are so many Disney characters for boys for years that have been so underutilized as well. While I was working at the Disney stores years ago & the whole Princess line was taking off- I always thought there should be something like a Disney Heroes line. They actually tried this a few times thru the years, where they beefed up Peter Pan, Aladdin & some other characters- but they never seemed to last very long.

I can see Marvel fitting in at the Studios, but don't know how they would fit in with the other parks- or most likely, they will just continue the current license and not involve them with the parks at all. I just hope Marvel characters don't become Disney characters. I somehow see DC characters even fitting in better with Disney than Marvel ever would- but they must have some reason for acquiring them.

Getting back on track for the topic, Yes- things have been going downhill for most of the parks in the past 10+ years, mostly due to Eisner- How can you build up a company so strong, then allow it to crash and burn to try to save some money. Although I don't agree to the Marvel Characters in the Disney universe, I don't mind the Muppets or Star Wars since they do have a featured attraction geared towards them, but don't get too out of control.

TDR has had it's senior moments as well & is starting to slip up slightly, but they somehow manage to get back on the right track. One can only hope that the other parks realize this- WDW has been wearing itself into the ground- I hope the next additions to the Magic Kingdom will be a little bit more than just a copy of Little Mermaid & a larger meet and greet area for the princess and faeries.

They really need to get back to better traditional animation as well & stop the overly Pixarification of the company- They do a great job, but Disney really needs to get back to its earlier roots and follow the examples that Disneyland set back in its opening years.

[DisneySea_Fan]

If marvel ever invades TDS... I will think the one responsible is much worse than any Supervillan marvel ever thought up!!!

Anyway back onto topic. I've had the same feeling you have described all throughout my life. TDR is really what inspired me to love disney as much as I do now, although deep down, even with the spectacular theming of Disney Sea, Ill always be a DLR guy.

[DuffyDad]

Originally Posted by gurgi

You know, Disney sure does have a lot of characters for boys. They have marketed them in the past, but why not exploit them like the princesses? Did they really need Marvel to boost the boy's market? What about Peter Pan and Captain Hook. Tarzan, Hercules, Aladdin, Mulan (the hero Shang is a good role model), Toy Story, Cars, Monsters Inc. The Incredibles, then you have some flops like The Black Cauldron (my favorite!) Atlantis, and Treasure Planet.

Needless to say, Disney has PLENTY of good male characters to market to boys, and I only listed a fraction of them. For some reason though, Disney didn't feel they were worth creating a franchise for like the princesses. They felt the need to go outside and get a bunch of superheros. I love the Marvel characters too, but have a hard time seeing them as part of the new "Disney Family".

I agree. There are tons of great Disney heroes, and to prove it, have you guys seen David Kawena's Disney Heroes? Wow! He's brilliant; be sure and check out his other galleries, too!

As for The Black Cauldron, it's my favorite, too. I really do think that it just came out in a time when most parents could not accept it as a "Disney" movie. I don't think that's the case now. I think even its critics would admit now that it wasn't a flop because it wasn't good. It was just one or two decades ahead of its time. I loved Disney's adaptation and I really wish they'd revisit it. It deserves an event for either the 25th or 30th anniversary. Maybe they'll use that Horned King from the Mystery Tour somewhere...