Epic Mikey

  • The Reagan Presidential Library

    While I was in Southern California to visit Disneyland, I took advantage of a friend’s offer to drive out to the Reagan Presidential Library in Simi Valley. The immediate rationale for the trip was to see the limited engagement exhibit, Treasures of the Walt Disney archives. But the library was so interesting in its own…

  • Disney Christmas: West Coast Edition

    I’ve been a regular visitor to the Walt Disney World resort during the holiday season for many years; but this year is the first time I’ve made a similarly timed trip to the Disneyland resort.    I was excited to see what would seem familiar and what would be different about experiencing Disney holidays west coast…

  • A First Visit to Cars Land and Buena Vista Street

    A while back I visited the Cars Land and Buena Vista Street areas of Disney’s California Adventure for the first time. Buena Vista Street Buena Vista Street is a nice addition to the park; it does a great job of setting the mood and transporting the visitor to a different time and place.    The area…

  • Running the Inaugural Tower of Terror 10 miler

    I’ve never been a runner, so when my friend Trish initially suggested I join her in running the inaugural Tower of Terror 10 mile run, I declined.   I’d be happy to come along and cheer, I said,  but running 10 miles was not even a remote possibility. But despite my initial response, the idea did…

  • Destination D: Day Two Afternoon & Evening

    Hearing Voices: A Salute to Disney Voice Artists This is one of those you-had-to-be there sessions; hearing is everything.    It’s impossible to listen to Bill Farmer doing his most well-known Disney voice without breaking out into a big Goofy grin. Bill Farmer does the voice of Goofy and also Pluto (and for Pluto, he not…

  • Destination D: Day Two Morning Sessions

    Wild and Wacky Disney Animation When you ask animation buffs to describe the style of Disney animation, you’ll hear that the drawings are lifelike, the overall style realistic, the stories moving, the characters memorable.   Other studios like Warner Brothers and Fleischer get the adjectives funny, wild, zany, and of course looney. But in the long…

  • Destination D: Day 1 Afternoon & Evening Highlights

    (for coverage of the Saturday morning presentations see here) Inside Walt Disney Animation Studios Today Based on the title, I thought we might be getting some insight into how the animation department works today (how CG and hand-drawn animation departments compete or co-operate, and similarly for Disney and Pixar animation groups).   Instead, this was really…

  • Destination D: Day 1 Morning Session Highlights

    On August 11th and 12th 2012, D23 (The Official Disney Fan Club) presented the third Destination D event.   The theme of this one was “Celebrating 75 Years of Disney Feature Animation. The event was held in the Grand Ballroom of the Disneyland Hotel. I’ll be recapping the event over the next several blog entries —…

  • Disney’s Aulani Resort

    We are DVC members since it first started 20-years ago.  We booked 7-months in advance and I suggest you do the same if you want to stay here.  As it gets more popular that might not even guarantee you get the dates you want.  Also keep in mind that this resort is still very new…

  • Coming Attractions

    Now that the new blog is up and operational, I’m looking forward to some of the things that I’ll be blogging about here in the months to come. June and July will probably be light, but things will begin to pick up after that. In August, I’ll be attending Destination:D, Celebrating 75 Years of Disney…