Walt Disney World

According to Disney Parks’ executive Bob Chapek they are “the most ambitious lands that we have ever built at Walt Disney Imagineering.” They’re Star Wars Land, coming to both Disneyland and Walt Disney World in the near future. And this weekend at the D23 convention, Disney gave fans a look at the massive model for their creation.

I am guessing late night TV will have a field day with this story. A Michigan resident by the name of Tabbatha Mature (real last name), is accused of choking a teenage girl at Disney World in Florida. Allegedly the unidentified teen was blocking her view of a fireworks show at Magic Kingdom. Seriously?

This week’s big release is Tomorrowland, a movie inspired by the futuristic section of Disneyland. It’s the latest step in the ongoing symbiotic relationship between cinema and theme parks. Disney has rides based on movies (Finding Nemo Submarine Voyage, Pinocchio’s Daring Journey) and they make movies based on rides (The Haunted Mansion, The Country Bears) and then the movies they make based on rides influence new versions of those rides (Johnny Depp’s Captain Jack Sparrow was invented for the screen, but now he’s featured as an audio-animatronic performer in the Pirates of the Caribbean attractions). It’s the snake that eats its own tail, and then puts that tail up for sale in the gift shop.