LImited Time Magic We'd Really Like to See

Limited-Time Magic is the oddest campaign Disney's ever rolled out. It's something few people can take advantage of, and its here-today-gone-tomorrow events leave virtually no impression. While it's a sweet concept, I'm sure most fans would rather have gotten a simple C-Ticket dark ride. Rides, Disney, please don't forget: The rides pull guests in.

That said, there are certainly some concepts that could make this strange promotion a headline grabber. Mouse Troop presents a list of Limited-Time Magic ideas we'd go nuts for:

TUBE THE JUNGLE CRUISE DAY

Maybe turn off the piranha attack for this one.

AUTOPIA UNLEASHED DAY

Apparently these little cars can get up to 45 or 50 M.P.H. without the installed speed governors. Around the Autopia track in one minute!
 
DISNEY EXECS IN CHARACTER COSTUMES DAY

I've heard stories that, once, long ago, every new Disneyland Exec had to work a brief stint as a character to get a sense of how important the "magic" element of Disney really is. Time to bring that idea back, retroactively, for every Disney Executive on Earth for just one day.

And how about:

PUNK ROCK SMALL WORLD DAY
MATTERHORN ZIP-LINE DAY
NO PERSONAL ELECTRONIC DEVICES  DAY
NO SPREADING ANY BLANKETS TO HOLD A SPOT FOR A PARADE OR SHOW DAY
ROLLER SKATE DAY
PEOPLE-DRAWN HORSE CAR DAY (It's only fair).
ORIGINAL SINGLE CAR BOBSLEDS DAY
PERSONALLY-TELL-THE-COMMITTEE-THAT-DESIGNED-THE-NEW-BOBSLEDS-EXACTLY- HOW-YOU-FEEL-ABOUT-HOW-THEY'VE-RUINED-THE-RIDE-DAY
NO FASTPASS DAY (let everyone see how much quicker the lines move)

and finally...


ALL FOOD FREE DAY (There's as much a chance of this last one happening as a horror film being filmed in Walt Disney World without the company's knowledge...oh, wait...)

Those are a few Limited Time Magic events we'd actually hop on a plane to experience. How abut you? What special day at the parks would really pull you in?

Underappreciated Disney Characters Part 1

At Mouse Troop, we love offbeat Disney Music, oddball park details, and--perhaps most of all--under-appreciated Disney characters! In part one of a threatened series, we're paying tribute to the best supporting players from two Disney classics. First up:

 COLONEL HATHI

Likes: Marching
Dislikes: Man-cubs

Voiced by the amazing J. Pat O'Malley (who also applied his perfect Stuffy-Elder-British-Officer impersonation to Alice in Wonderland and 101 Dalmations), Col. Hathi turns a minor plot moment in The Jungle Book into one of the funniest sequences in Disney filmdom. There's a nice bit of depth to this potentially one-note characterization: Beneath his gruff, loud exterior, Hathi cares very much about his young son. We also get the impression that, deep down inside, Hathi is well aware that he'd be helpless without the common sense input from his wife, Winifred.

APPEARANCES OUTSIDE THE FILM:

Col. Hathi once roamed the parks with Mowgli, long ago. He used to appear in occasional parades, and was last seen doing a soft-shoe (with his twin) in a Goofy dream sequence in Disney's Twelve Days of Christmas. Somewhat out of character, but that's show biz.

 THE HORN DUCKS

Like: Quality Family Time
Dislike: Being Trodden On

The Horn Ducks of Alice in Wonderland look so perfectly natural that it's truly a shame they don't exist in the real world. One of the most endearing species of Tulgey Wood, they express themselves quite well--and raucously--without speaking a word.

APPEARANCES OUTSIDE THE FILM

The Horn Ducks can be briefly glimpsed on Disneyland's Alice in Wonderland dark ride (don't blink!) and at Alice's Curious Labyrinth in Disneyland Paris.

Disneyland Hotel's Adventure Tower

The Disneyland Hotel's towers are themed to three of the park's realms: Adventure, Fantasy and Frontier. Each tower contains models and concept art relating to its namesake's development.

Here in the Adventure Tower's lobby, guests are greeted by a terrific mural and a series of Jungle Cruise maquettes...

Including these charming elephants, made slightly less charming by my amazing ability to place a ceiling light reflection in the worst possible spot.

Should the Treehouse Be Remodeled Again?

We're in Adventureland, looking up at the bridge leading to Tarzan's Treehouse, the clever 1999 remodeling of the beloved old Swiss Family Robinson Treehouse. It's well done, but has never seemed as compelling to me as it did in its original form -- because it no longer feels like a real, functioning home.

Tarzan didn't live in a treehouse in the film (except briefly as an infant). Filmgoers mainly know this place as the spot where Tarzan's parents were killed. In fact, the killer is actually right there in the treehouse in one of the story scenes.

Tarzan's a terrific and beautifully crafted film, but it hasn't "stuck" in the public consciousness as memorably as other Disney movies -- at least for the time being. The treehouse needs new tenants.

Adam and Andrew at The Disney Hipster Blog recently posted about the lack of a Jungle Book presence in Walt Disney World's Adventureland. Looking at Disneyland's similar under-utilization of a very popular and enduring set of characters, I think Mowgli, Baloo, Bagheera, Col. Hathi, King Louie, Kaa the Python, Shere Kahn and four harmonizing vultures would make awesome tenants for the Robinson's old digs.

Mowgli spent even less time in a treehouse (none) than Tarzan, but it wouldn't matter. Guests would line up for a Jungle Book encounter of any kind. And the music would be fantastic.

Adventureland After Park Closing

When Disneyland's open late, it's always fun to be one of the last riders admitted to Pirates of the Caribbean. When it's over, your park exit route leads through an Adventureland that's been closed for nearly twenty minutes.

Duck, Duck, Elephant

Ducks don't care about "story" or "theme." They just want a safe place to wash, drink and hunt for bugs -- and this feathered couple seems to have found a good protector, to boot.

Anyone who grew up with the classic children's book Make Way For Ducklings can find a whole new reason to love Jungle Cruise at moments like this. One can only hope Mr. and Mrs. Mallard someday bring their future ducklings back to this very spot!

Rides That Spark Dreams & Nightmares

A family takes their youngest adventurer on Jungle Cruise back in June. Another fan is born!

I remember the fun/scary thrill of visiting Disneyland when I was a small child (a bit older than our friend in the photo) believing in everything the park threw my way. I wondered how Rocket to the Moon blasted skyward without being seen by everyone outside the building. And I was certain the submarines really were diving hundreds of feet into unexplored depths.

And then there was Jungle Cruise...

The Elephant Bathing Pool

One moment, you're cursing at traffic on I-5. An hour later, you could be gazing at this. See, this is why the world needs Disneyland.

No matter how many times people ride the Jungle Cruise, I think -- as they listen to the guide's jokes -- they always forget the Elephant Bathing Pool's coming. Then the boat emerges into the clearing, and you hear that collective gasp of wonderment from everyone, adults and children alike.

I'll bet the guides love that moment.