Newsletter: In the Loop: Was Walt Disney a hero or a villain?
Welcome to another edition of In the Loop, the L.A. Times' theme park newsletter. I'm Funland theme park blogger Brady MacDonald, and this week we take a look at Cedar Point’s Valravn dive coaster, check out the new “Frozen” musical and fine-tune our Jungle Cruise spiel.
Star Wars Land
Disney plans to break ground in 2016 on the new Star Wars Land at Disneyland and Disney’s Hollywood Studios -- a year earlier than previously announced.
To make room for the new Star Wars Land in Florida, Disney’s Hollywood Studios pulls the plug on the Osborne Family Spectacle of Dancing Lights. The 20-year tradition featuring millions of lights lining the Streets of America flashing in sync to Christmas carols will come to an end after this holiday season.
An illustration of a “Star Wars”-themed land that is coming to Disneyland in Anaheim and Disney’s Hollywood Studios in Orlando, Fla.
(Disney)
Valravn
Ohio's Cedar Point finally unveils the worst-kept secret in the theme park world: The record-breaking Valravn dive coaster will debut in 2016.
Jungle Cruise
Have you ever dreamed of skippering the Jungle Cruise at Disneyland and delivering your own comedic spiel? Now you can -- for a price. The $300 Sunrise Safari includes breakfast and initiation into the Fraternal League of Secret Skippers.
‘Frozen’ musical
The unstoppable force known as “Frozen” will become a musical at Disney California Adventure starting next summer. After 14,000 shows, “Aladdin” will take its final bow at the Hyperion Theater to make room for Anna, Elsa and Olaf the talking snowman.
Disney the man
Was Walt Disney a hero or a villain? The new PBS documentary “American Experience: Walt Disney” offers a balanced portrait lauding the achievements of his animated movies and theme parks while also acknowledging his missteps, writes Times entertainment columnist Glenn Whipp. And here’s our review of the show by Times television critic Robert Lloyd.
Walt Disney is seated with a drawing board on his lap and representations of his creations Mickey and Minnie Mouse behind him in October 1933.
(Edward Steichen/ Conde Nast / PBS)
Queen of Kings Island
The Cincinnati Enquirer writes a “love story” about a 1926 Wurlitzer carousel organ known as the Queen of Kings Island. The longform story recounts the rise, fall and resurrection of the organ and one Kentucky high school student’s love affair with the rare musical machine.
And finally
The Fury 325 hyper coaster at Carowinds in Charlotte, N.C., takes the top honor at Amusement Today’s Golden Ticket Awards as the best new attraction of 2015. Fury 325 beat out a pair of Rocky Mountain Construction wood-steel hybrid coaster remodels: Wicked Cyclone at Six Flags New England and Twisted Colossus at Six Flags Magic Mountain.
Still need more theme park news? Check out the Los Angeles Times Funland theme park blog on Twitter, Facebook, Google+ and Instagram. Also feel free to email me with any feedback on the newsletter.
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