Disney News You Could Use (April 6 - April 13)

There's surprisingly little to mention in this weekly update, although one older story, having recently been brought up again on MousePlanet, is making headlines. The story in question is the confirmed end of Disney's California Adventure's Maliboomer attraction.

Say goodbye to the 180' tall Maliboomer. Andy Castro on flickr.com, 2007.

According to an article from the Los Angeles Times, the Maliboomer, located in DCA's Paradise Pier area, will removed no later than 2011. Additionally, the Mulholland Madness attraction will be refurbished for a Goofy theme, reportedly called "Goofy's Sky School." This change will also occur by 2011.

With the addition of Toy Story Mania this summer, it seems DCA is getting quite the makeover. And it doesn't come cheap, as expected: The LA Times says the entire deal costs over $1.1 billion.

So, will it all be worth it? We'll have to wait and see.

Wait, where's the weekly update?

My apologies for the lack of updates this past week. I've been a bit busy and keep forgetting to post here. Don't worry, however, as I'm working on an update for the next few days!

Disney News You Could Use (March 23 - March 30)

This past week at Disneyland saw painfully high levels of crowds, with Wednesday and Thursday reaching capacity levels. This is likely due to many students having their spring break at this time. After all, what's better than visiting the Happiest Place on Earth for your vacation?

Imagine staying in a place like this! Bill Stevens, 2008.

However, for guests like, say, Bill Stevens, the crowds probably weren't a huge issue. That's because Bill and his family won a stay in the park's Dream Suite this last Thursday, as part of the 2008 Disney Dreams Giveaway.

Along with staying in the suite, Bill Stevens was named the Honorary Grand Marshall of the parade. Bill Stevens, 2008.

Bill posted hundreds of photos of his trip, which you can view on his SmugMug album. Congratulations to Bill and his family, as only a handful of people can say they've stayed in the Dream Suite!

We could call it Rossii Disnejlend...

Although there's no current plans to open a theme park in the country, fashion magazine Vogue Russia recently featured a spread with Minnie Mouse, leading me to think of what Disneyland Russia (if there ever was one) would look like.

Model Masha Tyelna and Minnie Mouse ham it up in Moscow. Vogue Russia, 2008.

The characters would likely dress in traditional Russian fashion, restaurants could serve potatoes, borsch, and kasha (porridge), and rides would be set in buildings like those in Red Square. Sounds pretty nice, right?

Well, for now there's little official talk of a Russian Disneyland. However, fans of Disney will note that it's always interesting to discuss the possibility!

That being said, how would you all feel about a Disneyland Russia? Or is there another location where Disney would fit in better (like those listed in the current poll)?

Disney News You Could Use (March 16 - March 23)

What's going on in Disneyland this week? Quite a bit, actually, with several stories making headlines. One in particular is causing debate among a family you'd least expect.

Notice the lack of "Toy Story" in the sign. Darkbeer on smugmug.com, 2008.

The entrance for DCA's Toy Story Mania is nearly complete, with a sign recently installed. The attraction is set to open this summer.

Also in the news is Disney's plans to add new characters to the beloved "it's a small world," including Mickey Mouse, Lilo and Stich, and Nemo. This is causing controversy among some fans who are reluctant to see the attraction change. Personally, I'm fine with this, as long as Disney doesn't go overboard and keeps it in moderation.

However, the family of Small World's creator, Mary Blair, wrote a letter to Disney stating their concern over this move.

Mary Blair, an artist, worked on "it's a small world" by special request from Walt Disney himself. Disney, 1941.

"Ripping out a rain forest...and replacing it with misplaced patriotism [rumors say Disney will add an American scene to the attraction] is a public relations blunder so big you could run a Monorail through it," Blair's son Kevin Blair said.

How do you all feel about this? Certainly not as outraged as the Blair family, I would imagine.