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Main St Gazette

Guest Post: Disney-LEGO Studios?

9 September 2011 by Ryan P. Wilson Leave a Comment

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Here’s another fun post from Ryan P. Wilson of the Main St. Gazette. A truly dedicated Disney and LEGO maniac! 😉
…
I’ve been working on a personal project for the past couple of years, a labor (literally) of love that combines two of my favorite passions, Walt Disney World and LEGO. For years now, LEGO has been developing building sets based off of popular franchises, the longest of these collaborations being Star Wars. In 2008, with the introduction of Indiana Jones LEGO sets I had a thought, what if I could build my own Disney’s Hollywood Studios, or a variation of, out of LEGOs?With the spark in my heart and mind I set out to create a park brick by brick. Early on I made the decision that while I could cannibalize various sets and Pick-A-Bricks (LEGO’s online service that allows you to purchase only the bricks you want) to construction spots such as the Hollywood Tower Hotel or Chinese Theatre, that I really wanted to stick to sets everyone could pick up. After years of collecting and assembling, here is the current, though I doubt final, version of LEGO Disney’s Hollywood Studios (Should I dare to call it Disney-LEGO Studios?).

LEGO Studios from Ryan P. Wilson
The Main Street Gazette edition of LEGO Studios!
While I may have purchased and built the entire sets, I did not always include the entire set, occasionally this was due to the fact that the entire set couldn’t be seen inside the Studios. So, what do we have? Representing Star Tours We have the Endor bunker, speeder bike and AT-AT Walker, hosted by R2-D2 and C-3PO (I will admit, Threepio came from a set not listed here, but it felt wrong not to include him). Pixar is embodied by meet and greets for Buzz and Woody, their ship and sheriff’s office respectively, the Green Army Men, and Mater and Lightning. While several scenes from Indiana Jones Epic Stunt Spectacular could be utilized, I picked the Cairo scene, for its charm and for the fact that it is the scene that extras (like myself) get to jump into the action. Last, but not least, I’ve included the Pirates of the Caribbean cannibal cage, which can be seen along the Studio Backlot Tour.There are additions or substitutions that could be made. For instance either the Indiana Jones Temple Escape or Flying Wing could be used in place of the Cairo set. Similarly, Jabba’s Sail Barge comes complete with a skiff that could also be used for the Studio Backlot Tour. Also, LEGO has just released an Ewok Attack set whose Endor trees could be used to shelter the AT-AT Walker.

Is it perfect? No. Is it a complete picture of Disney’s Hollywood Studios? Absolutely not. Does it make me smile to have found a way to combine two of my favorite things? You’d better believe it! And yes, yes I am the boy who never grew up.

Sets Utilized:
Pirates of the Caribbean The Cannibal Escape 4182
Indiana Jones Ambush in Cairo 7195
Toy Story Buzz’s Star Command Spaceship 7593
Toy Story Woody’s Round-Up 7594
Toy Story Army Men on Patrol 7595
Star Wars The Battle of Endor 8038
Star Wars AT-AT Walker 8129
Cars Classic Mater 8201
Cars Radiator Springs Lightning McQueen 8200

Supplemental Sets:
Indiana Jones Fight on the Flying Wing 7683
Indiana Jones Temple Escape 7623
Star Wars Ewok Attack 7956
Star Wars Jabba’s Sail Barge 6210

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Filed Under: Guest Authors Tagged With: Guest Authors, guest blog, LEGO, LEGO creations, Main St Gazette, Main Street Gazette, Ryan P. Wilson

Transformation and Rebirth – The Crimson Wing Guest Review

16 November 2010 by Ryan P. Wilson 1 Comment

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Great thanks to Ryan P. Wilson, Editor-in-Chief at the amazing resource that is the Main Street Gazette. I have written before about how much I love his site and am honored to have him writing a couple of guest posts here at ZannaLand. Please welcome him and enjoy his inspiring review of Disneynature’s The Crimson Wing —

The Crimson WingDocumentaries seek to tell a story, for nature documentaries that story is even more critical to advancing the story and the cause of the natural world presented within the film’s frames. The third release from Disneynature, and the first not shown on the big screen in the United States, is perfectly aware that the story is what resonates with audiences.

The Crimson Wing follows the life cycle of flamingos in Central Africa. From the journeys that bring these creatures hundreds and thousands of miles to salt saturated Lake Natron to mate in a sea of ruby feathers to the birth, hardships, and flight of fledgling flamingos, The Crimson Wing is awash with intriguing questions and relatable lessons of life. In most animal documentaries the individuals the film focuses upon are given names to assist in connecting the audience with the creature. While a single flamingo is central to the tale, no names are given in The Crimson Wing, a welcome sign that the filmmakers respect the intelligence of those viewing the narrative in front of them.

Frame for frame, I would have to say that The Crimson Wing is one of the most beautiful features ever shot. The scarlet mirror that is Lake Natron, flamingos flying across the moon and storm clouds, a single chick being encouraged to break free of its shell, red stains on a salt island, and even our heroine streaking across the top of the water and lifting off into the sky are only a few of the astounding images captured to convey the remarkable tale. The film also features the melodious narration of Mariella Frostrup, one of three women voices considered almost perfect by a study from Post Office Telecoms.

Because of the longstanding tradition of nature films associated with the Disney name, the films from Disneynature have often been compared, rightly or wrongly, to Walt Disney’s True Life Adventures. While the stories of both Earth and Oceans, Disneynature’s two previous releases, have found their own paths to tug at viewers heartstrings their expansive subject matter cannot dedicate enough screen time to the individual chapters. The Crimson Wing, with its dedicated subject matter, most accurately resembles the True Life Adventures. The narrative features an exotic locale, an unheralded but recognizable lead creature, triumph, heartbreak, and mysteries stemming from both the flamingos and their birthplace.

In its opening, The Crimson Wing relates the thread that ties flamingos to the myth of the phoenix. In a similar fashion, The Crimson Wing burns brightly with all the elements needed to make a nature documentaries rise from the ashes. While not a movie for every viewer, The Crimson Wing is a remarkable show that reminds me of features I watched as a child with my parents, making it a perfect addition for nature loving families of this generation.

…

You can check out a trailer and clips of The Crimson Wing, which is available now on Blu-Ray, DVD and movie download. Ryan will be back soon with a review of Disneynature’s Oceans, so be sure to stay tuned.

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Filed Under: Guest Authors, Movie Reviews Tagged With: Disneynature, documentaries, flamingos, Guest Authors, Main St Gazette, Main Street Gazette, Movie Reviews, nature documentaries, Ryan P. Wilson, The Crimson Wing

The Secrets of Walt Disney World’s Tom Sawyer Island-Part 3 of 3

19 July 2010 by Suzannah Otis 9 Comments

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In part one and part two of our Tom Sawyer Island pictorial review, we saw caves, mines, a fort and even a play area chock full of adventure. Today we conclude that adventure by visiting the final spots on the island.

When we left off, we were about to cross this barrel bridge to parts unknown, yes? As always, click to enlarge photos.

What will we find there?

view from Tom Sawyer Island
First, you get this nice view of Liberty Square

Pollys Tom Sawyer Island
Then we come upon a lovely little spot, Aunt Polly's...sadly, it does not seem to be open much at all anymore.

[Read more…] about The Secrets of Walt Disney World’s Tom Sawyer Island-Part 3 of 3

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Filed Under: Disney Attractions, Walt Disney World Tagged With: Disney secrets, Frontierland, Harper's Mill, Magic Kingdom, Main St Gazette, Main Street Gazette, off the beaten path, Pictures, Ryan P. Wilson, The Old Mill, Tom Sawyer Island, Tom Sawyer Island paint brush, Walt Disney World

Sunday Readin’ April 11 2010

11 April 2010 by Suzannah Otis 1 Comment

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buzz at pizza planet
photo ©Alex Goldman

Welcome to the second Sunday in April (I almost wrote August there, oops)! It’s been another exciting week in the world of Disney blogs, and I’m about to share some of my favorite articles. But first, I’d like to invite everyone to check out the wonderful links on the Your Disney Community tab on ZannaLand. There are some great places to get your Disney fix and discover something new!


In addition, if you missed the articles on ZannaLand this week be sure to check out my interview with AJ Wolfe of Disney Food Blog fame, Disney Moms Panelist Erin Foster’s report on Disneyland Paris, and my review and giveaway for Chad Emerson’s Project Future.

And finally…my good friend Amanda Tinney has decided to turn the tables and put the Meet Your Moms Panel spotlight on me…but YOU get to ask the interview questions. Head over to DisneyEveryDay.com and ask a question, which Amanda and I will get together and share the answers to in the near future. Oh, I almost forgot – Amanda also let me share my take on the new D-Street Vinylmation shop in Downtown Disney’s West Side, so check out the pictures and news there too!

Now, onto the Disney articles that caught me eye this week:

  • First, whether you are on twitter or not, you must do yourself a favor and check out Scott Otis‘ twitpics of his adventures in Tokyo Disneyland and Tokyo DisneySea. He’s sharing some amazing pictures and updates with all of us – Thanks Scott!
  • The official Disney Parks Blog tells us all about the new adults-only dining option on the upcoming Disney Dream cruise ship – Remy – after the famous culinarily-gifted rodent from Ratatouille.
  • Then head on over to the Main St. Gazette for a great interview with Ridley Pearson of Kingdom Keepers fame. While you’re there, take a look at the great collection of Official Walt Disney World Transportation Cards – how cool!
  • If you’re looking for even more (and constant!) Disney stories from around the world – don’t forget DisMarks.com and be sure to submit your favorite stories there to keep the updates growing strong!

Happy Sunday!

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Filed Under: Disney News Tagged With: AJ Wolfe, Amanda Tinney, Disney Dream, DisneySea, Erin Foster, Kingdom Keepers, Main St Gazette, Remy, Ridley Pearson, Scott Otis, Sunday Reading, Tokyo Disneyland, Weekend Round-up

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