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Showing posts from July, 2018

BIOGRAPHIES: #1 - Xavier "X" Atencio a Disney Imagineer

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This can be found on page 288 of my book. To get a copy of my book, go HERE . The following are a few biographies of some of the Imagineers, musicians, and animators that have contributed a lot to the Disneyland parks or Disney films. The term Imagineer is a portmanteau, or combination of words, imagination, and engineering. The word was first used in 1940 by Alcoa Inc. (a company that produces aluminum). Walt used it to describe the Walt Disney Imagineering (WDI) branch of his company in 1952 when he started the project of Disneyland. There are hundreds of people who should be in this section, but I can only list a few. There are currently about 2,200 Imagineers working for Disney. These were/are some of the most creative and talented individuals in their field, which is why Walt wanted them working on his projects. Most of these people you won’t recognize but should know who they are and what they had to do with your favorite place to visit and favorite films to watch. Xav...

MOVIES: Interview With Pirate Kristopher Blount

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I am a co-host on the Disney themed podcast The Magic Behind The Ears . One of our guests was Kristopher Blount , an actor from my hometown of Brentwood Ca (that is the northern Brentwood). He was an extra pirate in Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Man's Chest (2006). I was actually at the midnight release of the film in 2006 when he came walking into my theater to boisterous applause from the audience. He spoke with us of his time on set for Pirates, and for a Pirates commercial. Here is Kristopher in the bone cage before they fell to their deaths.  Here is Kristopher on deck when Jack Sparrow is trying to follow his compass.  If you want to see all of Kristopher's acting credits, click HERE . A more recent video he can be seen in is  Deadpool The Musical: Beauty and the Beast Gaston Parody   (2017). Here you can watch the short musical number. Warning: There is adult language . He is at the 2:50 mark. Here he is in Deadpool The Musical 2: Ul...

DISNEYLAND: Pirates of the Caribbean - History Of The Redhead and Female Pirates

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*Article was written on June 30, 2017 Disney is planning on changing the infamous Auctioneer scene in Disneyland’s Pirates of the Caribbean in 2018, along with Disney World’s Pirates. We get the frequently spoken line  “We wants the redhead,”  from this attraction. Pirates first opened on March 16, 1967, just four months after Walt Disney passed away. Walt was only able to experience the Auctioneer scene before his passing. “Walt visited the show building in Disneyland and went on a tour with Marc Davis and a few other Imagineers. The boats’ water channel was not filled yet and all the sets were frame worked, so they were able to walk through. The Auction Scene was set up with the Auctioneer moving about. This would be the last Walt ever saw of the attraction’s sets, because of his failing health and then eventually his death.” - Discovering The Magic Kingdom: An Unofficial Disneyland Vacation Guide 2nd Edition page 508 (set up in the Burbank studio) Mar...

DISNEYLAND: Autopia - The History Of This Original Attraction published in Theme Parkology Magazine

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I was asked to write an article for the new  Theme Parkology Magazine . They wanted me to write about the history of one of the original attractions of the park, Autopia . If you want to see the full magazine, click  HERE . If you liked this bit of history, check out my book with over 3,700 fun facts and trivia centered around Disneyland and Disney Movies  HERE .

DISNEYLAND: New Orlean's Square - What About The Anchor And The Crypt? My Article For Theme Parkology Magazine

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I was asked to write an article for the new Theme Parkology Magazine . They wanted me to write about the history in New Orleans Square pertaining to Jean Lafitte, the Haunted Mansion , Pirates of the Caribbean , and Pirate's Lair on Tom Sawyer Island . If you want to see the full magazine, click HERE . If you liked this bit of history, check out my book with over 3,700 fun facts and trivia centered around Disneyland and Disney Movies w ww.DisneyGuy.org