Mousekingdom Blog

We are so used of having access to the internet that when we are disconnected for a while we can’t even describe how much we miss it. For over 12 days I have no internet connection at home and it is terrible (I’ll spare you all the disastrous stories of the provider I have to deal with). This is the longest I have been without connection to the web. Although I did post one entry within these days from another location it was impossible to keep this blog going like I used to do.

Not only can’t I update the blog, I miss a whole lot of Disney magic with the access gone. I used to read a whole lot of web pages trying to still my hunger for Disney information… This has been close to impossible without internet connection at home.

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During a recent trip to Anaheim (as part of the big annual Pow-Wow US travel convention), Susan and I were fortunate enough to be part of a special back-stage visit to the original Disneyland park in the company of senior Imagineer Eric Jacobson. As well as all the little gems of wisdom Eric was able to pass along, we also got a very rare privilege for DL visitors - a look inside Walt’s Apartment.

Now, for anyone not familiar with this particular Disney ’secret,’ the Apartment is the original residence of Walt when he was working on (and visiting) his first theme park, way back in 1955. It was where he would retire for some much-needed r’n'r at the end of the day and spend some time with his children.

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According to Playbill the original production of the stage musical version of Mary Poppins in London’s WestEnd has posted a closing notice. According to Playbill (a reliable, professional notice in this regard) Mary Poppins will fly into the WestEnd for the final time on January 12, 2008. The co-production of Cameron Mackintosh and Disney Theatrical featuring the world famous songs by the Sherman Brothers but much closer to the original stories by P.L. Travers than the classic Walt Disney feature opened in the Price Edward Theatre on December 15, 2004 which would mean a run of a bit more than three years. While such run would have to be called more than respectable for any show in the WestEnd it can be called doubtful whether the show really satisfied the expectation of the producers. Afterall The Lion King is still filling the Lyceum in the WestEnd long past the three year mark - even so fans had not to wait decades for that show to premier and it was at the time of its premiere not yet a story dear to children of several generations. But looking back it seems that the show suffered a classical problem of shows targeting families: problems to fill the 1,600 seats of the huge Prince Edwards Theatre during the week, when children are not taken out for the night by their parents.

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