Reverend's Report: A Harry Situation

After nine months of coordinating schedules, five hours of coast-to-coast flying time, and several hundred dollars in ticket, hotel and rental car fees, my mother, cousin and I finally found ourselves last week on the steps of Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry. But the year-old attraction inspired by the Harry Potter book and movie series -- built to awe-inspiring scale as part of Universal's Islands of Adventure in Orlando, Florida -- initially disappointed more than it delighted.

Upon our early morning arrival at the park's centerpiece ride, Harry Potter and the Forbidden Journey, we were informed that it was shut down after having been operating only intermittently the two days prior and might not be functioning at all that day. The best we could do, we were told, was to continue checking back. To be greeted with such news following our lengthy personal journey to get there was discouraging. As a slight consolation, everyone was invited to tour the imposing Hogwarts Castle. The 30-minute walkthrough included glimpses of the edifice's famed living portraits as well as very realistic virtual appearances by headmaster Albus Dumbledore (played as in the more recent films by Michael Gambon) and the movies' starring trifecta of Daniel Radcliffe (Harry), Emma Watson (Hermione) and Rupert Grint (Ron). Alas, the tour ended just short of the still-closed Forbidden Journey boarding area.

We entertained ourselves while waiting hopefully for the ride to open by exploring the rest of Hogsmeade, the magical town ordinarily inaccessible to us "Muggles." The entire Wizarding World of Harry Potter (as the attraction is officially called) was meticulously re-created by a team led by the film series' Oscar-winning production designer, Stuart Craig. It is visually amazing, and the various shops and eateries within Hogsmeade contain as many fine details within as they do on the outside. These include audio-animatronic owls in the Owl Post Office, moving shadow figures that play on the tavern's walls, and a disturbingly vocal plant/baby being pulled from its pot.

To slake our thirst in the humid Florida heat, we drank signature drinks Butterbeer and Pumpkin Juice. The former tastes like cream soda with a dollop of butterscotch, and is a bit tastier as well as creamier in its frozen incarnation. We also rode the tame, family-friendly roller coaster Flight of the Hippogriff, which features a very cool robotic rendition of the title creature. Every 20-30 minutes, I checked back to see if any progress had been made on reopening the Forbidden Journey ride. By the time I discovered it was indeed running, the line was 75 minutes long. Not to be dissuaded after already having waited approximately two hours, we joined the crowd.

My cousin and I are happy to report that the thrilling adventure was indeed worth the wait. My mother found the ride quite intense, as younger children are also likely to do, and barely opened her eyes once our enchanted bench began to fly. Those who do keep their eyes open will experience a mix of film footage; oversized, actual figures of a fire-breathing dragon, giant spiders and the evil Dementors; and an assortment of other dazzling special effects. The four-seat benches soar, swoop, and threaten at times to turn over backwards (a truly unsettling feeling) in synch with the visuals.

While Harry Potter and the Forbidden Journey has been acclaimed by many since its debut as the most advanced and thrilling theme park ride in the world, I'm still partial to another pioneering attraction at Universal's Islands of Adventure, The Amazing Adventures of Spider-Man, which features the added benefit of being in 3D. It is absolutely not to be missed when visiting the park and we were able to walk right onto it, which was a massive relief after our morning ordeal in Hogwarts. Three other attractions were either suffering momentary disruptions in their operation (Dudley Do-Right's Ripsaw Falls, Popeye and Bluto's Bilge-Rat Barges) or were closed for refurbishment (Dr. Seuss' The Cat in the Hat), leading me to question the overall efficiency of Islands of Adventure's tech and maintenance departments. By the end of the day, however, a good time was had by all.

My cousin, visiting Florida for the first time, was anxious to compare Walt Disney World to the more familiar Disneyland, so day two of our trip found us in the Magic Kingdom. It provided us a great opportunity to compare and contrast not only Disney's most famed attractions but the operational differences between the Universal and Disney parks. Unlike Islands of Adventure, no attractions were closed nor seemed to suffer the slightest delay. In addition, the longest line we had to brave for a ride was less than 30 minutes, although Disney's Fastpass system further simplified the wait for a few major attractions.

If in the end the Magic Kingdom proved to be a bit more magical than the Wizarding World of Harry Potter, both parks and their assortment of impressive attractions (even more impressive when they are all working) deserve to be visited often.

Review by Rev. Chris Carpenter, resident film critic of Movie Dearest and the Blade California.

Reverend's Preview: Seeing Red at Gay Days Anaheim 2011

It’s once again time for GLBT fun-seekers to get out those red T-shirts and head to the Disneyland Resort. Gay Days Anaheim will be held this weekend, September 30-October 2.

Gay Days was established in 1997 by a small group of gay fans of all things Disney. A similar "unofficial" event is held each spring at Walt Disney World in Florida. The California event has grown to attract more than 30,000 GLBT people annually from throughout the state and the US. Attendees traditionally wear red shirts to identify themselves as GLBT, since Disneyland and its neighboring theme park — Disney’s California Adventure — will remain open to the general public during the weekend.

Besides all the fun the parks have to offer, two major dance parties are held during the weekend. "Wonderland" will be held the night of September 30 at Ralph Brennan’s Jazz Kitchen in Downtown Disney, with all proceeds from the event benefitting the Trevor Project. Academy Award-winning screenwriter Dustin Lance Black (Milk and the upcoming J.Edgar) will preside over the VIP room. On Saturday night, DJ Kimberly S and The Voice's Frenchie Davis will headline "Kingdom", Gay Days’ signature dance party at Downtown Disney’s House of Blues.

Recognizing the growing participation by lesbian women in Gay Days events, a Saturday ladies' night starring comedian Suzanne Westenhoefer will be held for the very first time. The weekend will also feature a first-ever lesbian lounge at the Anabella Hotel across the street from Disneyland.

Other special events planned include "An Intimate Conversation with Carol Channing", in which the 90-year-old Broadway legend will talk about her life and career at Disney’s Grand Californian Hotel on Sunday. Glee star and 2011 Emmy-nominee Dot Marie Jones (Coach Beiste) will also be on hand, hosting the VIP cocktail party on Saturday with Gay Days regular Bruce Vilanch. Plus, both days in the parks will feature gatherings only available over Gay Days weekend, including a group photo, a PFLAG luncheon, group meet ups at varying attractions, and many more events targeted to youth, bears, couples and Mouseketeers of every ilk.

Gays Days Anaheim are fun for all ages, and many GLBT couples with children attend. The weekend is filled with ice cream socials, scavenger hunts and other family-friendly events, not to mention the rides, parades and shows for which the Disney parks are famous. A new Little Mermaid ride at California Adventure will no doubt be a popular draw, as will the recently-revamped Star Tours attraction in Disneyland. Other highlights of the weekend include free gift bags at the Gay Days Welcome Center (located inside the Trillium Room of Disney’s Grand Californian Hotel), and a Gay Days Pin Trading event on Sunday.

A complete schedule of Gay Days events as well as tickets, discounted park passes and hotel rooms and, yes, official red T-shirts can all be accessed through Gay Days Anaheim website.

Review by Rev. Chris Carpenter, resident film critic of Movie Dearest and the Blade California.

Reverend's Report: D23 2011

Upon my arrival at the Anaheim Convention Center on the first morning of the D23 Expo, I could tell it was going to have a much larger turnout than the first such event in 2009. I ended up having to park on the top floor of the parking structure, and negotiated large crowds of Disney fanatics once inside the center. The second day of the expo sold out the afternoon before, a significant testament to the increased attention being paid to it.

My first stop was the traditional Disney Legends ceremony. A dozen people who have helped build the Disney empire since its founding in 1923 were honored, including five women who have voiced princesses in the more contemporary Disney animated features The Little Mermaid (Jodi Benson), Beauty and the Beast (Paige O'Hara), Aladdin (Lea Salonga, Princess Jasmine's singing voice, and Linda Larkin, Jasmine's speaking voice), Mulan (Salonga again) and The Princess and the Frog (Anika Noni Rose). Host Tom Bergeron, who was nicely casual and provided very funny commentary throughout, noted that Noni Rose is the youngest honoree to be named a Disney Legend.

All five actresses performed to montages of scenes from their respective films, with Benson bringing down the nearly full, 4,000 seat arena both through her audience-participation version of "Part of Your World" and her utterly heartfelt, unapologetic faith sharing. "Praise God from whom all blessings flow," she said upon reaching the podium, quoting a traditional Christian hymn. "This is my ministry," Benson remarked of her continuing voice performance as Ariel in video games, television and the new ride inspired by The Little Mermaid at Disney's California Adventure park.

The ceremony climaxed with the induction of late Muppets creator, Jim Henson. While Henson didn't work for Disney while he was alive, his company was bought by Disney after his death and the Muppets have been a welcome, appropriate addition to the studio's holdings. Henson's children, Lisa and Brian, were on hand and reminisced about their father, moving audience members to both tears and laughter. But it was a masterstroke on the part of the event planners to bring Kermit the Frog and Rowlf the Dog out at the end to sing "The Rainbow Connection." Attendees were utterly mesmerized.

Kermit was on hand again Saturday morning at the Walt Disney Studios' presentation of upcoming movies. The amphibian was joined by Miss Piggy (who arrived in a motorcycle sidecar) as well as actor Jason Segel, their co-star in November's big-screen reunion, The Muppets. New studio head Rich Ross and animation executive John Lasseter were fairly giddy as they hyped next spring's John Carter; next summer's Brave; the direct-to-DVD Planes, an airborne knockoff of Cars; The Odd Life of Timothy Green, which does indeed look odd; and their more recently-acquired Marvel epic, The Avengers.

John Carter in particular, based on Edgar Rice Burroughs' "John Carter of Mars" series, looks really cool. The crowd went predictably wild when cast members from the last came out, including Robert Downey, Jr., Chris Hemsworth, Scarlett Johanssen and Jeremy Renner. Other big stars on hand to plug their respective Disney projects were Billy Crystal (the Monsters, Inc. prequel Monsters University), Willem Dafoe (John Carter), Jennifer Garner (Odd Life...) and Jon Cryer (Planes).

A special showroom exhibit entitled "Carousel of Projects" and a Friday afternoon presentation revealed a plethora of developments regarding Disney theme parks around the world. In the Carousel of Projects, visitors could check out a detailed model of the massive Fantasyland expansion currently underway in the Magic Kingdom park at Walt Disney World in Florida. When completed in the fall of 2012, it will nearly double Fantasyland's current size and will feature a "Seven Dwarfs Mine Train" roller coaster (which looks like a milder, kid-friendly version of Big Thunder Mountain Railroad but with individually swinging cars) as well as an east coast version of The Little Mermaid ride, among other new attractions. I can't wait to visit and check it out once finished.

Details were also shared at the Theme Parks presentation about Disney's new park in Shanghai, China; the company's beautiful new Hawaiian resort, Aulani, which opens next week; the "Cars Land" addition and overall makeover of California Adventure; and magnificent new ships under construction for Disney Cruise Line. A pending expansion of California's Fantasyland was also announced, which will take over the current Carnation Gardens concert area at the end of Disneyland's Main Street USA. The expo also hosted a 45th-anniversary celebration of "It's a Small World" with special souvenirs and a panel of artists, including songwriter Richard Sherman, who helped create the mostly beloved but sometimes hated attraction.

The presentations and pavilions throughout this year's D23 Expo were very satisfying all in all, despite the larger crowds and long lines for everything, including food and restrooms. The only truly disappointing aspect of this year's D23 Expo was the "Treasures of the Walt Disney Archives" exhibition. Most of the noteworthy artifacts featured were repeats from the first expo's display, and the new additions from less well-regarded Disney films such as Hocus Pocus, Father of the Bride and The Rocketeer were decidedly underwhelming. One newly-included treasure well worth checking out was Walt Disney's personal limousine, but it was on display in the main showroom.

It will be interesting to see what Disney does next with the D23 Expo, now that it is well on its way to becoming a Comic Con-esque success. Will they offer it annually? Will it be moved beyond Anaheim as it increasingly outgrows the convention center there? All it will take is a little time... and some continued pixie dust.

Report by Rev. Chris Carpenter, resident film critic of Movie Dearest and the Blade California.

Reverend’s Preview: Gay Days 2010

As a regular visitor to the Disneyland Resort in Anaheim since I was a toddler growing up in Phoenix, Arizona, the self-proclaimed “Happiest Place on Earth” has long held a special place in my heart. It certainly helped to inspire my childhood creativity, no less so than when I attempted to re-create the park’s fabled Pirates of the Caribbean and Haunted Mansion attractions in my unassuming neighbor’s house while I was in the 3rd grade.

My more frequent visits as an adult — now that I reside in Southern California and have an annual pass — continue to provide me, my friends and visiting family members with good times and fond memories. One doesn’t have to be gay or lesbian to enjoy Disneyland, of course, but it can heighten our experience as park visitors in some ways. The music, colors, fantasy and theatricality of the Disneyland Resort hold special appeal for many GLBT people.

In recognition of this, Gay Days at the Disneyland Resort was established in 1997 by a small group of gay fans of all things Disney. The event has since grown to attract more than 30,000 GLBT people annually from throughout California and the US. Gay Days 2010 will be held October 1-3. Attendees traditionally wear red shirts to identify themselves as GLBT, since Disneyland and its neighboring theme park, Disney’s California Adventure, remain open to the general public during the weekend.

Disneyland marked its 55th anniversary this summer, having opened in June 1955. Countless GLBT designers, performers, managers and other “cast members” have helped Walt Disney’s original dream of a park where families could spend quality time together and forget their everyday cares continue to grow. Gay Days can be seen as an annual tribute to them as well as a celebration of our community’s growth.

This year’s Gay Days will feature a spectacular new event: PLUNGE! The first-ever Gay Days pool party, PLUNGE will take place on Sunday, October 3 at the Anabella Hotel in Anaheim. Gay Days event tickets, discounted park passes and hotel rooms, and official red T-shirts can all be purchased through Gay Days Anaheim's official website, where you can also find the complete schedule of Gay Days events.

Gay Day at Disney’s California Adventure (Sunday, October 3) will also include the new, rainbow-rific spectacle World of Color. I saw this amazing combination of special water and light effects, footage from classic Disney films and soaring music during the summer. It is absolutely dazzling and not to be missed. “World of Color” will be performed at least once after dark; check the park schedule for exact show times.

As fun as Gay Days is each year, it isn’t necessary to attend to have a gay old time at Disneyland. One of the best times I ever had there was in the summer of 1995, when six of my best gay friends from various points across the country joined me on my “honeymoon” at Disneyland following my ordination as a priest. We shrieked together on Space Mountain, laughed at Fantasmic’s camp value (thoroughly confusing a young, scared child seated next to us) and posed for a group picture in which we are each wearing a different Disney Princess headpiece.

Yes, a gay man can crack jokes at the expense of Woody, Buzz or “It’s a Small World” (and let’s not even mention Winnie the Pooh) any time of year. However, Gay Days at the Disneyland Resort does offer a unique opportunity to join with thousands of other members of our tribe once a year and find acceptance as a princess, a pirate, a bear or simply a kid at heart.

Preview by Rev. Chris Carpenter, resident film critic of Movie Dearest and the Orange County and Long Beach Blade.