Tyler

[tyler-talks-disney]

The Owl House

Hi all! Today I wanted to talk about yet another one of Disney's serialized animated shows, Owl House. I saved this entry for this week, since the show just had its finale this past weekend, which makes it a perfect time for me to discuss the show. This show actually meant quite a lot to me, so it is sad to see it go, but I am glad that it went in out in such a great way.

For those still watching this show, whether it be on Disney+ or through reruns on the Disney Channel, I will not be spoiling the finale: "Watching and Dreaming", but rather talking about the show overall.

Firstly, I would like to applaud the show for its innovative and exciting storytelling, that constantly sought to create a memorable experience for those who watched it. The Owl House team did an AWESOME job at world building and shaping the Boiling isles to be a place that fans of the show would want to visit, despite its sometimes horrific nature.

The show follows the adventures of Luz the human, a girl who happened to stumble into the Boiling isles after being told she was going to be sent to summer camp after expressing her "weird personality" in school. Luz runs into Eda the Owl Lady and King, who take her into their home to stay. Most of the show spends time on Luz's journey to learn magic and become a Witch of the Boiling Isles, while make a few friends and uncovering the mystery behind the mysterious Emperor Belos along the way.

The show also has strong LGBTQ+ themes, which is a central point of the show. This show was really innovative in bringing more representation to the LGBTQ+ community on television, and I think that is really great in normalizing the LGBTQ+ representation in television and teaching kids to treat everyone with respect. One of the most important (and my personal favorite) things that came from this was the relationship between Luz Noceda and Amity Blight. Developed over the course of the show, viewers get to see the relationship between Luz and Amity grow and blossom. It is honestly one of the cutest relationships I have seen in a show in a long time.

Though the Lumity relationship doesn't scratch the surface of the representational lengths this show has taken during its run time. Along with representing Gay, Lesbian and Bisexual identities, the Owl house also has represented underrepresented groups in media like nonbinary people.

Ultimately, this show sought to teach people that all you need to be is yourself. It doesn't matter if you are weird, sporty, nerdy, or anything in between, you can be whoever you want and that's okay. What I learned from Owl House that it is okay to yourself, and that you should never be someone you are not.

[tyler-talks-disney]

Behind the Scenes with the Ghost Host

Hi all! This week I wanted to share with you a video of some of the recording sessions of Paul Free, also known as the Ghost Host at the haunted mansion! I just thought that this was super cool to see the behind the scenes of an absolutely ICONIC attraction.

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Ducktales, Woo-hoo!

I watch a lot of cartoons. In recent years (starting around 2012), Disney have come out with a series of really great serialized cartoon series that tend to gather a large following. Of these serialized cartoons, one of these was a reboot of the beloved series Ducktales from the 90's.

In this new spectacular reboot, the beloved characters Hewey, Duey and Louie get a fresh coat of paint, along with a new exciting story plus much more adventures in the town of Duckburg and beyond. I unfortunately didn't have the pleasure of starting this show when it first aired, but caught on rather quickly to the excitement that the show had to offer. Because who wouldn't? Each week, the show would have a new exciting mystery and or adventure to watch the Duck family unravel! Ducktales is a lighthearted, fun and exciting watch for all ages.

The show aired starting and 2017, and came to its unfortunate end in 2021, after being cancelled by the Disney Company. This wasn't without the fans being able to see the final episode of the series that aired on March 15, 2021, since it did not receive the ratings Disney had initially expected from the show.

Now, though this show wasn't nearly as exciting as fan favorites like Gravity Falls, Amphibia and Owl House (of which I will cover at a later date)., but I still found the show to be extremely enjoyable. As someone coming into this show blindly, and without watching the original, I was very pleasantly surprised, with very few complaints regarding the series.

I felt that the show did a really nice job at diving deep into the characters in Disney's already established Duck family, consisting of Hewey, Dewey, Louie, the filthy rich Scrooge McDuck and their Uncle the famous Donald Duck. But not only that, but they also expanded upon the canon of the Duck family by introducing a new character who quickly becomes part of the family: Webbigal "Webby" Vanderquack, and the mother of the iconic triplets and sister of Donald: Della Duck. Upon starting the show, I learned that this was a show whose core theme would be family, and power of it.

From this delightful little duck show, we learn that family is more than blood, and that when family comes together, they can do great things. As a children's show, I think that it is a perfect message to teach, and one worth watching as an adult. I highly recommend it.

As for it's accuracy to the original tv show, that I cannot answer, as I have not watched it yet. But if it is as good as the 2017 reboot, I definitely will watch it!

[tyler-talks-disney]

Obscure Disney Songs A-Z Medley

Love Disney songs? Want to test yourself on your obcsure Disney knowledge? Looking for a catchy new song to listen to?

Well then this might be the perfect video for to check out! Today is less of a discussion and more of a Disney themed video suggestion. I found it one day while scrolling through TikTok of all places. I went in thinking that I would be able to guess them all, but I found myself surprised at just how many new songs I discovered!

And If you end up liking this video, the creator of the channel, Noah Sunday-Lefkowitz, has made a ton of other different Disney Medleys that I definitely recommend checking out!

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RunDisney's Infamous Challenge

Back when I was in highschool, I was a part of my school's cross country team. Funny enough, the running was my favorite part of being on the team, since it was an excuse for me to not only relieve the stresses of my day in a healthy way, but also find time to hang around with some of my closest friends. It wasn't just a sport for me, it was a lifestyle, and from what it seems, almost everyone I had made connections with in the running community feels the same way.

In recent years, I have become a little bit out of touch with running, for a variety of reasons, but it doesn't stop me from looking back to those days fondly, and inspire me to pick it back up again. Thinking back to my days in highschool, I can remember when my interests in running and Disney had converged when I found out about this little thing called RunDisney.

Among the variety of amazingly creative races, that allowed runners and athletes of all sorts to actually run through the parks as part of the race course, there was always one that stuck out to me as the ULTIMATE challenge for me as a runner. That is the Dopey Challenge.

To anyone outside of the running community, and probably even some people within it, this challenge would seem like an insanely uninteresting and crazy, but to me as a probably a little Cross-Country-crazy highschooler, it seemed like a dream! Those who participate in this challenge do it over the annual Walt Disney World Marathon Weekend, and must complete a series of increasingly longer races each day.

On day one, it starts simply enough, running a 5K. The next day, things take a turn, and the runner must complete a 10K. The next day goes a step up from there, and runs a half-marathon. For the final challenge, and the most intimidating of them all, the runner attempts a marathon. This is a crazy feat to accomplish for anyone, even with the proper training, but I just found the idea of it so fun to try!

While I may not run as much as I used to, running is something I would like to implement back into my life, and maybe one day give one of these races a shot.

[tyler-talks-disney]

Walt Disney's Alice Comedies (1923)

Did you know that before Mickey Mouse even made it onto screens, and even before Oswald the Lucky Rabbit, Walt Disney made other films? This is Walt Disney's Alice Comedies. This is the first of 57 silent films made by Walt Disney, which follows a girl named Alice and her adventures in "Cartoonland".

It's really interesting to see some of the earliest works by Walt Disney and see just how far we have come in terms of animation. What I find super interesting is just how innovative Walt was even before he made it big with Mickey Mouse. Its honestly super inspiring to see that even famous people like Walt have to start somewhere.

I totally recommend giving this film a watch, its a nice little window into the history of film and Disney. Some fun things I even noticed while watching was that some of the background music used in this film, also seemed to be remixed for the main theme for the ToonTown MMO game I talked about a few weeks ago. In conclusion, it's a fun watch!

[tyler-talks-disney]

Dr. Alberta Falls & the S.E.A.

As promised, I want to further explain the interesting hidden story of the Society of Explorer and Adventurers (S.E.A.) that is carefully hidden within the lore of the Disney Parks, attractions and even films. Today's entry is the famed explorer and navigator of the world's rivers, Dr. Alberta Falls. Dr. Falls is one of the many members of the S.E.A. and is famed for his amazing discover of the "Back Side of Water" (or Scweitzer Falls) in 1911, which is featured as a running gag on the classic Disney parks ride, Jungle Cruise.

In Disney lore, Dr. Falls is the the founder of the Jungle Navigation Company of whom you travel with on the Jungle Cruise Attraction. His association with the S.E.A. is as a host. The main headquarters of the Jungle Navigation Company also served as his home, which is where he held meetings with many of the other members of the S.E.A.

Dr. Falls is also referenced in a number of other places throughout the DIsney Parks: Trader Sams, the Skipper Canteen and the wall of Expedition Paddles at the Tropical Hideaway. It is clear that in the scope of Disney's universe, Dr. Falls has made quite the mark because of his adventures.

Dr. Falls was also mentioned in the 2021 adaptation of the Jungle Cruise attraction, which has me really excited for the potential future of a S.E.A. storyline in some of their newest films. Alberta's role was quite small in the film, but the mention of him has me excited that he and the S.E.A. could make their introduction on the big screen.

While these characters play a small role in the parks, I find this type of world building within a theme park to be super exciting and welcomed. As a storyteller myself, I appreciate the lengths that the Walt Disney Company goes to in order to make the theme park experience that much more exciting for those who like to keep an active eye as they traverse the park.

[tyler-talks-disney]

Kingdom Keepers

Have you ever been interested in what goes on at the Disney Parks after the sun sets? Have you ever wondered what happens to the magic after the last guest leaves the park? Well, it's safe to say a whole new world comes to life after the park closes its doors for the night.

Today I REALLY wanted to talk about my favorite book series of all time, and one that I think doesn't get enough recognition or notice in the Disney Community and that is the Kingdom Keepers series. This series is about a group of teens who are modeled to be hologram guides at the Disney Parks (DHI or Disney Host Interactive). But little do they know, they would eventually find themselves waking up in the body of their holograms when they go to sleep at night. If that wasn't interesting enough, the teens find out that all of the characters are real after night falls at Disney, including the villains, who have decided that they want to take over the parks!

This was a book series I very quickly made my way through, as I really felt pulled into the world of Ridley Pearson's Kingdom Keepers. The characters I found to be really relatable and interesting, and I just couldn't ever really put the book down. I felt like I really grew up with the characters as I made my way through the series. I've never really considered myself to be a big reader, but once I found this series, I very quickly turned into once during the course of reading the series.

I think that this series really caught my eye as I Disney fan, as it really made the magic that is talked about all the time at Disney feel real. And as a teen with a VERY over active imagination, it was perfect to even get me into writing, and creating my own stories as well. I really enjoy the fun and whimsical nature of this series, and it really has inspired me in many ways as a writer, and I thank it for that.

They even created a second series that takes place after the original seven book series, that takes their adventures to a whole new level. While it is a series that I haven't gotten a chance to finish all the way through, I can definitely say that it is just as good as the originals.

Kingdom Keepers is a perfect book series to get into for teens and even young adults who are interested in Disney.

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Remembering Disney's Toon Town

Does anyone remember the MMORP Toon Town Online? As I child I found this wonderfully wacky game that allowed you to become a Toon, and defend your home against the villainous group known as the Cogs, who have been trying to take away fun from Toon Town.

It wasn't a game that I played all the time, but there is definitely a wave of nostalgia I have for old Disney games like this and Club Penguin. One day I would LOVE to go back and play through this game, and actually beat it maybe. I have always been a big fan of MMO games like this, my main game to date still being Wizard101. I was never a fan of the pay per zone style of these games, but there was always something extra fun that drew me to games such as these.

One of the things that I remembered the most about this game was it's very unique battle system. Rather than simply battling the cogs fist to fists, Disney plays into the whimsical cartoon elements of the Toons and has them play pranks on the Cogs, who end up defeated by the power of fun! I am definitely going to have to revisit this game!

[tyler-talks-disney]

The Hidden Story at the Disney Parks Part 1

Did you know that the Disney Parks have their own secret society? No, I am not talking about the famous Club 33, but in fact am talking about the elusive FICTIONAL group that ties hidden in the background lore of several attractions, parks and even films called the Society of Explorers and Adventurers (S.E.A.).

Hidden globally throughout the Disney parks is a hidden lore that connects the parts of the parks together narratively. Rides such as Big Thunder, Haunted Mansion, Jungle Cruise and many more are tied to the adventures of these people, and if you look closely you may find that they have left their mark on the park.

Disney does a great job at tying their adventures into not only the park but also into real histories including people such as Leonardo Da Vinci being a member of their ranks at some point in time.

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“The mission of the Society of Explorers and Adventurers is to collect, conserve, and curate valuable cultural and artistic artifacts from around the world and make them available to the public in an artistically pleasing and sensitive manner. It is furthermore the mission of the organization to equip and mount socio-cultural expeditions to discover, explore, chronicle and protect the artistic achievements of human society, past and present, exalted and forgotten.”―S.E.A. Mission Statement found at Oceaneer Lab and Mystic Manor

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I absolutely adore what Disney has done to craft a narrative around their parks, that connect them in ways never thought possible. Not only is it just an interesting thing to look out for if you are ever in the parks, it expands the reaches of the Disney Universe and brand in an interesting way. Similarly to that of the MCU or Starwars, these stories could quite possibly be a way for Disney to start their own live action cinematic universe. This may be something that we are already seeing take shape with the release of the 2021 Jungle Cruise movie, and the upcoming 2023 film: the Haunted Mansion.

There is a lot to unpack surrounding the Lore of the S.E.A, enough that I cannot cover in one post, so I hope to expand upon this, so that we may uncover one of my personal favorite ways that Disney uses narrative in their parks. So consider this an introduction to the S.E.A., as more content is to come to unpack this interesting piece of Disney Lore

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A Brave New World

For the past several weeks I have been actively rewatching the hit 90s Disney Channel show: Boy Meets World. Today, I finished all 7 seasons and 158 episodes. There was always something that had me coming back to this show over and over again. The show touches a large range of subjects like love and loss over its seven season runtime, sometimes even touching into darker subjects that pull at the heartstrings, despite the show's often lighthearted and fun nature. But perhaps what draws me most to the show is its central theme centering around life and growing up.

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"Believe in yourselves...dream...try...do good..." -George Feeny

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As I am now in my last semester of college and very quickly approach the start of adult life, the themes in the show have (once again) become relevant in my own life. And now once more I listen to the words of George Feeny circle around in my head. The lessons learned by Cory, Shawn and Topanga are not only simple resolves to television plotlines, but are also important lessons that apply to our own lives as we grow and mature. It's extremely comforting to see these characters grow and change as they figure out their own place in the world, it shows that we are not alone in doing the same thing.

I would be lying if I said that I didn't have a little fear about the road ahead. But despite that fear, it's something I know that I am ready for, because I know I am prepared. The messages of the show echo in the memory of the many teachers and role models I have had over the years, and it gives me hope that I'm going to be okay. I think that is why the show hits so hard for me, in a way I feel a deeper connection to the character Cory as I experience the world through his eyes over the course of the show. Cory's growth reflects that of our own growth in our understanding of life and the world around us as we transition into adulthood.

[tyler-talks-disney]

Disney & the Art of Storytelling

Today I'd like to talk about storytelling in design. And to begin I'd like to tell a little story of my own. This topic came to me almost as soon as I found these sets of posters created for Disney's 100 Years of Wonder celebration. Much like the rest of the elements in Disney's brand, posters such as these serve a larger purpose beyond entertaining and informing, they build a narrative. They give the viewer a slight glimpse into moments of Disney's past, present, and pave the way for where they wish to head into the future.

As a Graphic Designer I am not only a visual artist, but I also consider myself to be a storyteller above all else. I believe that a story is much more than just words on a page or clips in a film. Everything that we see in life has a story, whether it be the person sitting beside you or the device you are reading this blog from. This is something that Disney understands well, and have employed in their branding since the first day Mickey Mouse was brought to life on screen. And it is clear that an important lesson in branding is to be learned from the Walt Disney company. A brand is much more than its logo or the products it sells, contrary to what many may believe, a brand can take on a life and personality of its own. It's more than just a company, it's the collective thoughts, feelings and ideas of a group of people coming together to produce something worth seeing and acknowledging. Though bringing the brand to life may be all but illusionary, in a way it humanizes a brand and breathes it new life.

Take the Disney theme parks as an example. When one steps into these parks, there is a feeling and experience that is created that goes beyond rides and churros. You are brought directly into the world of Disney, and it becomes a place where you can visit places you've only seen on screens. Walt Disney said on the opening of the original Disneyland park in 1955 that "Disneyland is your land..." and that is surely feels like the case when you step into a Disney park.

It is the narrative that Disney has embedded into its branding that draws the most appeal to audiences. It's tale of magic and wonder, triumph and perseverance through all odds that separates it from other animation companies like Dreamworks or Illumination. Through its films, its parks, and even in its poster art, Disney offers inspiration to the dreamers to step up and give your dream a shot. Because as Walt Disney once said:

"All our dreams can come true, if we have the courage to pursue them."

This is a lesson that I take into my own works. It has probably been one of the best things for me to realize as a graphic designer in order to take my work to a new level. Good stories are seen, and even better stories are felt on a level beyond which you can see with your eyes. Brand are not static objects, they are living and breathing. Good brands go beyond purely capitalistic decisions and practices, they connect with the people that use them and create something more than just a product.

[tyler-talks-disney]

"If you can dream it, you can do it." -Walt Disney

[tyler-talks-disney]

Hello World!

Hello World, and welcome to the first entry in a blog series I would like to call "Tyler Talks Disney". Here I will, as the title says, talk about Disney, as it has always been a big part of my life, and helps fuels my creative passions in big ways.

I'm hoping that I will be able to explore the things about Disney that interest me, whether that be its history, current events, art, etc. and how it applies to and inspires me daily. With Disney finally reaching its turn of the century, I think this is the perfect time to explore how Disney's and its "100 Years of Wonder" have inspired and impacted me, and probably many others.

I am hoping to not only to share interesting things that inspire me, but also hopefully learn some new things myself.