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Episode 59: Ken Bruce - Part 2
58 Plays1 year ago
On this week's episodes we're pleased to present the second half of our conversation with animator and author Ken Bruce!
For more on Ken and his book "Before the Birds Sang Words" check out his website HERE
DISCLAIMER: We are not an affiliate of the Walt Disney Company, nor do we speak for the brand or the company. Any and all Disney-owned audio, characters, and likenesses are their property and theirs alone.
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Transcript
Welcome and Introduction
00:00:01
Speaker
Welcome to Sharing the Magic, the podcast that takes you on a journey through the enchanting worlds of Disney. Each week, we're joined by a special guest, whether they're a magician creating moments of astonishment or a Disney expert sharing the secrets behind the magic of the happiest place on Earth. Together we'll uncover the stories, inspirations, and behind the scenes tales that bring these worlds to life.
Conversation with Ken Bruce
00:00:32
Speaker
So, get ready to be spellbound and transported to a place where dreams come true.
00:00:49
Speaker
yeah
00:00:54
Speaker
Hi everyone and welcome to this week's episode of the Sharing the Magic podcast. Last week we brought to you part one of our conversation with animator and author Ken Bruce. This week we invite you to listen in on part two of that conversation. and so what And I have a question about about your book, actually. You know, reading through your website, one of the comments that I found actually really amazing came from Kyle Barnes reviewing your book. Yes. And and he actually said as a 34 plus year Imagineer, I can say that this is the best book I've ever read about my company.
00:01:34
Speaker
Now, to make that statement to any author with the thousands of Disney based books that have been written over the years for someone that is in the trenches in Imagineering for 34 years to say that that's obviously an ultimate compliment
Ken's Creative Process and Career
00:01:53
Speaker
to you. And that was yeah, that was amazing and really, really great. Yeah, I could not believe it when I read that he might got weepy. I'm sure I got. we he He stated, you know, you you stated in your information to us, you spent 10 years formulating a timeline. You spent six years writing the book and getting this perfected. You know, you come from a creative and animation based background and career and you do all these amazing things with opening your mind. How did you formulate the recipe
00:02:33
Speaker
to create this book in a manner that that result happens that it did a 34 year imagineer how did it become so I have I did not expect that that it I did not expect the book to resonate with people all I knew is that it resonated with me all I could do is like write the book that I wanted to read So the fact that people go like like found value in the book ah just was so absolutely validating and it made all that work.
00:03:08
Speaker
you know, come together. I think what I would add, and that I didn't, I think it it happened by ah just by osmosis. Since I'm in a creative field, I'm in the trenches of of making things often, you know, building movies up from the ground, from the ground up. So I just have that world in me that that back and forth sort of process of building something and the hit and miss and hit and miss so i have those eyes and apparently according to people who have given me uh... the greatest compliments that fed into the book that that that prism that i see things through fed into the book being that i got into the mind of waltz while he was creating this and so i created a story that that
00:03:59
Speaker
that reflected that in the trenches, of building something and being creative and making mistakes and learning from them. um I didn't know I was doing that until I heard back.
Shrek and Teamwork
00:04:13
Speaker
And these people, ah and it and I thought, you know, but first it was one person, then it was many who were like, Ken, I've read many books about Walt, but I've never read a book that that is about Walt personally, just in that in that headspace of being a creator. So that was the ultimate compliment. And I didn't know I did it. I wasn't trying to do that. But apparently I did.
00:04:36
Speaker
So so your passion brought you to this incredibly successful place, but you're also been extremely successful in your regular career as well because your list of accomplishments is extraordinary. So, well, thank you. It's funny because being, being in it, like I don't think that way. I was just like, you know, one job after the other. And I bring some things to some projects and I don't in others and it's like so yeah, it's yeah.
00:05:09
Speaker
So my question, you I'm going to bring an interesting question. It's one you often hear in a job interview, and I'm going to bring it to you just with a standard question because I'm curious. What would you say is the most significant accomplishment of your career that you are most proud of personally? This book. It would be the book. That's OK. So that and as far as my career career, ah you know, I don't like I've you know, it it is so great to have been I think less about the projects I've been on and more the honor it has been to work with just some incredibly talented and amazing people that that that is the stuff I remember.
00:05:54
Speaker
i you know I keep going back to you know maybe you love it, maybe you don't. I mean, I love the fact that I worked on Up and Toy Story 3. These movies were amazing and the crews were unbelievable um and and I'm so proud to have been a part of them. But as far as the most fun I've had in my career, it was easily working on Shrek. um for various reasons. So I worked on Shrek and then um you know when um when we were done I moved on to other things. But Shrek was one of those things that was ah it was a troubled it was a troubled um show. I was in the storyboard department and it was going to be a motion capture ah production when motion capture was brand new and no one had done anything like it. But it quickly became apparent that that was not going to work. um
00:06:40
Speaker
So they had to halt production and hold on to the storyboard people, which was a group of me and four other people maybe, um for the better part of... How long did I work on Shrek? Was it two years? Anyway, it was it was a while. So we just sat in a room for months laughing and being silly and and um sketching dopey stuff. And I'm not a fan of the way Shrek looks visually. I think it's kind of weird looking.
00:07:11
Speaker
um But I am very proud of it ah from a storytelling standpoint and from a character standpoint and from a tone and humor standpoint. And I do feel like those those yeah those months that we spent together ah laughing um day after day in a you know in a in an office far away from everybody else got into the film, made it into the film and and helped it be as successful as it was. that that The laughs in Shrek are us laughing together. So that was the most fun I've ever had. I don't think I've ever had, those were just great people and I love them all. And um what what a good time that was. So i think that's what comes to mind.
00:07:55
Speaker
I think that's crazy that you actually mentioned that and that's a very unique perspective for me to hear that you actually almost believe that the movie improved and got better as a result of being delayed by being able to yeah deal. as a team where that doesn't always happen.
Personal Projects and Perseverance
00:08:13
Speaker
um And then the fact that you bring up your book as your most you know significant accomplishment in a sense, um that speaks to me to the passion that you put behind it and why you're getting those kinds of compliments because I think
00:08:29
Speaker
when a writer truly can convey how they not only want the story to be told, but how they want to live and experience that story from with, you know, what you're speaking on is just something some authors don't reach that level of connection. And, you know, you've had an amazing success. Seeing some of the compliments on your website is actually mind blowing, like just john that was great. You are company. I'm gonna I'm gonna I'm gonna hopefully blow some mini minds here. Disneyland. Okay, so there's a quote in my book that I love because it it kind of underscores Walt's transition to just doing hobbies on his own because you know, quite frankly, his day job was not as um ah it wasn't bringing him joy like it used to.
00:09:15
Speaker
So he moves on to his hobby. And the quote is, I forget who who says it, the quote is, no matter no matter what you do, do something else. And that quote unquote, do something else ah that ah wal did Walt did led to Disneyland. Disneyland was Walt's extracurricular activity, hands down. and related to all of his personal projects. He had his day job and then he had his thing that he did. I have my day job, which I love, but I also have had the book and that book was pure me telling a story. And so that that that would be my message to every listener you have, which is that idea of do your thing
00:09:58
Speaker
but make sure you're doing something that is purely for you. prefer you know Something creative, something where you're building something. It could be as simple as a sock or an afghan you're making, but make it come from you and make sure you're doing that. That is what we give. That is that is that is a pure reflection of you and you all everyone should do something else. a Sunday night podcast. That is where you go. That is ah that is where our passion is. Or maybe you take and like this is all hypothetical. Maybe you take old goofy stories from the 70s, the 80s, the 60s, the 50s, and you have a wonderful wife who is a librarian and she's got ah such a great speaking voice. And she goes, once upon a time, there was a person named Goofy.
00:10:53
Speaker
And then you go, oh gosh, well that guy, okay. And and you just you just post it to the internet. There you go, boom. hypo Hypothetical, I'm not saying it's. Oh, of course, of course. But I think it's. We knew you were gonna do it. How many more times are you gonna do that goofy voice? No more times. I'm joking. and No more times, I promise. I promise everybody. Okay, bye. No, we're teasing you. so um But no more times. If you were interviewing yourself, what would be the deepest question you'd want to ask yourself in a podcast environment?
00:11:34
Speaker
Oh, dear God. Holy cow. We're going to take a shower. i I'm very curious to you know, people often have a message they want to share. They have a point. They have something that really means something special. And in a podcast environment, we as hosts don't always find that niche for you to give you a platform. No, that's true. So so screwed we always ask the right question. Yeah. So often a guest will sit prior to a podcast and be like, I really hope they ask this question or I really want to share this fact. Do you have that kind of question that you can answer yourself right now to our listeners?
00:12:20
Speaker
The question, that i at least in relation to this book, the question I i still ah still ask myself, and I don't know that I'll ever be able to be able to answer it, is how did you do that? but how did you find the patient How did you find the patient to do that? And I don't know, like, what was the fire under my hiney that kept me going for so long? um It got to a point where I just had to finish it. Like when you tell all your friends, I'm writing this book on the Tiki Room.
00:12:53
Speaker
You've just wasted their time if you don't finish the book. If you got to like if you get a license plate for the back of your car, or which I did that says, you know Tiki Room, 1963, you better finish the book. ah well That certainly helped me finish the book. But even then, it's ah it's just like, how did I do it? How did I not? There were times when I almost did give up. I can't do this. yeah so like So the big question, and I don't have an answer, I don't i still am like, what and like i didn't I wasn't doing it for fame and fortune. I was i i would tell everybody, you know, 12 people enjoy this book. I really am happy. So the fact that, you know, more than 12 people have enjoyed it ah is is thrilling. And people like Kyle saying nice things is thrilling.
00:13:38
Speaker
But yeah, like there's part of me and I mentioned it on other podcasts that thinks, did you really do that? Were you just possessed? Because it's it's a lot. yeah and but my other my other My other couple points is um when you do if you do have ah like you do have projects out there that you're doing, um finish Finish them. They are useless to the world. They're useless to you. If you don't finish them, just finish it. like Start something, finish it. and smith um they Statistically, Ken, you're 76% more likely to actually finish the project if you verbally share it with other people than you are if you keep it to yourself.
00:14:24
Speaker
that's ah That's an ah actual statistical fact. that Is it because that might have been part of it? Because I was thinking it's going to be so embarrassing. you don't want to if someone If someone goes, so how's that book going? And I go, oh, I gave you it up. like I couldn't do that. So I just kept marching on and marching on. And then I got to a point where I was like, you know, I would read it. And I go, oh, this feels good. like i'm really i This feels like a really interesting story. and you know And then, but it's forever. And I also, oh, and I also set myself a deadline. I didn't technically meet it, but I was like, if I can get this done by the Tiki Room's 60th anniversary, I will be happy.
00:15:08
Speaker
because that would that would be a good time to celebrate both the tiki room and the book coming out. I missed it by a few months, but I literally, like years previous, can't just aim for the 60th anniversary and and I marched forward. And i have to I have to ask, you've spent 16 years of your life dedicated to this story, this attraction, everything else. Would you still say it's your favorite attraction at Disneyland after all you've spent on it and all you've learned or have you found a new attraction that you are?
00:15:46
Speaker
Well, you know, it's like someone said at at the Disney Studios when I was talking to some people over there. It's it's not but it's not the but it's not the best Disney attraction, maybe. But it again, it it it is the most consequential. It is the most important to the history of of the park. um Is it my favorite? I don't know that it is my favorite. it ah it it Maybe it is. but it is But it is the attraction that I think has the most interesting story. So I wanted to tell that because because the book isn't ah the making of the Enchanted Tiki Room. It's called Before the Birds Sang Words for a Reason. I actually came up with that title way late in the game because I was realizing
00:16:28
Speaker
well into the project. I haven't even gotten to the start of the making of the Tiki Room. I had been covering in a lot of other stuff that I think was very valuable to the story at hand.
Creative Challenges and Solutions
00:16:37
Speaker
So it is not just the story of the Tiki Room, it's the story of the development of the park and animatronics and Walt's passion. a child child like passion for all the miniatures and toys that he loved it that went into it. So so it's not necessarily specifically the tickeroom. It's the it's the story, which I think is just great and needs to be told. Yeah. So we got the best attraction, my favorite attraction now. Well, you you you we've we have a
00:17:11
Speaker
I think we sort of sort of have a mantra on here. The story shapes life. And would, you know, and. Well, I just told the story and Walt. I know. Because Brian was like, Brian was like, OK, let's cut through the cut cut through everything because I did shape the book as if I did shape the book. And that's tough when you're dealing with history because history is chaotic and doesn't flow naturally like a like a story. But but part of the hard work of writing the book is making it flow like a page turner like yeah like oh what happens next one of my favorite i've told this story many times is uh my friend Kevin was like reading the book and he goes Ken i'm whatever 200 and blah blah pages in and it's still a restaurant and i love that because it's like there's the page turner quality it's like
00:18:00
Speaker
like when is it? When did they when is it not going to be a restaurant? Yeah, because for a longest time, it was a restaurant. So ah yeah, so it's that idea of like, I kind of know how this ends. But how do we get there? How do we? go i love Yeah, yeah. yeah and can you I'll say I'm it's this is gonna sound so freaking cheesy I gotta tell but you but you've been I love me my age you've been a can you've been a page turner because ah don you know how to cut through like you know like just just Brian just asked a question made me feel oh Brian's like Brian's question like geez man what we do do do we just ask these questions out of thin air what the heck well you You know, but not only was it, I think a great question. I would, I would probably would been too intimidated to ask, but you did a wonderful job of, of action of being like, Hey, this is my story. You know, let me, know i hope I hope so. I hope so. Yeah. So this has been so cool. So all of you have extracurricular activities and I've said it before, but, and I will say it again.
Cultivating Curiosity
00:19:09
Speaker
I think people who have an innate sense of curiosity, a lot of people don't. yeah um ah People who have an innate sense of like curiosity about everything are going to have the best lives ever. ah so so Jeff, if you turn around, and and I'm not joking, and take one of those tiles and then start a deep dive on what goes into making that tile, it sounds ridiculous, but If you if you if you really did start working on that, you would find out so many amazing things that were utterly magical. Like one of the things, yeah, there we go. Like simple tile, but what's it made of? And what is the history of all the pieces that came into that? Like, where's the factory? Who works at the factory? How did they do that?
00:19:56
Speaker
What's the materials they put into it? How was it researched? Again, people with an innate sense of curiosity are blessed because they will never be bored. Everything will be interesting. And um a sense of wonder. And a sense of wonder. Cultivate it because, and be patient. When you go into a museum museum, don't feel like you have to see everything. Focus on something and take it in and and ah learn something new. They're so like, you know, I had so many different tributary side side um research projects on the tiki room. One of them was like that thing called magnetic tape, which no one uses anymore. I use it all the time. How that came to be. What a fascinating story. So be curious, dig dig a little deeper. And the stories that come out of your out of your exploration will always be
00:20:51
Speaker
ah revelation and they will always be delightful so yeah this is for Ken always yeah i know i' go I'm gonna write Ken and then next next time we're on the podcast I'm going to bring this
Presentations and Book Promotions
00:21:06
Speaker
back up. I mean, I'm going to tell me a story and I want to hear that story and it's going to be a good story. And I just don't think it's going to have 10 surprises rolling out of it unexpectedly on the time. It could. It could. But Jeff's very creative. So this could happen um as before. We have you tell us about your website and link to get the books.
00:21:31
Speaker
um I know Rachel does have a question for you that she would love to ask as well. Yay, Rachel, because she's just been sitting there. Yay. I know. I just take it all in like a sponge and just and then spew it out. The first time I went into the tiki room, it took me a couple of years because I have five kids and they're wiggly and they don't want to sit anywhere. oh yeah So and I just like you all in the um small world. The first time I went into small world Christmas version was the same way that I reacted. The first time I went into tiki room, I was like, Oh my gosh, this is amazing and I went in again just to like figure it all out. um My question is, are you going to be at D23 this year?
00:22:16
Speaker
um Or are you going to be, are you out and about where you sign at, sign your books or promote your books where we can. That is starting to happen. Like my very first live in person presentation will be this Wednesday morning at what we call the l LA breakfast club. And then I have another event at a Tiki a tiki fan event in San Diego, California. in August. ah
00:22:48
Speaker
um And I'm told that once you do your first, it usually becomes ah you know an automatic floodgate of of others. People will come up to you and say, oh, so I have a feeling like I'll be doing a lot more. D23, I think it's I'm too late to it. There's still a possibility. I don't think I'm going to go. Maybe the following year, i just that that's such a huge thing to figure out and organize. There's one person that I know that that believes he can um squeeze me in, and but I don't think it's going to be this year. But I would love to be a part of that, and I know that eventually I probably will, to just you know be the Tiki Room guy. Anybody have any questions? I'm there. You will. um But yeah, good question. I think the world needs a Tiki Room guy.
00:23:35
Speaker
I think I'm maybe that guy now. I know. I might be that guy now. Maybe I maybe I mean selfish. I need a Tiki room guy. Well, so there's a Tiki land day. Well, there's that and person too. Like I just want I want. i my heart maybe i need to go to the tiki land day i've only my i tely disney mine my dream it'll never ever happen is to actually like have the tiki room to myself and maybe three other friends that's probably not going to happen and unless i like
00:24:06
Speaker
do it by mistake where it's like the last show of the day but like the idea of like actually talking about the tiki room in the tiki room would be unbelievably amazing but that's not the way it works at Disney like if they they they do they do not do things like that but how much fun would that be to be in that space going hey guys we're here for the tiki room and I'm going to tell you a a bit of this I'm gonna give you a presentation then and then we'll watch the show what fun that would be So yes, I will eventually be doing more and more talks. My first is ah um Wednesday morning, and part of even today was putting the final touches on my little keynote. And I think it's a fun little i think it's a fun little presentation full of lots and lots of fun little tidbits that I think people will enjoy.
00:24:49
Speaker
When I get that Disney contract, we all know I'm going to get Ken. You're going to have that real all to yourself. i Yes, please. I'll take three hours. Yes, I'll take it. All right. I'll take it. for I'll take it for a half hour. And three hours. It'll be three hours. I'll make it harder to rent it out. It'd probably be thousands. But you can do that, apparently, if you work with the team. Oh, yeah. I have my friends. I'm going to let them all in. Oh, yeah. Come on in. We're going to have it. Jeff, do you do that professionally? um There's nobody in the world that studies Bill Farmer's voice more, I say this, more intentionally and more like I do. We've talked to Bill. I talked to Bill.
00:25:33
Speaker
i I'm not Pinto Colvick. I'm not. I'm not. I'm not. I'm not. Oh, God. Mickey's Christmas Carol. um Tony. No, no. Tony Pope was OK. I love Bill Farmer. Bill Farmer is like my. I love him enough. You need to love him enough to just push him aside and take over for him. No, no, no. I want him to live. for over 200 years. And I want him to be goofy for the rest of my life. And I just but I love that man. And I've Yeah, I've talked to him. and I'm like, Bill, there's nobody in the world that says your voice as much. No, I don't say goofy's voice. I say Bill Farmer's voice. And so you're so you so Bill does goofy and you do Bill doing goofy. Yep, yep, and I'm okay saying that it's it's a weird. It's a weird thing, but my my great great cousin was Pat Buttrum, you know Well,
00:26:37
Speaker
um well that was my great great cousin I never met him but all these other voice actors did and so I grew up feeling like well that was my great great cousin and but I never met him and all these other great people did and but I grew up doing his voice his voice Pat Buttrum well guess who is a huge fan of Pat Buttrum and I call this your anchor voice your anchor voices what was the first voice that you started out with well for Bill Farmer it was Pat Buttrum so was mine
00:27:10
Speaker
There you go, wow. Yeah, so there's level players up there, but but with Goofy, there's highs and lows, so it transforms. It's like your level share, but turn it can turn into Goofy. Up here, and then it goes down, and up and down. Warsh. I'm up and down and up and down. yeah You know, so it it transforms, but but when there's overlapping stuff in voice acting, it is just, and and the voice of Goofy, I didn't find it, it found me. I had no idea that I i love the voice of Goofy, and it but it found me. I had a little Labrador dog, and I would sing them Disney songs, and then I started singing them songs in Goofy.
00:27:59
Speaker
the voice and and I was like you know doing pat butt trump but then I was like oh my goodness I was doing goofy voice and I'm okay at this and then it sparked my passion for goofy so you know I don't I told bill farmer this I'm like I'd I i ah probably weirded him I'm sure I'm I'm sure I I know I I know I weirded like he's he thinks I'm a weirdo But i like people people think you're a weirdo, Jeff. I can't imagine. Well, because Ken, you definitely discovered Jeff's something else. This is just something else. Like this is this is throw me under. Brian's Brian's thinking we've heard this before. I know. Yes. That's what we're. Everyone's like everyone on the screen other than you get this thing. Oh, yeah. It's actually we love Jeff. He's he's very good at goofy though. Matt. Matt is quietly thinking this is the time when my phone should go out. Yeah, I know. Actually, on behalf of Matt, and he did say to apologize, his phone actually did go out about 20 minutes ago. I'm going to mute my I'm going to mute my mic. But we love your goofy.
00:29:16
Speaker
In in all this, Ken, you've brought up some great points to tonight about finding a passion outside of what you do and keeping it. And Jeff's is obviously his voice work and he's very good at it. Great. He enjoys it. And, you know, Barry, I don't care. Yeah, I don't care what people's passions are. but If they have them, they are blessed. Like I don't know what what microcosm of the world that you brings you joy. I like like. The fact that you love it puts you put you, ah you know, and ah on ah on and on ah um a new level. One hundred percent. and And on that note, how do we get your book?
Disney Attractions Discussion
00:30:00
Speaker
Because I know you have a website. I know you have signed copies available or hardcover copies available, I believe. So it is on Amazon and that is the easiest way to get it.
00:30:12
Speaker
um You'll get it fast. If you buy it through me, I'm happy to send you a copy, but you know I'm the one boxing it up and sending it off, which is totally fine. Amazon might be a little faster. But yeah, you can either get one on from my website or go to Amazon and grab a copy there. They're still available. um I'm about to do a second printing where I can finally address some things, some nagging things that annoy me that are all minor. um but I'm delighted that people are buying it so that I get that get that opportunity. That feels great. But yeah, Amazon is you search for before the birds sang words. And what is your website? And the website is Tiki Room 63 dot com.
00:30:57
Speaker
OK, and is there do very easy. Do you have any social media or anything that people could follow you? yeah No, getting the website up was was enough of a enough of a process. There's so much going on. Like I'm doing the audio book, ah which is a process. I'm creating this keynote. It's just like I only have so many hours in the day. And the website, actually, ah ah the the guy who edited my book ah took that over and ran with it. and made the the website just gorgeous. And ah and so that that I don't have to worry about. So yeah, eventually there might be other other um um social, like me maybe I'll have a Facebook page ah dedicated to it that probably wouldn't be too too difficult to create. and Any suggestions? allll like What do people like? The tiki room guy.
00:31:46
Speaker
There you go. You've got to start. Well, no, as far as going as far as like, should I go on Instagram or like, I don't even know how I'm new. I'm new to all of this. I think I think you can go wherever your passion takes you. That's that. That's the that's the best answer for you right there. Well, you know, I'm a Facebook guy, so I'm on Facebook. So maybe I'll make a Facebook page that, you know, that is specifically, you know, book focused or tiki room focused. A lot of people have similar. it It probably depends on the age group you're looking for. So if you're older, people go to Facebook, younger people, you want to go to TikTok and Instagram, and then people who are out there, you want to go to X. And Ken, I'm like, I just ah sent you a friend request.
00:32:32
Speaker
I know we're used. No, I just I sent you a friend request. It'd be really cool if you'd be my friend. I don't know. Of course. See, can we have to have you come back? Shaver. Yeah, I mean, I can shave my face because I don't want to know your. your actual feelings on the overlay that they did at Walt Disney World with the E.I. go. So I want to hear that. Oh, dear God, that is a rabbit hole. We don't need to go on. Go down. But I guys i still am anxious to I'm anxious to find out what the new ah country bear jamboree. Oh, my God. Looks and feels like I think that just opened and we got to get you back on during that. I'm such a I'm such a fan of the original show, but I get it. Well, I just see what they did with it.
00:33:19
Speaker
Well, we we've been talking, me and Barry have been talking a little bit. Barry, correct me if I'm wrong, but we're like, we've been talking about like a lot of our guests. What if we had some of our guests who call this a crazy idea? What if we had some of our guests back on, not as guests, but as co-hosts and some of these? did Oh, well, well, some of you all know each other. a lot of you know each other so that's sort of kind of the point. It's like we have co-hosts that like ooh and you know we had a we had a anniversary and it's like every and I was like I'm gonna dress the elephant in the room
00:34:01
Speaker
We all know, it do you all, not me, but you all know each other. So why don't you all just talk and let us hang back and just, you all just have a good time. It was one of the most amazing experiences, I think. So I'm like, well, you know, if if there's something you're passionate about particularly, well. Well, here's something you need to hear before I head off yeah before you boot and boot me out of the room. um um
00:34:32
Speaker
i'm kind i don't you know i'm confident I'm confident that if Walt were alive, he'd say, you know, the parks that really are shining right now, the parks that really do seem to be um ah mirroring my interest in in lavish and pushing attack technological boundaries, those are in Tokyo. Tokyo just opened Fantasy Springs. That's so three attractions. The least of them is unbelievable. The best of them kind of makes Pirates of the Caribbean, at least on a technological level, not that interesting.
00:35:13
Speaker
uh... i am not there that they have three attractions one is repunzel based slash tangled one is uh... peter pan attraction uh... that is that is film based but amazing and then their third one which they must have spent nine hundred million dollars on is based on frozen i'm not a fan of frozen the movie nor my fan of what we call uh... book report rides where you get on the ride and they're basically just walking you through the movie that's not very creative and and I and if you're an imaginary you you kind of don't want to do that um but they did it anyway that being said it's unbelievable yeah utterly jaw dropping so you ever get a chance to get out to their both parks are lovely but they're um
00:36:09
Speaker
what's the What's the water park? I can't even i can't even think of a name now. Tokyo Disney Seas ah is baffling. Those people, they have money. They not only but have money to get what they want, but they take care of their attractions so well and it's instantly you're instantly aware of it. ah there's there's not There's not a lot of rides and attractions. There are now. There generally isn't at at Tokyo Disney Seas, but the very park itself is like its own ride. You but you walk through that, rock you walk through that park and it is a sensory overload. So um you can complain about what they're doing at some of the stateside parks.
00:36:52
Speaker
But the people, the the actual imagineers ah when they have a budget and are still are still doing amazing things. And we are also at the cusp of an imagineering arms race. so um man you know So it's going to be like bang, bang, bang, Universal Disney, Universal Disney, where they're going to be consistently blowing people's minds. So it's a good time to be a fan of immersive themed environments right now. Yep. While remembering the that that attraction that launched technology and and animatronic dimensional storytelling to them to the moon way back in 1963. Well, I guess I guess I'll just stay being a sea world fan, I guess.
00:37:43
Speaker
Oh, dear God. ah very so So, um, we'll go ahead and wrap up this episode. Ken, we got to have you back on again. Got to hear more. I had a great time with you guys. You have to wear your eyes. It was awesome. Upset Jeff too much. No, no, not at all. I'm just like, I'm so intrigued. I just want to talk for another like three hours. You have to wear your I heart. Yeah. Go shirt and tell us about that will never, never happen. I'm not upset. I just, I just want to talk more. I'm having such a good time. Right. I feel like
00:38:20
Speaker
We just got this thing started, but okay, goodbye everybody. ah All right, so and we'll just again, ah yeah ah everyone go out and get Ken's book because that would make him happy and then he he he he will write more books. He may write one about the overlay. Let's hope the overlay is coming. but so Well, you guys were great. That was a lot of fun and and and and unexpectedly silly. in a delightful and Oh, yeah. Yeah. We're, we're, we're a little bit wonky. So when we close out, we always do this big thing about, you know, follow us on all social media, because that's where you can find out about our episodes and who we have on and also find us on all podcast platforms and look for us under sharing the magic. And until next time, keep sharing the magic.
00:39:27
Speaker
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