Category: My Writing

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Best in the West – A Love Letter to “Legends of Frontierland”

About three months ago, a Disneyland cast document leaked detailing a then upcoming game called Legends of Frontierland. The document described a game in which Disneyland guests were supposed to create a character for themselves, buy “land” in town (which could include several of the real-world businesses), could run for government office, and even throw other … Continue reading Best in the West – A Love Letter to “Legends of Frontierland”

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What’s in an Ending? – Thoughts on “Legends of Frontierland’s” Extension

With Disneyland’s “Legends of Frontierland” set to end on Labor Day, the past week or so has been a bittersweet one for me. A new semester of school started last Monday, and being unsure at the time how often I’d get to head down to Disneyland during the week, I’ve already shared a few sentimental … Continue reading What’s in an Ending? – Thoughts on “Legends of Frontierland’s” Extension

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On the Issue of Monetizing “Legends of Frontierland” – An Open Letter to Disney

Dear Walt Disney Imagineering, Team Disney Anaheim, and whomever else it may concern, Over the past several weeks I have been playing “Legends of Frontierland,” and despite an initial suspicion that this was all going to be a spectacular mess, the game has far and away exceeded anything I could have dreamed of. You guys … Continue reading On the Issue of Monetizing “Legends of Frontierland” – An Open Letter to Disney

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On the Subject of “Theme” in Theme Parks

I read an article on MiceChat recently which suggested that part of the reason Universal’s recent aggressive expansion in theme parks has been working is because fans of Universal are less particular about “thematic intrusions” or the “appropriateness of intellectual property,” than Disney fans, who are far more vocal about such things. There may or … Continue reading On the Subject of “Theme” in Theme Parks

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Thoughts on Disneyland’s “Adventure Trading Company”

Following my initial post about Disneyland’s “Legends of Fronteirland” game, I have continued to play and have seen the game slowly evolve, and in many ways improve. Many of the flawed mechanics have been fixed, new features have been unveiled, and the cast of the game remains as excellent as the day it began. I’m … Continue reading Thoughts on Disneyland’s “Adventure Trading Company”

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What Theme Park Fans Can Learn From the Success of Video Games

Today, the great people at Extra Credits released their 200th episode. If you’re not familiar with these guys, PLEASE go check out their website. Their series of videos discussing all manner of topics relating to video games are not only entertaining but hugely important to our discussion of video games as an industry and as … Continue reading What Theme Park Fans Can Learn From the Success of Video Games

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Disneyland’s “Legends of Frontierland” Review – 99 Problems But a Bit Ain’t One

Today, Disneyland launched a new “interactive experience” called “Legends of Frontierland.” It’s best described as a strange hybrid of an Alternate Reality Game (ARG) with Live Action Role Playing (LARP) in which you, the guest, get to create a character, align yourself with one of two competing factions, and then do various tasks to help … Continue reading Disneyland’s “Legends of Frontierland” Review – 99 Problems But a Bit Ain’t One