Disney "Magic" Cruise, 2022

Our ship, the Disney "Magic"

We had reservations to visit Europe in July 2020, when the pandemic hit. Not only was our land tour of Spain canceled, but so was our Disney cruise From Barcelona to Dover, England. Disappointed, we nevertheless transferred our deposit to a cruise through the Panama Canal the following February, but it, too, was canceled. Finally, last week, we got to take our cruise—this time a six-night round-trip voyage from NYC to Halifax, Nova Scotia, on the Disney "Magic." Our goal? To see the fall colors rarely seen in Los Angeles.

This was our third Disney cruise, so not many surprises, though the experience—and service—was stellar as always. We boarded our ship in the Port of New York, after successfully passing a COVID test at the dock terminal. Lunch was waiting for us as soon as we came aboard. At 4:45PM, the crew and several Disney characters greeted everyone with a raucous and rousing show topside. We then went downstairs to prepare for dinner. We like the "early seating" (5:45PM) so we can digest our meal well before bedtime.

Never a dull moment on the Disney "Magic," even though we spent two entire days at sea. We enjoyed "Broadway-style" shows at night and a plethora of onboard daytime activities. Though there were lots of folks our age on the cruise, we (of course!) won the first "name that tune" contest of the trip: snippets of rock 'n roll songs from the '50s/60s. We also made new friends while waiting on line to meet some of our favorite Disney and Marvel "characters."

Highlights of our much-too-brief Disney "Magic" trip included dinner at the Animators Palate dining hall. Not only was the food excellent, but on our first night, scenes from animated Disney movies were projected on the walls surrounding the tables. I wasn't the only one wiping away happy tears. Then, on our fourth night, a highly imaginative show encouraged diners to create their own cartoon characters, which amazingly came to life before dessert! Luckily, we had wonderful dinner companions all six nights at table #57. Could it possibly be coincidence that the only other passenger who worked in radio was also seated at our table? I think not. Tim and new friend Jeff had lots to talk about!

Ahoy! Aboard ship, still docked in NYC

Crew and characters welcoming everyone before heading out to sea

Top deck: Not so hidden Mickeys

And more!

You know you're on a Disney cruise 

when your captain is a mouse!

Ship's lobby decorated for Halloween

Me with Mickey at the helm in the

ship's lobby

Passing the Statue of Liberty at sunset as we head out to sea

Day at sea: Getting our steps by walking around the ship.

3 laps = 1 mile

Winning "Name That Tune." Our prize: Mickey luggage tags.

(Are you seeing a theme here yet?)

Photo op with Captain America

And Jack Skellington, plus girlfriend Sally

My personal fave: Thor!

Night entertainment in the Walt Disney Theatre

Dinner show in Rapunzel's Cafe

Eating a hot dog poolside

Our silly cartoon characters that came to life in

Animators Palate. Can you guess who drew which?

The boat ride was wonderful, but so were the onshore tours. So please keep reading below!

Ennis House

 

Entrance to the Ennis House

 

L.A. is blessed with fabulous architecture: City Hall, Bullocks Wilshire, the Eastern Columbia Building, Disney Hall, the Dorothy Chandler Pavilion, as well as stunning homes designed by Richard Neutra, John Lautner, Charles and Ray Eames, Julia Morgan, Pierre Koenig, and, of course, Frank Lloyd Wright, who created four “textile block” houses in Los Angeles and Pasadena during the early 1920s. Perhaps the most renown—and elusive—of these is the Ennis House, located in the hills above Los Feliz.

 

 Southwest corner

Cast in concrete, Wright’s textile blocks are a work of art in and of themselves. Designed using indigenous-looking three-dimensional patterns, the blocks interlock and were reinforced internally with iron bars and concrete. Not only does the textile-effect distinguish the exterior of the homes, but also the interior. The result is an unconventional yet glorious architectural design, especially when juxtaposed to the lush landscape clearly visible through Wright’s large signature windows.

 

 Concrete textile block detail

Signs of deterioration

 

We’ve toured the Storer House in the Hollywood Hills, above Highland Blvd., and of course the Hollyhock House, which is open to the public in Barnsdall Park. But opportunities to tour the Ennis House have been few and far between, possibly because it was considered one of L.A.'s “most endangered historic places” for many years. Happily, the house has now been restored and was the main event of a fundraising tour offered by the architectural MAK Center last Sunday.

At 8000 square feet, the Ennis House looked like an ornate bunker as we approached it via impossibly skinny, winding roads on the south side of Griffith Park. Our tour group was small: only ten people, many of whom looked to be architects or photographers. We had open access to the property for an hour, but were not allowed to take pictures inside. No problem, however, as there was plenty to photograph outside, including breathtaking views of Los Angeles.

 

 Entrance gate

Front door

 

Hazy day in downtown L.A.

 

The front door is ground-level off the gated driveway. We entered into a small, dark lobby and then ascended a steep set of concrete stairs to the main living area. Sun poured into the space from all angles. The enormous height of the room and dramatic textile-block walls made the house look very much like a museum or Mayan temple. No one dared sit on the craft-style furniture, designed by Wright.

 

 Peering into the living room from outside

 

Period appliances

 

 Distinctive Frank Lloyd Wright window
 

The home has little resemblance to the dank rooms of Deckard’s apartment, famously depicted in the SF-noir movie Blade Runner, which was partially filmed at the Ennis House. Though the rest of the house is completely futuristic, the kitchen still has its early 20^th-century appliances. Outside are a pool and two ponds, plus patios and several landscaped paths. The chauffeur’s quarters are across the driveway from the house. We relished every moment of our brief tour.

 

 Pool on the northside of the house

 

 

Southern retaining wall, looking west at Griffith Observatory

 

Looking east

 

 Clearer view of the observatory

Tim on the path

 

Koi pond

 

From the Ennis House, the group then caravanned down to a reception at the Sowden House, designed by Wright’s son Lloyd. Located on Franklin Avenue, the house is another fine example of textile-block architecture, but not near as magnificent as Ennis.

 

Sowden House entrance

 

Door detail

 

Interior pool courtyard

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War of the Worlds Opera

 

War of the Worlds opera logo

 

I am freakishly obsessed with the 1940s air raid sirens that still dot L.A.’s urban landscape. Erected during WWII and active through most of the Cold War, they were a major part of my childhood, when we had to practice ducking-and-covering under our school desks every time the sirens were tested (at 10AM the last Friday of the month). 

Although decommissioned many decades ago, a majority of the sirens continue to quietly stand guard today. Most people don’t even notice them, but I think they’re marvelous: rusting artifacts of a time when America knew exactly who its enemies were. 

No wonder, then, that I was thrilled to hear that three air raid sirens were being reactivated as part of a new public performance based on War of the Worlds, Orson Welles’ infamous radio play. Staged as an opera at Disney Hall, in downtown Los Angeles, the concert was interrupted by live radio interviews, detailing a Martian invasion around the city. The interviews were being remotely broadcasted from sirens located within one mile of Disney Hall. I immediately reserved tickets for one of the sites.

 

 Site 1: Olive and 1st

Site 2: Main St. between 3rd and 4th

 

Site 3: Hill St. between 7th and 8th

 

Anxious to see how the sirens had been retrofitted for the performance, we scoped-out the three remote sites last weekend. Sure enough, the sirens got a fresh coat of paint and new up-to-date black speakers. We also got to see puppeteers rehearsing with one of the Martian aliens—very exciting! This looked to be a fun event and indeed it was.

 

 Puppeteers rehearsing with mechanical Martian

Tim, Karen and I were greeted by three soldiers when we arrived at our assigned site yesterday afternoon. They told us to remain calm, even though they themselves were visibly nervous about something. The “stage” was setup in an empty parking lot on Hill St. About 200 white folding chairs faced the small platform as well as, of course, the air raid siren, which ended up being the centerpiece of the production.

 

 Soldiers, General Lansing (one of the opera singers),

and air raid siren in the background

After a short while, we heard an orchestra warming up through speakers placed behind us. The narrator, actress Sigourney Weaver, was introduced and the opera began. The music was suitably eerie as we listened and waited.

 

 Soldier taking aim at the menacing air raid siren (no!)

About five minutes into the concert, Sigourney politely interrupted with news that “incandescent gas” from Mars was hurtling toward L.A. at “an enormous velocity.” She advised that there was nothing to worry about, but reminded the audience to take note of the nearest exit in case we had to suddenly flee. Soon there were reports of “cylindrical objects on poles in the sidewalk” doing strange things as our siren started emitting high-pitched noises. Turns out L.A.’s innocent-looking air raid sirens had been hiding dormant Martians for 70 years and now they were coming to life! Sure enough, we were soon joined by a large mechanical creature, crawling along the sidewalk and threatening our space.

 

 Under attack!

Not only was it fun hearing our siren “speak” again after all these years, but the actors’ dialog was very L.A.-centric. Lines like “a loud, metallic bang was heard as far north as Tarzana” and “enemy tripod machines over the Cahuenga Pass” had us howling with laughter. In the end, music—and the controversial “titanium” skin covering Disney Hall—saved the day. But we were warned that “our world [is] being watched closely/With envious eyes/By a great intelligence.”

 

 Disney Hall and its titanium skin

So. Much. Fun.

D23 Expo 2017

 

Costume from the movie Maleficent—Disney archives exhibit

 

D23, the Disney fanclub, has held its big three-day convention in Anaheim every two years since 2009.  What began as a low-key, rather amateur event eight years ago has evolved into a mega-media extravaganza comparable to a mini-Comic-Con and not in a good way. Attendees have to wait on line for hours to see their favorite Disney celebrities and/or shop in one of several exclusive pop-up Expo stores. One young man told me he waited three hours to get into the on-site Disney Store to buy a special "convention-only" set of Mary Poppins tsums-tsums for a friend. He kept his fingers crossed the entire time, hoping they wouldn't sell-out by the time he finally got inside. (Luckily, they didn't.) I commended him on being a truly good friend.

 

 Waiting, in what I call "the holding pen," to see Pixar animators

The fifth D23 Expo was this weekend. Tim and I have attended every one and, though, I often threaten to never return, I always do because, despite the lines and the crowds, it always ends up being a memorably fun time. We even got a hotel room, this time around, making traveling back-and-forth to Orange County a lot less stressful.

 

 Photo op with pile of books

 

The first major event on Friday was the induction of this year's Disney "Legends"—a prestigious hall of fame for celebrities and other talented Disney employees who have made major work contributions to the company. This year's group included several animators, as well as Oprah Winfrey, Whoopi Goldberg, Garry Marshall, Julie Taymor, Mark Hamill, and Carrie Fisher. The Legends ceremony is always a highlight for me, so we arrived especially early to wait on line. It took two hours to get in; but even Tim had to admit the event was wonderful once we were inside, celebrating each person's accomplishments.

 

 Waiting for the Legends ceremony. Can you find Tim?

The other highlight was seeing the huge 3-dimensional model of the new Star Wars Land, called Galaxy's Edge, currently under construction at Disneyland. Though I resent how much the recently-acquired Stars Wars franchise now overshadows the more traditional Disney universe, even I'm excited to see the park's expansion into a world far, far away. It's scheduled to open in time for the next D23 Expo in 2019.

 

 Panorama of the new Galaxy's Edge, the largest land ever

to be added to any Disney property

Galaxy's Edge detail

 

More detail

 

One of the "other-worldly" characters to

populate the new land

 

Visitors will be able to fly the Millennium Falcon

 

Besides events, exhibits, and things to buy, the Expo lets fans release their inner Disney personas through costumes and other creative means not usually allowed in the parks.  Lots of adult princesses and villains, of course, But the most amazing was a young woman dressed as Disneyland's Big Thunder Mountain ride, complete with a running model train! 

 Big Thunder Mountain costume

A fan dressed as the villain Ursula 

from Little Mermaid

 

When we're lucky, we even see real-life heroes wandering around the convention hall. I was gazing lovingly at my new Groot coin-purse, when I heard Tim say, "Babe, there goes SHAG!"

Sure enough, our all-time fave artist, SHAG (i.e., Josh Agle), was walking through the exhibits, unnoticed, with his children. We followed behind, until someone stopped him for a photo. We then we leaped in. SHAG was extremely gracious while I gushed about loving his work, etc. I then asked if that was him depicted in his 50th-anniversary painting of Disneyland's Frontierland and he said, "yes," pointing to his daughter, adding that she's in the picture, too. I was beyond thrilled and completely forgot how grumpy I was, just a few hours before, about not being able to see a panel discussion on upcoming live-action Disney movies because the line was too long! Hands down, meeting SHAG was the best part of this—or any—year's Expo.

With SHAG

 

The Frontierland 50th-anniversary print that hangs above our bed

 

Since we were spending the night anyway, we decided to go to the Angels baseball game just a mile from our hotel. Our seats were good, but the team not so much. Still, we did get to take a photo with staff characters from Disney California Adventure's Guardians of the Galaxy show, one of the sponsors of that night's game.

 

 In front of the stadium

With Peter Quill and Gamora

 

The perfect ending to this year's D23 Expo experience. Back to reality tomorrow . . .