@Toddmartens: Video games, theme parks + interactive entertainment for the Los Angeles Times. I adore my cat. I go to Disneyland too often. Email: todd.martens@latimes.com
Disneyland's Splash Mountain attraction, themed to the problematic 'Song of the South,' will close at the end of May. It will be reimagined to 'Princess and the Frog' and debut in 2024.
Genie+, Magic Band+ and other add-ons have introduced a new feeling at the Happiest Place on Earth: the sense that you could be having more fun if you shelled out more cash.
'Star Wars Jedi: Survivor' is a video game that feels like a 'Star Wars' greatest hits package. It also makes the argument that the Jedi are what make the franchise special.
The La Jolla Playhouse's Wow Festival illustrates the ways in which theater and play continue to converge, most spectacularly in the world premiere of "La Lucha," an immersive theater standout.
Nintendo's "The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom" is everything great about big-budget, mainstream video games. There's a story, yes, but this is a game about curiosity and discovery, rewarding players for constantly asking, "What if?"
Susana Tubert was trained in New York theater but traded Manhattan for Main Street, U.S.A. We talk to Tubert about what drew her to theme parks, and how she's making them a more welcoming place.
Disneyland fans said goodbye to Splash Mountain, a staple of Disneyland since 1989. But many expressed hope for what's to come next year in Tiana's Bayou Adventure.