Author Archives: John M. (NDD#172)

John Marchese

John is an attorney, writer and life-long Disney fan who married a life-long Disney fan and raised two daughters who have become even bigger Disney fans. One of the ways John lives a Disney Driven Life is by decorating his office with Disney-related items. Despite incessant teasing from his colleagues, John’s passion for Disney remains unwavering. By day, John is a shareholder with the law firm of Colucci & Gallaher, P.C., in Buffalo, New York. John is a Disney Vacation Club member, avid golfer and is a frequent contributor to The Disney Driven Life, Diszine.com and Good enoughmother.com

Contributed by John Marchese

Book Review: Unofficial Walt Disney World ‘Earbook 2011

by John M. (NDD#172) | Published: Friday, March 9, 2012

Unofficial Walt Disney World ‘Earbook 2011: One Fan’s Review in Pictures, Kevin Yee, Ultimate Orlando Press, 2011

Unofficial Walt Disney World ‘Earbook 2011:  One Fan’s Review in Pictures, Kevin Yee, Ultimate Orlando Press, 2011, 164 pp.

I have to remember to ask Kevin Yee whether he ever served on his high school’s Yearbook Committee. It’s a pity if he didn’t because it is clear he not only understands, but has mastered the genre. In a much broader sense, Yee simply gets Disney. The more I read his Disney-related work, the more I am impressed by his objective passion. Yee’s love of, and belief in, Disney is apparent. Yet his studied approach gives his work validity and a weight not often found in writing about Disney. He isn’t merely a fan or tour guide, but rather an observer and historian.

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The Secret “and Social” World of Arrietty

by John M. (NDD#172) | Published: Thursday, March 1, 2012

Photo Credit: www.wired.com

Should those who are powerful come to the aid of those who are vulnerable even if that aid is unwanted? What if that aid produces more harm than good? Those are some of the questions Mary Norton asked in her 1952 novel, The Borrowers, on which Disney’s newest release, The Secret World of Arrietty, is based.  Arrietty opened in North America on February 17, 2012 to largely favorable reviews.

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Posted in Asian Culture, Culture, Disney Company, Disney Reviews, Environment, Events, Literature, Movies | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , ,
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Doug Ingersoll and the Legacy of Aunt Dorothy

by John M. (NDD#172) | Published: Friday, November 18, 2011

Photo Credit: interactivewdw.com

Doug Ingersoll never visits the Magic Kingdom without spending some time in the Enchanted Tiki Room. There, he feels the presence of his long-departed Aunt Dorothy.

Originally from Indiana, Ingersoll spent much of his youth living and attending school around the world. His father’s work abroad forced Ingersoll to live away from his hometown, his friends and his extended family throughout most of the year. Returning to the Unites States to visit family each summer, he would stop first in Tampa to spend some time with Aunt Dorothy, his “spiritual grandmother.” During each annual visit, Aunt Dorothy would take Ingersoll to Disney World.

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Posted in Community, Literature, Media, NDP Community, Organization and Plannning, Planning, Technology, Vacation | Tagged , , , , , , , , ,
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Book Review: Four Decades of Magic

by John M. (NDD#172) | Published: Friday, October 21, 2011

Photo Credit: Ayefour Publishing

Four Decades of Magic:  Celebrating the First Forty Years of Disney World: a collection of essays, Compiled by Chad Denver Emerson, Ayefour Publishing, 2011, 379 pp.

Amid the pomp and circumstance certain to be part of the Walt Disney World 40th Anniversary celebration, what will likely be ignored is any reference to the Walt Disney World that never was.

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Posted in Celebrities, Disney Company, Disney Reviews, Events, History, Imagineering, Literature, Media, News, Resorts | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , ,
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WINNIE THE POOH AND THE BOY WHO LIVED

by John M. (NDD#172) | Published: Tuesday, July 12, 2011

Photo Credit: Disney

You have to wonder what went through the minds of Disney executives when they learned that July 15, the day they had selected for the release of Winnie the Pooh, would be the very same day the final movie in the epic Harry Potter series would be released. Oh bother!

It is unfortunate, to say the least, because this Pooh deserves its own rabid fan following. Winnie the Pooh is the first big-screen Pooh feature from Walt Disney Animation Studios in 35 years (the intermediate Pooh releases came from Disney’s straight-to-DVD unit).

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JOHN LASSETER DRIVES CARS 2 AROUND THE WORLD

by John M. (NDD#172) | Published: Monday, June 20, 2011

Photo Credit: Disney

John Lasseter grew up around cars.  His father, Paul, was a parts manager at the local Chevrolet dealership in Whittier, a small town in Southern California about 12 miles from downtown Los Angeles.  As a young man working weekends and summers, John would help his father count parts for inventory.  Eventually, he worked his way up through the dealership and became a parts delivery boy.

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DISNEY FILES, THEN WITHDRAWS, TRADEMARK APPLICATION FOR “SEAL TEAM 6”

by John M. (NDD#172) | Published: Tuesday, June 7, 2011

The gravity of the event had not yet fully sunk in. Families of the victims of the September 11, 2001 attacks were just beginning to grasp the reality that, after 10 long years, the loss of their loved ones had been avenged. It was just two days after the raid on Osama Bin Laden’s Pakistani compound and the country was still trying to make sense of the mission—how it would affect our national psyche and what it would mean to our long-term fight against terrorism.

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PENÉLOPE CRUZ FIGHTS HER WAY INTO PIRATES OF THE CARIBBEAN: ON STRANGER TIDES

by John M. (NDD#172) | Published: Monday, May 16, 2011

The formidable Pirates of the Caribbean franchise raises its “Jolly Roger” once more and sets sail for the fourth time on May 20. Pirates of the Caribbean: On Stranger Tides, more casually known as Pirates 4, is the much anticipated continuation of the popular Captain Jack Sparrow saga.

Captain Jack is leaner in this go-around. Gone are the distractingly good looks and even more distracting storyline of Orlando Bloom’s Will Turner and Keira Knightly’s Elizabeth Swan. In their place, Captain Jack partners with Angelica, the exotically beautiful and adventurous daughter of the evil pirate, Blackbeard.

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WHO ARE YOU TAKING TO PROM?

by John M. (NDD#172) | Published: Tuesday, April 26, 2011

Photo Credit: Disney

I had no idea my high school prom had impacted my entire life. Other than a fair amount of mocking by my kids after they accidentally saw pictures of me in my powder blue tuxedo and platform shoes, I’ve never given my prom a second thought. But with the release of Disney’s new movie, Prom, perhaps I should. Is it possible that prom choices made more than 30 years ago have altered the course of my life?

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PASSING THE TORCH

by John M. (NDD#172) | Published: Wednesday, April 20, 2011

Photo Credit: Dennis Brown, NDU 5

In the typical parent-child relationship, there comes a time when the child becomes better at something than the parent. It is as inevitable as night following day. Some parents consider this moment a sign of their imminent uselessness. To me, it’s a sign I taught my children well.

Recently, I had to face the fact that my daughters’ Disney knowledge now far exceeds my own. It did not happen overnight. They’ve been taunting me about it for years. Every time they read one of my Disney-related articles, their comments–good or bad–are accompanied by the observation that they should be writing about Disney. Whether they mean instead of or in addition to me is not clear, but I have my suspicions.

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Posted in Children, Kids' Viewpoint, Lifestyle, NDP Community, Parents, Relationships, Teens | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , ,
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THE NATURAL DRAMA OF DISNEYNATURE’S AFRICAN CATS

by John M. (NDD#172) | Published: Tuesday, April 19, 2011

Photo Credit: DisneyEnterprises

Keith Scholey witnessed his first cheetah hunt at the age of 8. He did not have a camera that day to record the event, yet the experience left a profound and lasting impression on him. Born in Kenya, not far from the locations brilliantly depicted in Disneynature’s African Cats, Scholey, that day, knew his future would somehow involve the animals of Kenya.

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ILLUMINATING EARL

by John M. (NDD#172) | Published: Tuesday, April 5, 2011

Photo credit: NDM#118

Earl’s thick arms and muscular chest are the result of years of hard manual labor. He grew up working on a farm in a rural community outside Reading, Pennsylvania and was able to save enough to start his own small machining company. He raised four children and sent them all to college. Retired now, Earl admits to secretly financing some of the adventures and misadventures of his many grandchildren.

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DISNEY WORLD JOBS I WOULD LOVE TO HAVE

by John M. (NDD#172) | Published: Tuesday, March 29, 2011

Imagine a chance encounter with Disney President and Chief Executive Officer, Bob Iger. You tell him you are a Neurotic Disney Person, and he nods knowingly which, in and of itself, is pretty gratifying. You get along very well, and at the end of your surprisingly pleasant encounter he offers you a job—any job your heart desires—at Walt Disney World. Salary, qualifications and career considerations aside, what is your response?

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Posted in Ethics, Parents, Relationships | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , ,
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MICE CAPADES

by John M. (NDD#172) | Published: Tuesday, March 22, 2011

Mickey and Minnie glide to center ice holding hands, each carrying a suitcase with the other hand. Donald, Daisy and Goofy follow closely behind. Disney’s first couple is about to go on vacation and their friends are along for the ride. Their first stop—Africa and a visit with Simba, Nala, Timon, Pumbaa and the rest of The Lion King gang.

This is how the surprisingly satisfying Disney on Ice presentation of Mickey & Minnie’s Magical Journey begins. For the last 30 years, many of Disney’s favorite characters and most endearing stories have skated around the world, first as part of Walt Disney’s World on Ice, now Disney on Ice. At any given time, Disney on Ice mounts as many as eight different productions throughout the world. Now in its 15th straight year, Mickey & Minnie’s Magical Journey is the franchise’s longest running show.

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MEATBALLS, MOZZARELLA AND MEMORIES OF MY GRANDMOTHER

by John M. (NDD#172) | Published: Tuesday, March 15, 2011

My grandmother would not have liked Epcot’s Italy Pavilion.

To be sure, she would have adored the shops and the opportunity to buy something made in or about Italy.  She would have enjoyed watching “The Ziti Sisters” and would have found much about them humorously biographical. The architecture alone would have brought her to tears. She always talked about how she wanted to visit Italy as an adult but never had the time or money. She was too busy taking care of her family.

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Posted in Culture, European Culture, Fitness, Relationships | Tagged , , , , ,
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BOOK REVIEW: ATTENTION TO DETAIL

by John M. (NDD#172) | Published: Tuesday, March 8, 2011

Attention to Detail:  A Look at Walt Disney World Parks, by Keith Black & Jacquelyn Damon, Keith R. Black, 2010, 76 pp.

What do you see when you walk around Walt Disney World? Keith Black and Jacquelyn Damon think you are missing more than you realize. The concept behind Attention to Detail:  A Look at Walt Disney World Parks is that the average WDW visitor simply does not ever get beyond a superficial understanding or appreciation of the history and detail of the Disney parks. With the release of Attention to Detail, Black and Damon hope to encourage visitors to take the time to look more closely at the subtle and often hidden elements built into the parks by Disney Imagineers.

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BOOK REVIEW: WALT DISNEY WORLD ADVENTURE

by John M. (NDD#172) | Published: Tuesday, March 1, 2011

Walt Disney World Adventure:  A Field Guide and Activity Book for Explorers, by Tracie A. Cook, Vacation Field Guides, 2010, 173 pp.

In an earlier review, I wrote that it had “been a very long time since I toured Walt Disney World with preschoolers.” The same can be said about 8 to 12-year-olds, the target audience of Tracie A. Cook’s Walt Disney World Adventure:  A Field Guide and Activity Book for Explorers. And, as I whined in that previous review, Cook’s Walt Disney World Adventure would have been pretty useful had it been published when I was traveling with children that age.

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BOOK REVIEW: BEYOND THE ATTRACTIONS

by John M. (NDD#172) | Published: Tuesday, February 22, 2011

Beyond the Attractions:  A Guide to Walt Disney World with Preschoolers, by Lisa M. Battista, MRB Ventures, LLC, 2010, 186 pp.

It has been a very long time since I toured Walt Disney World with preschoolers, yet my recollection of the challenges involved in such an undertaking is as fresh as if it was yesterday. Had it been published back then, Lisa Battista’s Beyond the Attractions:  A Guide to Walt Disney World with Preschoolers would have been an integral part of my vacation planning arsenal.

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BOOK REVIEW: WALT DISNEY WORLD HIDDEN HISTORY

by John M. (NDD#172) | Published: Tuesday, February 8, 2011

Walt Disney World Hidden History:  Remnants of Former Attractions and Other Tributes, by Kevin Yee, Ultimate Orlando Press, 2010, 225 pp.

Most visitors to Walt Disney World are unaware of what lies behind and beyond the attractions they experience, the restaurants where they dine, or the settings in which they are immersed. For ardent Disney fans, however, the history behind the magic, the “backstory” in Disney-speak, is nearly as important as the magic itself.

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CROSSROADS OF THE WORLD

by John M. (NDD#172) | Published: Tuesday, February 1, 2011

Times Square is generally regarded as the “Crossroads of the World,” but the same could be said about Disney World. Over the years, I have bumped into neighbors, former neighbors, cousins, friends, and people I knew but couldn’t quite place.  When you travel 1,500 miles to a place as vast as Disney World, you simply do not expect to see anyone you know.

One of the strangest encounters, or series of encounters, occurred during a week-long visit back in April of 2007.  The beginning of the National Hockey League playoffs coincided with one of our non-park days, and, as Buffalo Sabres fans, we headed to the ESPN Zone at the Boardwalk to catch the Sabres’ first playoff game against the New York Islanders.

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Posted in Relationships, Travel Reports | Tagged , , , , ,
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