Todd Martens

Every day is Halloween. Why theme parks are going big on year-round horror experiences The opening of Universal Horror Unleashed in Las Vegas signals that culture has now fully embraced the darker side of fairy tales.

“You can make every month horrific.”

Universal Horror Unleashed, a Halloween-style haunt opening this month in Las Vegas, is betting big that audiences are craving year-round frights.

The belief is that guests today are craving a darker sort of fairy tale.

www.latimes.com/travel/story...

Dapper puppets in a fantasy forest? Step inside this SoCal spot filled with handmade wonder Laguna Beach's Museum of Make Believe celebrates timeless life lessons with storybook art and melancholic fairy tales.

Laguna Beach’s Museum of Make Believe, a 1,000-square-foot love letter to fairy tales, is a fantastical, mystical wonderland, where fables of lost love, ghostly pets and irresistible avarice are told via miniature installations and ornate, storybook art.

www.latimes.com/travel/story...

Oh it just posted today. I was in Chicago for the media event so I only just saw it

Walt Disney is now an animatronic. 5 things to know about the new Disneyland attraction 'Walt Disney — A Magical Life' debuted as part of Disneyland's 70th anniversary. The show features the first robotic figure of Walt Disney and appeals to the nostalgia of Disney fans.

I wrote about it!

www.latimes.com/travel/story...

What was the greatest Disneyland era? We look back on 70 years at the happiest place on Earth A decade-by-decade retrospective that highlights the SoCal landmark's greatest creations, fascinating pivots and noteworthy blunders.

My colleague @toddmartens.bsky.social looks back on 70 years at "the happiest place on Earth," Disneyland
www.latimes.com/travel/story...

I was gonna go tomorrow but there’s no Metro service to downtown, so I’m out, unfortunately.

The Nintendo Switch 2 is a refinement rather than a reinvention. Is that enough? The pricey Nintendo Switch 2 is a worthy successor to the original Switch. Expect it to be the vessel for Nintendo's play-focused storytelling for the next decade.

The Nintendo Switch 2 is a refinement rather than a reinvention. Is that enough?

www.latimes.com/entertainmen...

Walt Disney will live again as a robot. His granddaughter says he never wanted this As part of Disneyland's 70th anniversary, the company will introduce an animatronic of Walt Disney. But his granddaughter Joanna Miller believes the figure will do more harm than good.

‘He’s ours.’ Walt Disney’s granddaughter takes a stand against Disneyland’s ‘robotic grandpa.’

www.latimes.com/lifestyle/st...

"“When you’re not evaluating it against some kind of standard,” says Blackley, “you can be a kid again.” A fun article about @seamus.bsky.social and @a-sure-thing.bsky.social's attempts to grow cacao and make chocolate in LA, by @toddmartens.bsky.social.

Disneyland's new water show: 'Inside Out's' 'Be happy' message irks, while the Muppets charm "World of Color Happiness!" is one of the many entertainment offerings at Disneyland's 70th Celebration, an event that's planned to last through summer 2026.

Too much happiness can be oppressive. Disneyland's 70th launches today, and by the end of its new “World of Color Happiness!,” I found myself wanting to scream at "Inside Out's" Joy: Just leave me alone and let me be down.

www.latimes.com/travel/story....

It 'keeps Walt alive in the medium he pioneered': Imagineers defend new Walt Disney robot A lifelike robotic Walt Disney will soon be unveiled at Disneyland. But the animatronic has raised ethical questions on whether such creations are exploitative.

It ‘keeps Walt alive in the medium he pioneered’: Imagineers defend new Walt Disney robot

www.latimes.com/travel/story...

Thank you!!! Sorry I missed ya’ll at the screening!

Agreed! Really happy I found my drawings and my Disney Creative books and worksheets!

My dream of working in animation was dashed at an early age — 8, to be exact — when I failed at drawing a Mickey Mouse in this WDW animation class. But I appreciate that I ambitiously signed it

Loved seeing a Beholder at Uni’s Fan Fest Nights. My father was a TSR exec and I had a lot of nostalgic feels here. Unfortunately the ambitious event is a mixed bag of experiences. Uni wants to elevate the haunt maze to theater, but did not fully commit to it. Hope to see it improve in the future.

Hahaha. It’s lots of sitting around with my cat. Thanks for sharing. See you at the 70th.

Oh cool!

Thank you!

He worked with Walt Disney to shape Disneyland. Now at 93, boy, does he have stories Bob Gurr, the designer of the monorail, the Matterhorn Bobsleds, the Haunted Mansion "doom buggies" and more, isn't slowing down.

As someone who loves a good Disney monorail, it's always a joy to catch up with Bob Gurr. We touched on the new Walt animatronic ("There will be quite a reaction"), the cultural temperature (Trump is a "bully") and more.

www.latimes.com/travel/story...

Thank you. Appreciate that :)

Hire writers

Halloween Horror Nights without the horrors? Welcome to Universal Studio's new Fan Fest Signature attractions at the after-hours event are centered around "Star Trek," "Dungeons & Dragons" and "Back to the Future."

It may not be Star Trek: The Experience, but I’ll take it.

www.latimes.com/travel/story...

These pay phones around L.A. let you say goodbye to someone 'before it's too late' An art project called the Goodbye Line prompts passersby to make a collect call and say goodbye — to a loved one, a pet or maybe a part of themselves. People are dialing.

“Yes, this pay phone works. Some day, these will be gone, like you, me, and everyone else,” read stickers on working L.A. pay phones. An art project called the invites callers to leave goodbye messages. People are calling. www.latimes.com/travel/story... @toddmartens.bsky.social

I lovely write up of Epic Universe. I got to work on it for a wee bit of time at Thinkwell in 2018/19 & we were all blown away by what had already been designed. Kudos to all of my colleagues at Universal Creative & the vendor companies who brought it to life. I’m so excited to see it in person!

I thought it was stellar. Those launches completely took me by surprise and the racing with the other track was incredibly precise

First look: Universal’s Epic Universe gives Disney theme parks a run for their money Universal's Epic Universe is largely a triumph, and will instantly become the the favorite theme park of many. It should also change the industry.

Epic Universe is largely a triumph, a park that rivals -- in some ways bests -- those of Disney. It will immediately be the favorite theme park of many.

Yet I do worry: What happened to the theme in our theme parks?

www.latimes.com/travel/story...

These pay phones around L.A. let you say goodbye to someone 'before it's too late' An art project called the Goodbye Line prompts passersby to make a collect call and say goodbye — to a loved one, a pet or maybe a part of themselves. People are dialing.

Say goodbye, before it’s too late. A new L.A. art project asks us to pick a pay phone and make a toll free call to “remember, to pay respects, to turn the page” to a loved one or part of yourself.

People are calling. The Goodbye Line is a snapshot of loneliness in our city.

A charming Nintendo Switch 2 enters the Trump tariff crosshairs The Nintendo Switch 2 delivers a bigger screen, more processing power and, as a test drive proves, signature Nintendo charms. But how will Trump tariffs affect one of 2025's biggest consumer product r...

The Nintendo Switch 2: On tariffs, pricing and even some impressions

www.latimes.com/entertainmen...

They should be very proud. It’s a beautiful park

Quick Epic Universe thought. It’s impressive. There are wow moments in every land. It’s the definitive IP park, which is the direction theme parks are heading. Now, I haven’t felt a real emotional attachment to it (so so so so IP), but people will love it.