Al Lutz

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Al Lutz is an Internet journalist who publishes critical commentary and behind-the-scenes reports primarily about California's Disneyland Resort and other Disney businesses. He relies on anonymous sources for his columns at MiceAge.com and has been quoted in many mainstream news reports about Disney, including coverage in the New York Times and the Los Angeles Times.

Contents

[edit] History

In the 1990s, Lutz posted messages in the alt.disney.disneyland USENET newsgroup before moving to the World Wide Web, where he edited the Disneyland Information Guide, an unofficial resource for information about the Anaheim, California theme park. "It just started as an FAQ, but then we developed it into a gossip column," he told USC's Online Journalism Review in a 2007 interview.[1] "I think having the viewpoint is what's important to me. Because that's one thing they'll kill you for on the Web is not having one."

With owners of several other Disney-related sites, on July 17, 2000, he launched MousePlanet.com[2], a news and travel-planning Web site largely devoted to Disney's theme parks. In 2002 he left the site with fellow writer Kevin Yee to create MiceAge.com, a Web site devoted primarily to commentary and anonymously sourced reports about Disney's theme parks. Lutz currently is the site's editor-in-chief.

[edit] Disney reports

Beginning in the 1990s, Lutz often complained about a perceived decline in value and quality at Disney's theme parks, chiefly Disneyland and the neighboring park that opened in 2001, Disney's California Adventure.[3] Much of his criticism was directed at Paul Pressler, the one-time president of Disneyland who later was named chairman of Walt Disney Parks and Resorts, and Cynthia Harriss, Pressler's successor as Disneyland's president. From 1996-2002, Lutz maintained a set of sarcastic Web pages called Promote Paul Pressler![4], whose stated goal was "getting current Disneyland Resort President Paul Pressler promoted to a new job somewhere else within the Walt Disney Company!"

Lutz's July 2006 report on the alleged antics of Lindsay Lohan during a private party held at Disneyland for her 20th birthday[5] drew a rebuke from a representative for the actress, who said reports of bad behavior were "complete bull".[6]

On October 3, 2006, Lutz published a column that claimed Disney was planning to transform Disneyland's Tom Sawyer Island into a playground area based on the company's Pirates of the Caribbean movie franchise.[7] Lutz's claims subsequently were referenced by national media such as the Los Angeles Times[8] and the Orange County Register.[9]

The Los Angeles Times later published an editorial urging Disney to retain the island's original inspiration—Mark Twain's novel The Adventures of Tom Sawyer[10]. On January 26, 2007 Disney announced Pirate's Lair at Tom Sawyer Island[11], which opened on May 25 of that year.[12]

In late 2007, mainstream media outlets including the New York Times, the Los Angeles Times, the Associated Press and foreign newspapers referenced claims made in two of Lutz's MiceAge.com columns. The first reported that a planned refurbishment of the "it's a small world" attraction at Disneyland would modify the ride's boat and flume trough to accommodate boats capable of carrying heavier park guests, a claim Disney consistently has denied in subsequent media coverage.[13]

Lutz's other story claimed that a park guest had been spotted spreading cremated human remains on the Pirates of the Caribbean attraction.[14] Disney and police officials denied there was evidence of Lutz's claim and disputed his assertion that it was part of a growing trend.[15]

In February 2008, Lutz reported again on rumored changes being made to the Disneyland version of "it's a small world", which reportedly include adding Disney characters, removing the attraction's original rainforest section and adding a new section inspired by the United States. Negative reaction to the rumored changes surfaced in reports from media outlets including the Los Angeles Times.[16]

[edit] References

  1. ^ Niles, Robert: "Beating the big guns on the Disney beat", Online Journalism Review, 22 October 2007
  2. ^ "Happy 45th Birthday Disneyland, from Art Linkletter and MousePlanet.com!", Business Wire, 17 July 2000
  3. ^ Dickerson, Marla: "Self-Styled Keepers of the Magic Kingdom", Los Angeles Times, 12 September 1996
  4. ^ Lutz, Al: "Promote Paul Pressler!", via Archive.org, 1998
  5. ^ Lutz, Al: "Lindsay: Fully Loaded?", MiceAge.com (via Archive.org), 11 July 2006
  6. ^ "Lohan Slams Bad Birthday Behavior Reports", World Entertainment News Network, 24 July 2006
  7. ^ Lutz, Al: "Goodbye Sawyer, Hello Sparrow", MiceAge.com (via Archive.org), 3 October 2006
  8. ^ Yoshino, Kimi: "Disney Might Let Pirates Swarm Tom Sawyer Island", Los Angeles Times, 5 October 2006
  9. ^ Tully, Sarah and Bacals, Courtney: "Disneyland island may get new occupants", Orange County Register, 5 October 2006
  10. ^ "Tom and the pirate", Los Angeles Times, 7 October 2006
  11. ^ Disneyland Resort Public Relations: "The Year of a Million Dreams Means New Fun & Adventures at Disneyland Resort", disneylandnews.com, 27 January 2007
  12. ^ Ortiz, Eric: "Today's Tom Sawyer", Orange County Register, 25 May 2007
  13. ^ "Disney's 'Small World' ride set to get supersized retrofit", Associated Press, 9 November 2007
  14. ^ Yoshino, Kimi: "Woman Seen Scattering Ashes At Disneyland", Los Angeles Times, 14 November 2007
  15. ^ Schoetz, David: "Disney Disputes Ash Scattering From Ride", ABC News, 16 November 2007
  16. ^ MacDonald, Brady: "Disney Fires Back at Small World Rumors", Los Angeles Times, 5 April 2008

[edit] External links