Thursday, October 22, 2015

Congratulations to the National League Champion New York Mets!

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The New York Mets Celebrate Winning the 2015 NLCS Over the Chicago Cubs
- courtesy newsday.com

Congratulations to the 2015 New York Mets, who completed a sweep of the Chicago Cubs in Game Four of the National League Championship Series on Wednesday night and now move on to the World Series for the fifth time in franchise history. Again branded an underdog against the power packed young lineup of the Cubs, all the Mets did was completely shut down the Chicago bats, holding them to a new NLCS record .164 batting average. The Mets pitching staff, led by deGrom, Harvey, and Syndegaard, and anchored by the work of the hottest closer in baseball, Jeurys Familia, walked all over the Cubs, exploiting every weakness and never allowing them to build any momentum. The Cubs, who won 97 games in the regular season, never had the lead in any game during the NLCS. Another stellar job by the odds makers who picked the Cubs to take the series.


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Daniel Murphy Hits a Home Run in His Sixth Consecutive Postseason
Game During Game Four of the NLCS - courtesy newsday.com

Daniel Murphy continued his insanely torrid postseason, and was able to find new gears to shift into as he drove Cubs pitching into the ground. Murphy turned in an otherworldly performance in the NLCS, hitting .529 with four home runs and six RBI, winning the NLCS MVP and setting an MLB record for six consecutive postseason games with a home run. Murph also broke the MLB record for postseason home runs by a second baseman, previously held by...wait for it because it is better after a pause...Chase Utley...for those who remember him and his vanishing career.


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Lucas Duda Hits a Three-Run Home Run in the First Inning of
Game Four of the NLCS - courtesy newsday.com

This NLCS also saw the offensive reappearance of David Wright, Yoenis Cespedes, and Lucas Duda, who in Game Four, drove in five runs, with a home run and a double. Let's also not forget Stephen Matz, lifelong Mets fan from Long Island, living the dream as he starts Game Four of the NLCS for his hometown team. Sure he lost a game in the NLDS and he did not figure in the decision for his NLCS start, but he no- hit the vaunted Cubs lineup for three innings and left after 4 2/3 innings, having given up just one run. Not bad for a 24 year old who started six games in the majors before this postseason.


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Rookie Stephen Matz on the Mound in Game 4 of the NLCS
 - courtesy newsday.com

All in all, an utterly dominating performance by the Mets, who now can enjoy a five day break before rolling into their fifth appearance in the fall classic. Their opponent has yet to be decided as the ALCS extends to a fifth game, with the Royals leading the Blue Jays 3-2 and the series shifting back to Kansas City. 


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The New York Mets Celebrate Winning the 2015 NLCS
- courtesy nydailynews.com

The wild ride through the postseason continues, as the NY Mets win the National League pennant and continue their quest to raise not one, not two, but three flags at Citi Field come April. For all the Mets fans who have stood by their team in the lean and dark times and not taken the easy way our in New York fandom, enjoy the ride, savor every moment, and most of all...




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The New York Mets Celebrate on the Mound at Wrigley Field After
Winning the 2015 NLCS - courtesy nydailynews.com


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Daniel Murphy Celebrates in the Clubhouse After NLCS Win
- courtesy cbsnews.com/usatoday.com

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Wednesday, October 21, 2015

The Force Awakens Official Final Trailer - See it Here on darthmaz314.com

Everyone else on the internet has re-posted it, so why not us?Here it is, in case you live under a rock and have not seen it yet, the final trailer for the upcoming Star Wars: The Force Awakens film, which opens on December 18th, 2015.


Star Wars: The Force Awakens Official Trailer - 
courtesy Lucasfilm/Disney


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The Force Awakens Final Trailer and the NFL Combine Their Strengths to Rule the Television Galaxy On Monday October 19, 2015

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Kylo Ren From the Star Wars: The Force Awakens Trailer
- courtesy Lucasfilm/Disney


On Monday, October 19th, during halftime of Monday Night Football, the third trailer for Star Wars: The Force Awakens debuted in one of the greatest cross-branding promotions ever devised by a parent company. ESPN, home to Monday Night Football for several years now, and Lucasfilm, the studio that gives life to all things Star Wars, are both owned by parent company and media giant, Disney. The NFL and Star Wars are two of the most popular brands in America, so why not cross promote them and bring the two audiences together for two and a half minutes in order to crush the television competition on a Monday night?

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Rey and Finn from the Final Star Wars: The Force Awakens Trailer
- courtesy Lucasfilm/Disney

Monday Night Football scored an 8.7 Neilsen household rating for the Giants vs. Eagles game on Monday, making it the most watched show on television (source: latimes.com.) Viewership peaked during the final moments of the second half and through the halftime break as Star Wars and NFL fans came together to boost the shows ratings to nearly 17 million before settling back at 14.2 at the start of the second half.

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Han Solo from The Force Awakens Final Trailer
- courtesy Lucasfilm/Disney

As a Giants and Star Wars fan, darthmaz314 was tuned in to the entire game and I can honestly say that the trailer was by far the highlight of the night. Let's just say that on Monday, the Force was not strong with the Giants. In any case, the final trailer has been released and as fans dissect it and purchase their opening night tickets, the countdown to the premier of the saga's seventh film and the dawn of a new era of Star Wars has officially begun.

Check back in our next post to watch the trailer, if you haven't already done so...


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NY Mets Snapshot of the Day - Citi Field at Night

darthmaz314.com salutes the 2015 New York Mets, who with their win tonight, take a commanding 3-0 lead over the Chicago Cubs in the National League Championship Series, with the launch of the NY Mets Snapshot of the Day. Our first installment features a nighttime shot of Citi Field, home to the Mets since 2009. A fantastic place to see a ballgame, Citi Field is enjoying its first postseason in 2015, as the Mets make their march through a storybook October thus far. As the Mets prepare to play game four in the NLCS, here's hoping that Citi Field will see its first World Series this October. Look for more NY Mets Snapshots of the Day as the Mets postseason continues.

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Citi Field at Night - courtesy darthmaz314.com



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Friday, October 16, 2015

Congratulations to the New York Mets, Winners of the 2015 NLDS Over the Los Angeles Dodgers

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NY Mets Celebrate Winning the NLDS Over the Los Angeles Dodgers
- courtesy usatoday.com
Congratulations to the 2015 New York Mets, winners of the  National League Division Series. Labeled underdogs in a series in which they would have to face Clayton Kershaw and Zack Greinke twice, the New York Mets beat them once each and threw in a thirteen run blowout win, to take the National League Division Series 3-2 from the Los Angeles Dodgers. Aside from the Game Three blowout, the Mets did not do much hitting, but they marched their staff of young starting pitchers, none of whom had any playoff experience, into the postseason in 2015, and showed all of baseball that this is a staff that has the potential to be better than any their franchise has ever put on the mound. 

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Jacob deGrom Leads the Mets to NLDS Win in Game 5
- courtesy nypost.com

Jacob deGrom bested three-time Cy Young winner Clayton Kershaw in Game 1 and took the mound again in Game 5, with a chance to propel his team into their first NLCS in nine years. deGrom did not have his best stuff and the Dodgers jumped on him for two runs in the bottom of the first, erasing the 1-0 lead the Mets offense had provided for him in the top of the inning. But deGrom beared down, worked out of trouble for what seemed like inning after inning, and never let another Dodger cross the plate for the next five innings. deGrom left the game for a pinch hitter in the seventh, after finishing strong in the sixth and making a huge deposit of respect in the bank accounts of Mets fans. 

The totality of the Mets offense can be attributed to second baseman Daniel Murphy, who cemented himself in Mets history as a legend with his performance in Game 5. Murphy drove in Curtis Granderson with a double in the first, then stole third on a Dodgers brain fart when no one was covering the base after a shift on Lucas Duda, and then blasted a Zack Greinke pitch out of the park (his third HR in the series) to put the Mets ahead for good in the game.

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Daniel Murphy's Offense Almost Singlehandedly Propels
the Mets to an NLDS Win - courtesy nypost.com

With deGrom lifted in the seventh, Mets manager Terry Collins, placed the ball in the hand of rookie Noah Syndergaard, who dominated the Dodgers in the seventh in his first ever relief appearance. In what seemed like another roll of the dice by Collins, Syndergaard was then lifted in the eighth as the Mets then turned the ball over to Jeurys Familia, trusting their closer to lock down a six-out save. Familia confounded the Dodgers in the eight and ninth, securing the last six outs and sending the Mets into the National League Championship Series to face the Chicago Cubs. 


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NY Mets Celebrate Winning the NLDS Over the Los Angeles Dodgers
- courtesy usatoday.com

The Mets were predicted to finish no higher than third and were not expected to win this series. All season long, they have scratched and clawed, never given up, and with stellar pitching, timely hitting, and an enormous amount of heart, have found themselves in the NLCS. Good luck in the next round and Lets Go Mets!!!!!!!!


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The New York Mets Celebrate on the Mound of Dodger Stadium After Winning the NLDS - courtesy nydailynews.com

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Daniel Murphy Celebrates Propelling the NY Mets to an NLDS Win Over the Los Angeles Dodgers - courtesy nydailynews.com

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Thursday, October 15, 2015

darthmaz314 Disney Snapshot of the Day - The Haunted Mansion Signpost

The darthmaz314 Disney Snapshot of the Day tribute to Halloween continues with a close-up look at the signpost for Disney's classic attraction, Haunted Mansion. The snake entwined demonic looking face at the top seems a little "unDisney," but that is just one aspect of what makes it great.

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The Haunted Mansion Signpost
- courtesy darthmaz314.com

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Sunday, October 11, 2015

Former Magic of Disney Animation Building to House Star Wars Launch Bay

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Former Magic of Disney Animation Building to Hours Star Wars Launch Bay
 - courtesy darthmaz314.com
As reported in a July 31st post on darthmaz314, The Magic of Disney Animation attraction in Disney’s Hollywood Studios closed forever on July 12th, 2015. During a recent trip to Walt Disney World, a Hollywood Studios cast member confirmed to darthmaz314 that the building which housed this attraction is being renovated to house the Star Wars Launch Bay, a new experience announced at the D23 Expo in August. The Star Wars Launch Bay will be an interactive experience that takes guests inside the upcoming Force Awakens film, as well as the other six films of the Star Wars canon. Special exhibits, sneak peeks behind the scenes, character meet and greets, and unique food and merchandise offerings will all be featured in the Star Wars Launch Bay experience. 

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Star Wars Launch Bay Concept Art - courtesy Disney/Lucasfilm

The exterior of the former Magic of Disney Animation building has been painted a familiar “Imperial” grey in preparation for its transformation into the new Star Wars Launch Bay. Disney has announced that this attraction will open in December of 2015, just in time for the December 18th opening of the highly anticipated Star Wars: The Force Awakens, which is now just over two months away. 



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Friday, October 9, 2015

darthmaz314 Video Featurette - The Boo to You Parade From Mickey's Not So Scary Halloween Party


The Disney celebration of the Halloween season at darthmaz314.com continues as we bring you a full HD video of The Boo to You Parade from Mickey's Not So Scary Halloween Party. This parade, complete with tons of Disney characters, performers, and attraction-inspired floats, is loaded with ghoulish delight, all on a family friendly frequency, so as not to frighten the kiddies. 

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The Magic Kingdom Entrance During Mickey's Not So Scary Halloween Party - courtesy darthmaz314.com

So if you can't make it to Walt Disney World for Halloween season this year, let darthmaz314.com take you there instead! Happy Halloween! 





Visit our YouTube channel Joe Darthmaz to view the video directly via this link:



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Wednesday, October 7, 2015

darthmaz314 Disney Snapshot of the Day - A Disney Hidden Gem - Mr. Toad in The Haunted Mansion's Pet Cemetery

Yesterday's darthmaz314 Disney Snapshot of the day focused on the Haunted Mansion's Pet Cemetery and in that post, we alluded to a "a former Magic Kingdom tenant, now residing" there. Set far to the back and left of the Pet Cemetery, one can see a statue of Mr. Toad, the star of the now closed Magic Kingdom attraction, Mr. Toad's Wild Ride. This wild and wacky dark ride was a Walt Disney World opening day attraction and originated and continues to operate at Disneyland in California. Based on the Disney film, The Adventures of Ichabod and Mr. Toad, it took guests on a wacky car ride through England, led by your host Thaddeus J. Toad, Esq., and believe it or not, made a quick visit to of all places... a Disneyfied version of hell!

In 1997, Mr. Toad's ride had come to an end and Disney decided to replace the attraction with The Many Adventures of Winnie the Pooh, which currently operates in its place. Mr. Toad's Wild Ride closed on September 7, 1997, but not before a grassroots campaign by "toadies" (big fans of the ride) who protested the attraction's closure and all but chained themselves to it to prevent it from going away forever. Although Disney snatched Mr. Toad away in favor of the more popular and mainstream Pooh and friends, it did leave subtle and hidden tributes to Mr. Toad and his friends throughout the Magic Kingdom.

One of these tributes is the Mr. Toad statue that resides fittingly, although a little morbidly, in the Pet Cemetery. So the next time you exit The Haunted Mansion, glance to your left as you walk through the exit queue and stop to pay your respects to the departed pets of the Mansion and the host of a departed attraction...Mr. Toad. 


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Mr. Toad Statue in The Haunted Mansion Pet Cemetery
- courtesy darthmaz314.com


For more information about Mr. Toad's Wild Ride at the Magic Kingdom and Disneyland, check out the links below.







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Tuesday, October 6, 2015

darthmaz314 Disney Snapshot of the Day - The Haunted Mansion Pet Cemetery

Halloween season marches on at Walt Disney World and so does darthmaz314's nod to Halloween. The Haunted Mansion is known as home to 999 happy haunts, all humans who have passed into the spirit world. But did you know that outside the mansion is also the haunted home to the pets of the happy haunts? 

darthmaz314's Disney Snapshot of the Day spotlights the Haunted Mansion's Pet Cemetery, located on the right of the attraction building along the exit queue. Next time your there, be sure to pay your respects to the pets of the spirit world. And be sure to check back for our next post, another darthmaz314 Hidden Disney Gems piece, which highlights a hidden tribute to a former Magic Kingdom tenant, now residing in the mansion's Pet Cemetery. 

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The Pet Cemetery at Walt Disney World's Haunted Mansion
- courtesy darthmaz314.com


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Friday, October 2, 2015

darthmaz314 Disney Snapshot of the Day - Happy Belated 33rd Birthday to Ecpot

Happy Belated 33rd Birthday to Epcot, Walt Disney's second Florida theme park, which opened its gates on October 1st, 1982. Epcot first welcomed guests, eleven years to the date after the debut of its big brother, the Magic Kingdom (featured in yesterday's Snapshot of the Day,) as a very different concept than was originally conceived by its masterful architect of imagination, Walt Disney. Walt's original concept for what became Epcot was less of a theme park and more an actual functioning futuristic community, which was to utilize the latest in cutting edge technology to enhance and enrich everyday life. Sadly, Walt Disney's Experimental Prototype Community Of Tomorrow was never realized in his lifetime, as lung cancer claimed his life even before his first Florida park was completed. 

For a long time after his death, the Epcot concept lay dormant as Disney executives and imagineers decided whether or not they should push Walt's latest vision into the light. Many years after Walt's passing, Epcot Center, as it was called on opening day in 1982, opened its gates not as an actual community of tomorrow, but as a theme park, melding together two concepts; a showplace for futuristic technologies and a global village that brought together a collection of cultural experiences that literally spanned the globe. Now more than three decades old, Epcot continues to offer one of the most unique theme park experiences on the planet. We honor it today with a photo of its signature icon, the massive and breathtaking Spaceship Earth, photographed by yours truly, as night fell on the park. 

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Spaceship Earth as Night Falls on Epcot - courtesy darthmaz314.com



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Thursday, October 1, 2015

darthmaz314 Disney Snapshot of the Day - Happy 44th Birthday to Walt Disney World's Magic Kingdom

Happy 44th Birthday to Walt Disney World's Magic Kingdom, which opened its gates on this day in 1971. Built on land that once featured swamps and orange groves, most of which was purchased in secret under false names, the Magic Kingdom has grown into the world's most visited theme park and one of the top fifteen most visited places on the planet...period. The true realization of Walt Disney's creative genius, The Magic Kingdom continues to change over time, yet it is still anchored by some of the classic elements that made it famous. Few places have inspired so many repeat visits and changed the minds of so many first time cynics. While it is hard to pinpoint what exactly endears it to so many millions worldwide, the truth may be that it really doesn't matter.    

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The Partners Statue in Front of Cinderella Castle at the Magic Kingdom
- courtesy darthmaz314.com


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