A Star Trek Theme Park Attraction Needs To Happen!

There's a lot for a Geek to do in Orlando, Florida.  Harry Potter fans that the Wizarding World of Harry Potter & Diagon Alley at Universal Studios Orlando.  Star Wars fans have Star Tours, Star Wars weekends (and hopefully much more soon) at Disney's Hollywood Studios.  Transformers fans at the Transformers: The Ride 3D, also at Universal.  Avatar fans will be getting an Avatar land at Disney's Animal Kingdom soon.  Well, what about us Trekkies??   A few years ago we had Star Trek: The Experience in Las Vegas, but it's been closed for years now.  And the museum tour (Star Trek: The Exhibition) is fun-- but it's no theme park attraction!   There seems to a huge hole in the geek world.  A hole that can only be filled with a Star Trek Theme Park!

On the international level, this problem is being solved.  The Paramount Studios Park in Murcia Spain that's under construction now will have a Tomorrowland type section called Plaza Futura that has a great Trek presence.    Here are some images.  You can find much more over at Trekmovie.com. 






This land includes a motion simulator ride and a "warp speed roller coaster".  Sounds great!  More of that, right?  A few years ago there were reports of Star Trek being a part of a Red Sea theme park in Aqaba, Jordan-- it sounds like that that idea might be dead now.  

But what here in the US?  Sadly, there are no Paramount parks here anymore (they sold them a few years ago).  But Paramount/CBS could still license Star Trek to a theme park.  Paramount did just that with the Transformers film franchise and Universal Studios, Orlando!   I think they should do that with Trek as well! It's a perfect fit, right?  These two companies are already friends!!

I'm not the only one to have thought of this.  In fact, back in the late 80s / early 90's Universal Studios totally did have attraction called "Star Trek Adventure".   According to Wikipedia, it was

"A $7 million attraction located inside the Panasonic Theater based on the Star Trek TV series where guests volunteer to put on costumes and be placed on sets from the show. Once all scenes were captured, the finished product was shown to the audiences. The audience members were also to be able to buy a copy of the video."

Curious?  Of course you are!  Lucky for you, a number of these VHS tapes were so loved that they've been digitized and uploaded to youtube.  The resulting 10 minute clips are... well pretty terrible.  But still fun in a vintage "when green screen seemed like a magic" kind of way.  And it's great that they got all the original actors to shoot this!  Here you go:

Why am I bringing all this up now?  Am I just whining?  No!  I'm bringing this up because according ThemeParkTourist.com, some patrons at Universal Studios were recently asked to take a survey.  On that survey they were asked what properties they would be interested in seeing in the park.  What was on the list (along with many other things)?  STAR TREK!  This might seem like nothing- but the guys over at Pardon the Pixie Dust Podcast seem to think otherwise.   And so do other theme park bloggers and excitable Trekkies like myself.  I think that this idea has a lot of potential.  Hear me out:

• They don't need to build a whole land (ala Harry Potter).  They can just build one amazing attraction (ala Transformers) and I'd be pretty happy.  
• There is a built in fan base.  This property is coming up on it's 50th anniversary and while it's not as popular as it was in the mid-late 1990's, it's still a potential cash cow. 
• There's no end in sight for this property.  A 3rd "JJ-verse" movie is in the works.  Most people in the know say that a new TV show will probably follow soon once the movies wrap.  Not to mention the books, comics, and other creative content that's still being produced. 
• Speaking of, there are several crowd funded fan films out there and more being shot as I type this--- professional quality films funded 100% by fans.  WE WILL SPEND MONEY ON STAR TREK! 
•  Speaking of cash cow, the 2009 and 2012 films have grossed a combined $486,508,680 (according to boxofficemojo.com) 
• Disney owns Star Wars now and is highly likely to roll out plans for a new Star Wars land at Disney Hollywood Studios soon.    Star Trek would be a great property to compete for those vacation dollars.   
• Currently the biggest Star Trek convention in the US happens in Las Vegas.  Build a Star Trek land in Orlando and I bet a a huge convention could happen there and bring in more money for the city.  

What do you think??  Let me know your thoughts!  

I Don't Read (A Therapy Session in Blog Form)

I'm going to treat this blog entry like a therapy session.  Get ready.

I'm currently in the 10th week of a performance run at work.  It's a simple show and doesn't demand much of the crew.  We come in 90 minutes prior to curtain, spend about 5-10 minutes setting up and then we have time to kill.  The rest of the crew fill this time reading.  Currently they're all re-reading the Harry Potter books while I've been reading Batman: Court of Owls.  I never picked up the New 52 Batman series so now I'm catching up.

The other day someone asked if I'd read any of... some author.... I don't remember who.  I said "No." But then decided to be more honest and admit "I don't really read.  And when I do, it's usually comic books."  She looked SHOCKED.  She'd just assumed that since I'm a geek that I'm an avid reader.  I mean, it's true-- most geeks consume sci-fi and fantasy books like crazy.  But I've never read the Lord of the Rings, Hunger Games, the Narnia books, Twilight, Stephen King novels.... just to name a few.  I started the first Harry Potter book but didn't finish it.  Same thing goes for Wicked.  I didn't even get out of the 1st chapter.  I have finished a few Star Trek novels and a hand full of other random non-fiction books and biographies.  

For years friends have suggested authors to me, insisted that I borrow books, and bought me books as gifts-- always saying "I know you Mike, you're going to love this book!  You won't be able to put it down!"  But invariably I do put it down.

I'm not proud of this fact.  Honestly, I used to lie about not reading.  I used to always have a book in my bag, one of my night stand, a full bookcase at home-- all because I wanted to be seen as someone who reads.  A few years ago I finally took my copy of Wicked out of my bag because I realized how torn up it was getting by being carried around all the time.  And the bookmark (now bent and torn) was still sticking out of chapter 1.

Anyway-- my point is I don't really read but I feel like I should, ya know?  I want to be a reader.  So what's stopping me?  Why don't I read more?   Let's take some time to explore some possible reasons.

1. I get distracted by my own thoughts.  Sometimes when I'm reading a find that haven't been paying attention.  I have to go back and re-read paragraphs because it's like I wasn't listening.  
2. I'm used to multi-tasking.  When I watch TV or a movie at home I'm also on the computer, surfing the web, writing blog posts like this, or working a project.  When I listen to podcasts or books on tape I'm also cleaning the house, scrapbooking, or driving.  But when I read I really can't do anything but read.  It's hard to fight the impulse to get up and fix a snack, check Facebook, throw the dog's ball... etc.  
3. This is related to #2, but I have a full on internet addition.  I have a bunch of e-books for my iPad but I can't ignore the "new mail" sound or the urge to flip to Tweetbot or Facebook and see what's going on in the world.  
4. Comic Books are a faster read and have a visual element that I really enjoy.  (Tumblr also feeds this desire for visual stimulation btw)
5. I find that I constantly check the clock.  Like when I'm reading I can't tell how fast time is passing.  Then I end up setting goals like "I'll read for 15 more minutes"-- then I look at my watch every 30 seconds like I'm going to be late.  I have no idea why I do this. 
6. If I've seen the movie it's really hard to read the book.  I can't get Daniel Radcliff's face out of my head when I'm reading Harry Potter.  And I constantly think "Was this in the movie?"  Then I end up just putting down the book and popping in the DVD.  
7. I'm a slow reader.  Or at least I feel like I'm a slow reader.  When I read I typically hear the words  in my head like a voiceover narrator is saying them-- basically I read at the speed that Morgan Freeman speaks.  
8. I have to fight the urge to move my lips.  I definitely move my tongue as if I'm speaking the words.   This instinct makes me feel stupid-- like only people who lack intelligence move their lips when they read.  
9. To be honest, 6 & 7 are probably related to my undiagnosed (or self-diagnosed) dyslexia.  I have been known to flip words-- especially when I'm "on book" in rehearsal feeding lines to an actor.  I have to be very careful to read the exact line and not change it.   I know I don't have a very strong reading disorder or anything-- I just flip words sometimes.  
10. I'm lazy.  #truth
11. Listening to audio books is so much easier!  And if I listen to an audio book I still credit myself for having read the book.  Is that a lie?
12. I get motion sick if I try to read on the subway or in any moving vehicle- so audio books are better there.  

Hmm... those seem to be the only reasons I can come up with.  #10 might be the real culprit.  Maybe I should stop writing this and load a book onto my iPad and read it!

Do have have any thoughts?  Comments on what I should read (or try to read)?  Advice on how I can get over some of these hurtles?  Leave a comment below or e-mail me! 

Batman Day

DC Comics declared June 23rd, 2014 Batman Day and who am I to argue?  I love Batman and I'm always up for a geeky celebration, right?  So I printed out some masks from the DC site & put them up backstage by the callboard with a note that read:  "Happy Batman Day!  If you'd like to celebrate with at Bat-Selfie, masks are provided."

Here are some of the results-- :)

Lola’s face when I told her that she has to stop barking.

Star Trek Phase II / The Motion Picture Concept Art

I saw these images on Tumbler and just had to share.  Just stunning, don't you think?

Harry Potter and the 35 Year Old's Realization

The other day I noticed a co-worker reading a well worn copy of Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone.   I asked her if she was enjoying it and she told me she'd decided to re-read the series this Summer because she loves them so much-- which I totally understand.  Then she showed me that some scribblings on the side of the book.  "You can see my handwriting on the side" she said.  "This is my copy from 3rd grade."  I was stopped in my tracks - my mouth fell open.  Without thinking I said "OH MY GOD YOU'RE THAT YOUNG!"

You see, I know that Harry Potter books are children's literature.  But plenty of adults read them too.  In fact, I know all my friends were reading them during and after college.  But it hadn't occurred to me that the books came out so long ago that the kids who grew up reading Harry Potter are now adults!  I had to look up the dates.

The first Harry Potter book (The Philosopher's Stone) was published in June of 1997 about a month after I graduated from high school.  It's described on the web as being written on a 5th grade reading level.  So let's use that as our base.  A 5th grader is what, 10 years old?  So, someone who was in 5th grade when the 1st book came is now... 27 years old?!  Is that right??

Things that make me feel old?  This blog entry.

Top 10 Captain Picard Episodes!

Happy Captain Picard Day, everyone!!

Every June 16th we take time to celebrate one of the great characters in Star Trek (and all of Sci Fi for that matter): Captain Jean Luc Picard. :)  tradition is based on a scene in the episode "The Pegasus" where we learn that the children on the Enterprise have an art contest where they celebrate Captain Picard Day.  Later it was decided that this day is June 16th.    So-- how else to celebrate then by watching the best Picard episodes in an all day marathon!  With that goal in mind, here is my list of the top 10 Picard episodes!!

1. The Big Goodbye.  Season 1, Episode 12.  This is a good start in our examination of Picard. We can learn a lot about a person by looking at his or her hobbies and interests.  In this episode we learn of the good captain's fascination with detective mysteries.   It's also just a fun romp in the Holodeck and an easy way to start a marathon.  :)

2 & 3. Best of Both Worlds Parts 1 & 2.  Season 3/4, Episodes 26/1.  After starting off easy we get busy with the heavy hitting stuff.  Arguably, the best 2 episodes of Star Trek TNG, we see Picard's humanity stripped away as he is used by the Borg as an instrument of destruction.  It's easy to watch this two parter and not really think about the psychological impact of something like that.  That's why you have to also watch...

4. Family. Season 4, Episode 2.  One of my favorite episodes, Picard goes home to France for some shore leave / re-evaluate his life time.  There's some really great character stuff in this episode.  I can't watch it without crying.  I also have to point out what an amazing actor Patrick Stewart is in this piece.

5. The Inner Light.  Season 5, Episode 25.  Also a fan favorite, in this episode Picard lives out a whole other life!  Crazy, right?   The best part is that his experiences in this other life help mold his character from here on out.  I wish the writers had gone a little farther with this idea-- but still we get a sense that he is wiser after this experience.  The easiest way they show this is with his flute--- which he now knows how to play.  

6 & 7. The Chain of Command Parts 1 & 2.  Season 6, Episodes 10/11.  The best Picard stuff is in part 2, but you need to see part 1 to understand it.  This goes back to the "brutally breaking down the man" kind of story that Best of Both Worlds gave us-- only this time it's a painfully human experience.  Just try to watch this episode and not gain respect and empathy for Picard.  

8. Tapestry.  Season 6, Episode 15.  One of John deLance's favorite episodes, Q gives Picard the chance to go back and fix the "mistakes" that he's made in his life.  Kind of like It's A Wonderful Life, Star Trek style-- we learn that the choices we make shape who we are-- for good or bad-- and if we were to change them, we change ourselves.  Heavy.  

9. Lessons. Season 6, Episode 19.  Remember that flute from #5 on our list.  Yeah, he still plays it!  That might seem silly, but what I think really resonates in this episode is that his "other life" really did leave an impact on him.  We also get to see him fall in love.  It's really a good episode. :) 

10. All Good Things.  Season 7, Episode 25/26.  Ok- technically this is another 2 parter.  But it was shown as a one long episode so I counted it as one.  The series finale-- and another contender for the best episodes of Trek-- ever.  We see Picard at 3 stages in his life... kind of.  It's a thrill to watch every time.  :) 

That's it!  I hope you enjoy your Captain Picard Day Marathon!!  Let me know what you think of my list. :) 

Star Trek TNG Rewatch: Justice & The Battle

In this episode I discuss two episodes of Star Trek: The Next Generation.  "Justice" and "The Battle". Enjoy! :)

Star Trek TNG Rewatch: Season 1, Part 2

I'm still in Season One of the Star Trek The Next Generation ReWatch.  Today I discuss:

• The Naked Now
• Code of Honor
• The Last Outpost
• Where No Man Has Gone Before
• Lonely Among Us
• Heart of Glory (which is actually a mistake cause... that's NOT the next episode in sequence). :P

Vlog Roll (Who inspires Me to Make My Vids Better)

Who am I subscribed to?  Here a few examples...
https://www.youtube.com/user/wickydkewl
https://www.youtube.com/user/DaveyWaveyRaw
https://www.youtube.com/user/geekingoutneil
https://www.youtube.com/user/circlenostar
https://www.youtube.com/user/shep689
https://www.youtube.com/user/geekeryconverged
https://www.youtube.com/user/ajruck
https://www.youtube.com/user/keithlapinig

Star Trek TheMikeJones Rewatch - Episode 1: Encounter at Farpoint

May 23rd 2014 marked the 20th anniversary of the airing of "All Good Things"- the series finale of Star Trek The Next Generation.  I feel that this is the perfect time for me to look back at the show and give it a through rewatch.   TNG is classic 80's/90's television and it has provided countless hours of entertainment and inspiration for me ever since I was 8 and it first premiered.  Now, I love the original series but TNG was my first Trek.

A little bit about this project.  I've started at the beginning (a very good place to start).  But I might not watch 100% in order.  I might jump around a bit-- especially if it's convenient for a guest star (like a friend) to do an episode with me and I want them to see a specific episode.

Ok- enough intro.  Here is the first episode.  Be gentle... this project is still a baby.  Maybe it'll develop into something better soon!



Review: Star Trek TNG Encouter at Farpoint

Earl Gray Podcast:
https://trek-fm.squarespace.com/earl-grey-episode-directory

Cyber Life...

Once again I'm away for the Summer stage managing at the Finger Lakes Musical Theatre Festival. This means that:

A) I'm a little cut off from the world up here and
B) I have more free time than I know what to do with.

Item B on on this list is true because of the nature of the show I'm doing.  It's a show we're bringing in that requires little rehearsal and then we run it all Summer.   During the run I don't have much to do before my show call each day.  Back home in NYC these free mornings and afternoons are taken up with dog walks, shopping, having lunch or coffee with friends, and commuting into the city.  But while I'm upstate I don't have any of that.  Well.. I will have the dog to walk starting next week (YAY!) but still.  I spend a lot of time sitting my apartment, catching up on Netflix, scrapbooking, and web surfing.  A big part of that web surfing is reading blogs and watching YouTube videos.

And just like last year, I'm watching these Vlogs on YouTube and think I WANT TO DO THAT!  That's why things like this happen:

The real purpose for that quick video blog was to test out my Canon Powershot A2500 point and shoot camera to see how it would do for making YouTube videos.  I think it did pretty well!

So... I want to catch up on my blogging.  What ever shall I talk about?   I might do a Star Trek episode review series.  Where I make a quick video with my thoughts on every episode of Star Trek.  I'd prob make these pretty quick-- like 5 min.  It would be a lot of fun to have special guests-- like friends and family who watch the episode with me (or not with me if they're far away) to give their thoughts.  A 2nd perspective or opinion-- maybe from people who know NOTHING about Star Trek would be a lot of fun!!

Of course-- most of my special guests aren't anywhere near me.  So, how do I make a video with someone who's far away?  I think I've found the answer in Google Hangouts On Air!  I can set up a live hangout session with someone and Google will record it & load it to YouTube for me!  Here's the test I did by myself.  I honestly didn't know it was recording...



Here is link to a Google Hangout with Adam Rucker & Keith Lapinig that will give you a much better example of what it would be like.  They are also live chatting with fans while "hanging out".

But the Star Trek review show is just one idea.  Tim has also been talking about doing a Disney podcast.  That idea could also translate into a YouTube / Google Hangout format perhaps.  The challenging thing is editing these videos.  Since Google automatically loads them to Youtube I'd have to then go in and use YouTube's editor to trim out parts or add captions, etc.  I think it's possible though. :)

Anyway, that's where I'm at for now.  What are your thoughts if any?

Live Long & Prosper Y'all!!

Star Trek "3" Director Announced

When Variety announced yesterday that Roberto Orci is going to be the director of the 3rd alternate timeline (or nuTrek) Star Trek film I had mixed feelings.  First off I just want to say that at least Orci is a self proclaimed Trekkie.  Unlike J.J. Abrams who admitted that he was always more of a Star Wars fan and could never really get into Star Trek-- yet still he said "yes" when asked to direct them.  It might be a nice change of pace to have a true fan direct a film rather than just co-write it.  That being said, my 2 favorite films of the TOS era came from a director who was also not a big Star Trek Fan.  Nicholas Meyer directed both Wrath of Kahn and The Undiscovered Country from an outsider's perspective.  He brought a refreshing naval feeling to the Enterprise and arguably saved the franchise.  One might say that Abrams did the same thing in 2009 by bringing a more "Star Wars" action packed energy into the franchise.

So where does that leave Orci?  He was a big part of the team that created Abram's 2 Trek films (Abrams is also producing the 3rd) so one can assume that he's a safe choice to bring us more of the same.  The problem comes when you look at his resume.  He's never directed a movie.   So the fans are understandably worried about putting our baby in the hands of someone with no experience.  Add to that the fact that Orci's past fan interactions haven't always been positive and we're even more worried.
I'm a mix of emotions on this one.  So I decided to re-watch Star Trek Into Darkness today as I considered the situation.  What I found was that despite its flaws, I love this movie.  It gets my heart pumping, my tear ducts open and it makes the fan-boy inside of me very very happy.  If Orci's Star Trek 3 can do that-- I'm ok with it.  And maybe a 3rd successful film on the 50th anniversary of the franchise will convince the CBS/Paramount that a new Star Trek TV show would be profitable.  That's all we need to make that happen. :D

So-- final decision-- am I upset at the news of Roberto Orci directing Star Trek 3?  No.  I am, however, as worried as I always am about the future of the franchise.  But this news doesn't make me any more worried than I was in 2008.   And that turned out ok.  I like the new movies and am happy that they co-exist with the rest of the prime universe cannon.

Star Trek Retro Review Show?

I've been listening to a lot of Star Trek Podcasts lately.  It's really got me thinking.  I have a lot to say about Star Trek and I'd LOVE to create my own Star Trek Review show to share my thoughts.  It would either be a podcast or a youtube show.  But I really don't want to do it alone.  I have done some video blogging-- my most recent attempt was last Summer.  While these were fun, I feel like I have a hard time carrying the show by myself.  I really need a co-host.

This person wouldn't have to be a hard-core Trekkie (although that would be fine).  It could be someone who's into watching along and reacting as a Trek newbie would.  That would be a nice contrast actually.  

I think I'd mold the show so that we look at one episode (TOS, TAS, TNG, DS9, VOY, ENT) or one movie per podcast.  We'd approach it from both an in-world and real-world approach.  My co-host and I will have watched the episode, had time to gather our notes and then we'd jump into record/discuss.  

I'd also do some homework on each show.  For, example, if we'd looking at the TOS episode "The Naked Time" I'd have read the Memory Alpha entry about it, checked Shatner's book to see if he mentions it, read the section of George Takei book where he brings it up, read what the Star Trek Compendium says, the Star Trek Encyclopedia, and the Nitpicker's Guide.   I'd love to bring all that kind of "real world" commentary on the episode into my review show.  What were the writers thinking?  What was Roddenberry trying to say?  What did the actors think?  

Hmm.. maybe it's just a dream. Or maybe I'll make this dream a reality.  :) 

Our #DisneySide House Warming Party!

Our #DisneySide House Warming Party was this weekend!  We had so much fun!  I decorated up our new apartment with all the goodies that came in the kit from Disney.  Our table is a bit too small for the tablecloth so I folded it in half.  Then we made yummy cupcakes and used Mickey Mouse the cupcake papers.  We also made cookies with the cookie cutters, bought some finger foods at COSTCO like pizza bagels and mini egg rolls.  Topping it all off with chips and salsa and we had a full party spread for our guests!  I put out the cups, plates and napkins for use as well.

I inflated all the balloons, hung some of them and then spread the rest on the ground.  Simple but fun.  I also hung the decoration in the archway between our living room and dining area.  There's a step down and a railing there so it seemed natural to divide the space.  It looked great!






I continued the decorating theme with our own collection of Disney memorabilia.  Our plush Sven from Frozen took center stage near the table.  Since I used a Frozen theme for our punchbowl.com invitations, it only seemed fitting that our favorite reindeer be in attendance.  He wasn't the only plush figure there though.  Band leader Mickey, Pascal, the Fairy Godmother, and Cri-Kee were also part of the party for good measure.   As a final touch, we set the Apple TV to scroll thru our Walt Disney World vacation photos as a screensaver.

I put together 10 party favor packets with the Mickey/Minnie heart print, a Run Disney cheer card, bracelet, & window cling, a box of dried cranberries, a Mickey sticker and a Donald tattoo and a Muppet movie calendar postcard.  We ended up with 13 guests so some of the couples had to share packets.  But they gifts went over very well!!  The Mickey/Minnie heart poster was the clear favorite.

 After everyone had their fill of yummy treats, we played a bit of Disney trivia and had a long group discussion about what our favorite rides are!  Tim and I are in the process of decorating our bathroom in a Hollywood Tower Hotel theme, which was the inspiration for this turn of topics.  I love the theming of the Twilight Zone Tower of Terror thrill ride, but don't like the actual thrills.  I'm much more of a Haunted Mansion type, personally.  Speaking of Haunted Mansion, whenever that new movie finally comes out, we might have to organize a group to go the NYC premier because we're all pretty excited for it!

I'm SO EXCITED about our trip to Disneyland Paris!  We'll be there in less than a month!!   So, obviously, there was a lot of chatter about that- what we plan to do there, where we're staying, how long we'll be in France, etc.  I can't wait to show my #DisneySide a la Francais!

The party lasted until about 1am but Lola did not.  Below is a picture of her crashed out on our Mickey Mouse throw blanket.  It was just too much excitement for our little Chihuahua.

**DISCLAIMER**

 I received free products in order to host the Disney Side @Home Celebration.  The opinions expressed here are my own and do not reflect those of the Walt Disney Company, Disney Parks, or MomSelect.

Captain America Shield Tart

I found a great recipe for a simple berry tart that's shaped like Captain America's shield over at Maryland Mamma's Rambles & Reviews.  What a perfect idea for a Marvel or Avengers themed #DisneySide @Home Celebration, right?  I'm not much of a cook much less a baker, but the recipe seemed simple enough to me.  Plus my matinee was canceled today due to snow so I had some time on my hands. :)

You can find the full recipe HERE.  You can also see what the tart is supposed to look like- haha.  But here was my attempt.  It was SO YUMMY!!  I bought enough supplies so that I can make a second one for our party.  I'm not sure that it will fit in with our theme-- but it's still a fun treat.  It also makes me think of Summer, which is nice on a cold Winters day.

I can't wait to host our #DisneySide house warming party!  We've set a date and sent out e-invitations already! We used Frozen theme over at www.punchbowl.com.  It was very simple to set up and I can manage the guest list, see who's RSVP'd, send out additional messages, etc. Check it out!

**DISCLAIMER**

 I received free products in order to host the Disney Side @Home Celebration.  The opinions expressed here are my own and do not reflect those of the Walt Disney Company, Disney Parks, or MomSelect.

Which USS Enterprise Has The Best Bridge?

Ok- get ready everyone.  This blog entry is going to be just about as geeky as they come!  Within it I will attempt to answer the question, which USS Enterprise had the best bridge design!

A disclaimer-- I do not claim to own any of these images!  I got many of them from this great website and resource for Star Trek technology research- www.ex-astris-scientia.org.

U.S.S. Enterprise NCC-1701 (TOS)

First, let's take a look at the original, shall we?  Matt Jefferies' design for the bridge of the U.S.S. Enterprise is very impressive!  Using colorful lights that contrast against the shiny black consoles and bold red accents, he made this an exciting and colorful look at the future!  In fact, this original design has been used by the US military to plan special situation rooms and control centers.  The commander has a raised center seat that swivels giving him/her an unobstructed view of all the surrounding monitors and work stations. At the front (not seen in this illustration) is the main viewer - like a big screen TV.  This was an improvement on the original concept that called for a large window in the front of the bridge.  This window idea would later be used in the JJ Abrams universe.   

Verdict: A- I love this bridge!  It was the inspiration for so much... but the design has been improved upon over the years.  

More after the jump...

U.S.S. Enterprise NCC 1701 - Refit (movies 1-3)

When the folks at Paramount decided to make a second Star Trek TV show (mainly to capitalize on the success of the rival Star Wars) they brought in new fresh ideas for the look of the show. This new show, which was to be called "Star Trek Phase II" included a whole new "refit" USS Enterprise and a new swank 70's looking main bridge!  The concept here (seen here to the left) is much brighter and larger than the original bridge.  Also, the captain's chair looks much more comfy and 70's futuristic!  But the main layout is an obvious homage to Jefferies' original design. 

Of course, Star Trek Phase II was scrapped and developed into a feature film called Star Trek: The Motion Picture.  Much of the designs done for the show carried over to the film.  You can see here that the bridge we ended up with is similar to the concept art with some major differences like the captain's chair is much less comfy looking!   One of things that bugs me the most about this bridge is the stations where there is no seat.  Granted, the standing desk is pretty popular now-a-days in ergonomic friendly office design, but I'd think that would be a bit dangerous on a starship that will inevitably experience turbulence, right?   The seats now feature arm rests that fold down over the legs, acting a bit like seat belts.  But that's no help to the poor crewman standing at the environmental controls station!  

Verdict: C It looked cool on screen but isn't the best design. 

U.S.S. Enterprise NCC-1701-A (movies 5-6)

By the end of the TOS film franchise, the bridge went back to looking a bit more like it did on the original series.  There are more seated stations along the outer rim of the bridge.  There is a large bank of monitors directly behind the captain, however that could be "standing stations".  But I think this was really done so that no one would be upstaging William Shatner by acting directly behind him.  That's just my theory of course.  Part the the design has to be for the sake of production and cinematography, however.  With this design Captain Kirk has a big bank of blinking lights and changing displays behind him in most shots. 

Verdict: B+ This is really one of my favorite designs.  I can't find much wrong with it to be honest.  Although I have to point out that the Star Trek VI version (pictured here) is much better than the beige Star Trek V version.  And somehow the turbolifts move in between those two movies-... somehow.  

U.S.S. Enterprise NCC-1701-B

This is basically just the USS Excelsior's bridge with some modifications.  Honestly, these modifications are a marked improvement on Sulu's bridge.  There is an added station in the back-- which makes the master systems display behind the captain look like usable space and not just decoration.   There is also a combined helm/nav station which feels more like TOS than TNG.  This bridge was supposed to feel like a transition from one to the other and it pulls that off nicely.
Verdict: B Seems appropriate, right?

U.S.S. Enterprise NCC-1701-C

We only see this bridge once- in the episode "Yesterday's Enterprise".   I believe it is a redress of the TNG battle bridge set.  It's very well done, but as bridge designs go, it's pretty lacking and seems thrown together.
Verdict: D The only reason I'm not giving it an F is that there are worse designs out there.  

U.S.S. Enterprise NCC-1701-D (TNG)

Ok.  Here we go.  With Star Trek The Next Generation Roddenberry really wanted to turn the whole idea of bridge design on it's ear.  He wanted to reject anything that was militaristic and asked designers like Andrew Probert (who's work is to the right here) and Herman Zimmerman to make the bridge warm and welcoming.  He wanted the Enterprise, the flagship of the federation, to be a ship of peace and it's main bridge should be a work center for collaboration, negotiation and scientific research-- NOT a military command center.  So, gone was the idea of the captain's seat being raised and in the center where he can see all the work stations and computer displays.  The early designs included a conference table in the middle of the bridge or potted plants and comfy sofa like conversation pit areas.  I think this kind of bridge would have been fascinating to see realized, but it was redesigned to look like this. 

 Looks familiar, right?  Some of the original concepts stayed.  The wooden semi-circle is there along with carpet throughout, the bank of science and engineering stations all tucked back out of the way.  Even the sofa like seating remains in that the captain's chair now has 2 seats on either side to encourage collaboration.  It's not really a hotel lobby anymore, but it still doesn't look like a military command center.  It reflected the difference in the TV show when compared to its predecessor.  TNG had a much more ensemble cast and the shorelines often revolved around Captain Picard negotiating a treaty-- rather than hopping around the galaxy like a cowboy sleeping with green slave women as Kirk did.  

In my opinion, however, this bridge design was greatly improved in the first TNG feature film, Star Trek Generations.  Here they raised the command seats up two steps, gave the tactical officer (Lt. Worf) a seat-- you know how I feel about that-- and added additional stations on the right and left sides of the bridge.  Now THIS bridge looks like a place from which you could run a galaxy class starship!  I understand why these side stations only appeared in one episode of the tv show ("Yesterday's Enterprise").  If you put stations there you have to have people operating them.  And that means paying more extras.  With the feature film budget this was no longer an issue.  I guess that's why-- I'm not really sure.  In any case...

Verdict: A+ With the improvements they made on the bridge for the film-- this is my favorite design. To be honest-- it might have something to do with my nostalgia since TNG was my first Star Trek tv show... but I'm sticking with my verdict. 

My Disney Side @Home Celebration Kit Arrived!!

Our Disney Side @Home Celebration kit came today!!  I'm super excited and humbled by this amazing gift from the Walt Disney Company!   Now we are all set to plan an amazing house warming party where our friends and we can show our Disney Side in style!

Here it is!  I got so excited when I saw that label!

Inside, an American Tourister At Stake 20" Spinner bag! 

Here is the whole haul.  WOW, right??

Party supplies, cups, napkins, table cloth, cupcake papers, decorations...

... and other baking goods, cookie cutters, measuring cups, craisins, recipes (not pictured).  There are also balloons in this picture. :) 

Run Disney gear including signs to hold up in the marathon (or decorate with), window decals, bracelets

The bracelets say "ESPN Wide World of Sports - Play at the Next Level"

Posters and a luggage tag for the bag!

iPhone 5 case with a Disney Story app cove

HP Photo cards, envelopes, 5x7 & 4x6

Muppet movie calendars and post cards

Games, trivia, bingo, temporary tattoos, 

Here is all is back in the bag. :) 

I'm sure I'm missing some things-- it's such a big packet of fun stuff!   There's also a "Hostess Kit" (I've been called worse) with a welcome letter.   I love this promotion-- I feel like only Disney would go this extra mile to help us have a great party and celebrate magic at home!  We should let our Disney Side show every day and not just when we're on vacation.  :)  Now to planning this party...

**DISCLAIMER**
 I received free products in order to host the Disney Side @Home Celebration.  The opinions expressed here are my own and do not reflect those of the Walt Disney Company, Disney Parks, or MomSelect.