Todd Martens
@Toddmartens
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Video games, theme parks + immersive entertainment | Columnist for the Los Angeles Times | I go to Disneyland too often | Go Cubs | [email protected]
Los Angeles
Joined May 2008
Hi! I spent much of the past year living — and reporting — this story on the science of heartbreak, how it affects our brains and can alter our bodies. It’s been the most difficult 14 months of my life. Please please please read if you’re able. https://t.co/C0MftprF2w
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Amanda Shires' 'Nobody's Girl' is one of the year's most honest explorations of heartbreak
latimes.com
'Nobody's Girl' is the album as personal quest — for healing, for understanding and for being heard.
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Inside the chilling séance that keeps selling out at L.A.'s Heritage Square
latimes.com
Composer-turned-magician-turned-spiritual guide BC Smith is behind 'Phasmagorica,' an event that attempts to create the feel of a vintage séance. No tricks, he swears.
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The most exciting immersive show in L.A. right now is a funeral
latimes.com
“The Cortège," running this September at the Los Angeles Equestrian Center, revives an ancient art — the procession — turning it into a communal release of grief.
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Slash, Guns N' Roses legend, can talk about his favorite theme park rides all day
latimes.com
At Universal's Halloween Horror Nights, Slash is immortalized as a character — an idea that was partly his own.
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Wonderful, in-depth article about the soon-to-open Universal Horror Unleashed in Vegas from @Toddmartens.
latimes.com
The opening of Universal Horror Unleashed in Las Vegas signals that culture has now fully embraced the darker side of fairy tales.
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Every day is Halloween. Why theme parks are going big on year-round horror experiences
latimes.com
The opening of Universal Horror Unleashed in Las Vegas signals that culture has now fully embraced the darker side of fairy tales.
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Dapper puppets in a fantasy forest? Step inside this SoCal spot filled with handmade wonder
latimes.com
Laguna Beach's Museum of Make Believe celebrates timeless life lessons with storybook art and melancholic fairy tales.
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The rare theme park experience that feels like a passion project
latimes.com
'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.
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What was the greatest Disneyland era? We look back on 70 years at the happiest place on Earth
latimes.com
A decade-by-decade retrospective that highlights the SoCal landmark's greatest creations, fascinating pivots and noteworthy blunders.
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They want to be your anime best friend — on your phone and IRL at Dodger Stadium
latimes.com
Dodger Stadium is hosting a VTuber event. There's a VTuber concert in Hollywood. And then there's Anime Expo. VTubers are descending on L.A.
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The Nintendo Switch 2 is a refinement rather than a reinvention. Is that enough?
latimes.com
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.
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Walt Disney will live again as a robot. His granddaughter says he never wanted this
latimes.com
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.
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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: Leave me alone and let me be down. https://t.co/9JzP1xl0kI
latimes.com
"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.
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Early concepts for Disneyland included an attraction themed to uranium mining in the Southwest. Not a joke! https://t.co/BVGgthEZ9D via @Toddmartens
latimes.com
'The Happiest Place On Earth' by Don Hahn and Christopher Merritt traces the development of Disneyland, starting in the early ’50s.
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The future of theater is immersive. These L.A. artists are creating it in real time
latimes.com
The Immersive Invitational, now in its fourth year, celebrates the communal power of interactive fiction. Participating companies have 48 hours to create a 10-minute show.
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It 'keeps Walt alive in the medium he pioneered': Imagineers defend new Walt Disney robot
latimes.com
A lifelike robotic Walt Disney will soon be unveiled at Disneyland. But the animatronic has raised ethical questions on whether such creations are exploitative.
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Bob Gurr is a legend. Even if you're not a Disney fan, check out this story.
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. https://t.co/Z7h4SIDTOJ
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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. https://t.co/Z7h4SIDTOJ
latimes.com
Bob Gurr, the designer of the monorail, the Matterhorn Bobsleds, the Haunted Mansion 'doom buggies' and more, isn't slowing down.
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Universal Studios + Immersive theater - horrors = Fan Fest Nights. https://t.co/3LCXXe2QLp
latimes.com
Signature attractions at the after-hours event are centered around "Star Trek," "Dungeons & Dragons" and "Back to the Future."
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