Todd Martens
@toddmartens.bsky.social
Columnist for LA Times | I cover video games, immersive entertainment & theme parks. | I take a lot bad pics of Disneyland | I also like cats
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Todd Martens
@toddmartens.bsky.social
· Jan 22
Science can explain a broken heart. Could science help heal mine?
Science shows that heartbreak doesn't just hurt emotionally. It can affect our brains and immune systems. I asked researchers if science could also mend my broken heart.
www.latimes.com
Science can explain a broken heart. Can science help cure one? This is a deeply personal story that I spent the better part of the last year living and reporting. Please read if you’re able to.
New film on Disney+ reveals the frenzied race against time to build Disneyland
www.latimes.com/lifestyle/st...
www.latimes.com/lifestyle/st...
New film on Disney+ reveals the frenzied race against time to build Disneyland
Culled from about 200 hours of mostly unseen footage, Leslie Iwerks' "Disneyland Handcrafted" takes viewers back to the near beginning.
www.latimes.com
January 22, 2026 at 2:55 PM
New film on Disney+ reveals the frenzied race against time to build Disneyland
www.latimes.com/lifestyle/st...
www.latimes.com/lifestyle/st...
Griffith Park’s old zoo is a “beacon for spiritual phenomenon” in “Ghosts in the Machine,” an augmented reality experience.
www.latimes.com/travel/story...
www.latimes.com/travel/story...
A spooky immersive game is happening at the old Griffith Park Zoo
Koryn Wicks' "Ghosts in the Machine," which uses augmented reality technology, takes participants up stairs, around pathways and into now-deserted enclosures. It's a haunting way to explore the park.
www.latimes.com
January 21, 2026 at 3:03 PM
Griffith Park’s old zoo is a “beacon for spiritual phenomenon” in “Ghosts in the Machine,” an augmented reality experience.
www.latimes.com/travel/story...
www.latimes.com/travel/story...
Surviving cultural, technological and bureaucratic shifts, Children’s Fairyland has become the little park that could, its durability a statement of defiance in our fast-paced, divisive world.
www.latimes.com/travel/story...
www.latimes.com/travel/story...
This California theme park inspired Disneyland, Bob Baker Marionettes — and tickets are $19
Oakland's Children's Fairyland, which turned 75, is an argument that storytelling, combined with old-fashioned play, has a timeless appeal.
www.latimes.com
January 21, 2026 at 2:54 PM
Surviving cultural, technological and bureaucratic shifts, Children’s Fairyland has become the little park that could, its durability a statement of defiance in our fast-paced, divisive world.
www.latimes.com/travel/story...
www.latimes.com/travel/story...
Reposted by Todd Martens
Huge thanks to @toddmartens.bsky.social for writing such a thoughtful appreciation of my new project OUT OF THE ASHES that I am co-directing with Nonny de la Peña. Tomorrow night at the Dorothy Chandler Pavillion we'll be showing excerpts from the project along with a host of other activations.
New VR documentary puts you in the devastation of the L.A. fires — and might help you heal
www.latimes.com/lifestyle/st...
www.latimes.com/lifestyle/st...
New VR documentary puts you in the devastation of the L.A. fires — and might help you heal
Using virtual reality tools to help illustrate all that was lost, "Out of the Ashes" chronicles the emotional toll of the Palisades and Eaton fires.
www.latimes.com
January 9, 2026 at 3:03 AM
Huge thanks to @toddmartens.bsky.social for writing such a thoughtful appreciation of my new project OUT OF THE ASHES that I am co-directing with Nonny de la Peña. Tomorrow night at the Dorothy Chandler Pavillion we'll be showing excerpts from the project along with a host of other activations.
New VR documentary puts you in the devastation of the L.A. fires — and might help you heal
www.latimes.com/lifestyle/st...
www.latimes.com/lifestyle/st...
New VR documentary puts you in the devastation of the L.A. fires — and might help you heal
Using virtual reality tools to help illustrate all that was lost, "Out of the Ashes" chronicles the emotional toll of the Palisades and Eaton fires.
www.latimes.com
January 9, 2026 at 12:18 AM
New VR documentary puts you in the devastation of the L.A. fires — and might help you heal
www.latimes.com/lifestyle/st...
www.latimes.com/lifestyle/st...
Destined to open in late 2026 at West L.A.’s Howard Hughes entertainment complex, Meow Wolf has kept much of its plan for Los Angeles under wraps. Until now.
www.latimes.com/travel/story...
www.latimes.com/travel/story...
First look: Inside Meow Wolf L.A., a psychedelic wonderland that celebrates the movies
The Santa Fe, N.M. collective is transforming an old movie theater into a maximalist wonderland, complete with animated candy at a concession stand and seats that appear to be floating.
www.latimes.com
January 7, 2026 at 2:20 PM
Destined to open in late 2026 at West L.A.’s Howard Hughes entertainment complex, Meow Wolf has kept much of its plan for Los Angeles under wraps. Until now.
www.latimes.com/travel/story...
www.latimes.com/travel/story...
Reposted by Todd Martens
Great summation of the extraordinary life of Eddie Sotto! He was lightning in a bottle!
An obituary/remembrance for Eddie Sotto, a designer who shaped modern theme parks. Thank you to the former Walt Disney Imagineers who contributed.
www.latimes.com/travel/story...
www.latimes.com/travel/story...
Eddie Sotto, former Imagineer who shaped modern theme parks, dies at 67
Eddie Sotto, a former Imagineer whose worked influenced several Disney theme parks, died in December in Orange Country. Sotto is best known for designing Main Street, U.S.A., at Disneyland Paris, but ...
www.latimes.com
December 23, 2025 at 2:06 AM
Great summation of the extraordinary life of Eddie Sotto! He was lightning in a bottle!
An obituary/remembrance for Eddie Sotto, a designer who shaped modern theme parks. Thank you to the former Walt Disney Imagineers who contributed.
www.latimes.com/travel/story...
www.latimes.com/travel/story...
Eddie Sotto, former Imagineer who shaped modern theme parks, dies at 67
Eddie Sotto, a former Imagineer whose worked influenced several Disney theme parks, died in December in Orange Country. Sotto is best known for designing Main Street, U.S.A., at Disneyland Paris, but ...
www.latimes.com
December 22, 2025 at 10:35 PM
An obituary/remembrance for Eddie Sotto, a designer who shaped modern theme parks. Thank you to the former Walt Disney Imagineers who contributed.
www.latimes.com/travel/story...
www.latimes.com/travel/story...
A reminder that there’s no wrong way to play “D&D.”
The best part of 'Dungeons & Dragons' is the storytelling. This L.A. stage show leans in
'Dungeons & Dragons: The Twenty-Sided Tavern' opens at Hollywood's Montalbán Theatre, bringing the tabletop RPG to life with audience participation.
www.latimes.com
December 10, 2025 at 2:36 PM
A reminder that there’s no wrong way to play “D&D.”
Reposted by Todd Martens
Been meaning to make it back to @WDFMuseum. Now I have a great excuse: www.latimes.com/travel-exper... via @toddmartens.bsky.social
Think you know Disneyland history? New exhibit unveils rarely seen concept art
'The Happiest Place on Earth' at San Francisco's Walt Disney Family Museum takes a rare look at Disneyland’s history, unveiling early maps and celebrating lesser-known designers.
www.latimes.com
November 26, 2025 at 3:39 AM
Been meaning to make it back to @WDFMuseum. Now I have a great excuse: www.latimes.com/travel-exper... via @toddmartens.bsky.social
Do you enjoy theme parks? Watch this documentary, which does an excellent job of portraying the artistry behind these spaces. Full disclosure, I’m in it, but I couldn’t be more thrilled with what the team accomplished and I thank them for interviewing me.
November 19, 2025 at 5:40 AM
Do you enjoy theme parks? Watch this documentary, which does an excellent job of portraying the artistry behind these spaces. Full disclosure, I’m in it, but I couldn’t be more thrilled with what the team accomplished and I thank them for interviewing me.
I was lucky enough to get to interview Jay Stein a year ago. He was as fiery as I had hoped. Here’s a story about how he changed all theme parks forever.
www.latimes.com/entertainmen...
www.latimes.com/entertainmen...
How the Universal Studios tram tour defined the modern theme park
The most important theme park ride ever created? It may just be the Universal Studios tram tour, which dates to the silent film era. Once primarily a behind-the-scenes tour, the trek has evolved to de...
www.latimes.com
November 9, 2025 at 7:06 AM
I was lucky enough to get to interview Jay Stein a year ago. He was as fiery as I had hoped. Here’s a story about how he changed all theme parks forever.
www.latimes.com/entertainmen...
www.latimes.com/entertainmen...
Dinner theater, reimagined. “Family Meal” is a pricey but special show. Immersive theater for those weaned on the likes of Anthony Bourdain’s “Kitchen Confidential,” “The Bear” and other high-energy, behind-the-scene looks at the restaurant business.
www.latimes.com/lifestyle/st...
www.latimes.com/lifestyle/st...
This 'The Bear'-esque dining experience puts you in the center of the kitchen chaos
At Speakeasy Society's 'Family Meal,' curse words are thrown, recipes are slandered and it all makes for fun, irresistible drama.
www.latimes.com
October 9, 2025 at 12:22 PM
Dinner theater, reimagined. “Family Meal” is a pricey but special show. Immersive theater for those weaned on the likes of Anthony Bourdain’s “Kitchen Confidential,” “The Bear” and other high-energy, behind-the-scene looks at the restaurant business.
www.latimes.com/lifestyle/st...
www.latimes.com/lifestyle/st...
Amanda Shires’ ‘Nobody’s Girl’ is one of the year’s most honest explorations of heartbreak
www.latimes.com/entertainmen...
www.latimes.com/entertainmen...
Amanda Shires' 'Nobody's Girl' is one of the year's most honest explorations of heartbreak
'Nobody's Girl' is the album as personal quest — for healing, for understanding and for being heard.
www.latimes.com
September 29, 2025 at 2:26 PM
Amanda Shires’ ‘Nobody’s Girl’ is one of the year’s most honest explorations of heartbreak
www.latimes.com/entertainmen...
www.latimes.com/entertainmen...
The creator of "The Jejune Institute," a crucial modern immersive text, is back with a new experience in "The Cortege." It's an exploration of grief and community via the ancient art of the procession. But is it immersive? Designer Jeff Hull is conflicted
www.latimes.com/travel/story...
www.latimes.com/travel/story...
The most exciting immersive show in L.A. right now is a funeral
“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.
www.latimes.com
September 11, 2025 at 4:14 PM
The creator of "The Jejune Institute," a crucial modern immersive text, is back with a new experience in "The Cortege." It's an exploration of grief and community via the ancient art of the procession. But is it immersive? Designer Jeff Hull is conflicted
www.latimes.com/travel/story...
www.latimes.com/travel/story...
“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...
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...
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.
www.latimes.com
August 5, 2025 at 12:58 PM
“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...
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...
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...
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.
www.latimes.com
July 29, 2025 at 10:28 AM
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...
www.latimes.com/travel/story...
Reposted by Todd Martens
My colleague @toddmartens.bsky.social looks back on 70 years at "the happiest place on Earth," Disneyland
www.latimes.com/travel/story...
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.
www.latimes.com
July 17, 2025 at 3:35 PM
My colleague @toddmartens.bsky.social looks back on 70 years at "the happiest place on Earth," Disneyland
www.latimes.com/travel/story...
www.latimes.com/travel/story...
The Nintendo Switch 2 is a refinement rather than a reinvention. Is that enough?
www.latimes.com/entertainmen...
www.latimes.com/entertainmen...
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.
www.latimes.com
June 10, 2025 at 10:53 PM
The Nintendo Switch 2 is a refinement rather than a reinvention. Is that enough?
www.latimes.com/entertainmen...
www.latimes.com/entertainmen...
‘He’s ours.’ Walt Disney’s granddaughter takes a stand against Disneyland’s ‘robotic grandpa.’
www.latimes.com/lifestyle/st...
www.latimes.com/lifestyle/st...
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.
www.latimes.com
June 3, 2025 at 3:11 PM
‘He’s ours.’ Walt Disney’s granddaughter takes a stand against Disneyland’s ‘robotic grandpa.’
www.latimes.com/lifestyle/st...
www.latimes.com/lifestyle/st...
Reposted by Todd Martens
"“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.
May 22, 2025 at 9:35 AM
"“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.
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....
www.latimes.com/travel/story....
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.
https://www.latimes.com/travel/story/2025-05-15/disneyland-70th-world-of-color-inside-out-muppets#:~:text=“World%20of%20Color%20Happiness!”%20is%20one%20of%20the%20many,some%20other%20emotions%2C%20including%20Sadness
May 17, 2025 at 12:55 AM
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....
www.latimes.com/travel/story....
It ‘keeps Walt alive in the medium he pioneered’: Imagineers defend new Walt Disney robot
www.latimes.com/travel/story...
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.
www.latimes.com
May 2, 2025 at 5:44 PM
It ‘keeps Walt alive in the medium he pioneered’: Imagineers defend new Walt Disney robot
www.latimes.com/travel/story...
www.latimes.com/travel/story...