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Todd Martens

@toddmartens.bsky.social

1.1K followers 380 following 63 posts

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. 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.

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

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Todd Martens @toddmartens.bsky.social · 1d

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...

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

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Todd Martens @toddmartens.bsky.social · 11d

Amanda Shires’ ‘Nobody’s Girl’ is one of the year’s most honest explorations of heartbreak

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

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Todd Martens @toddmartens.bsky.social · 29d

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...

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

Todd Martens @toddmartens.bsky.social · Sep 5

All the cool kids love theme parks

www.latimes.com/travel/story...

Slash, Guns N' Roses legend, can talk about his favorite theme park rides all day

At Universal's Halloween Horror Nights, Slash is immortalized as a character — an idea that was partly his own.

www.latimes.com

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Todd Martens @toddmartens.bsky.social · Aug 5

“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...

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

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Todd Martens @toddmartens.bsky.social · Jul 29

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...

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

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Todd Martens @toddmartens.bsky.social · Jul 18

Oh it just posted today. I was in Chicago for the media event so I only just saw it

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Todd Martens @toddmartens.bsky.social · Jul 18

I wrote about it!

www.latimes.com/travel/story...

Walt Disney is now an animatronic. 5 things to know about the new Disneyland attraction

'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.

www.latimes.com

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Reposted by Todd Martens

Lisa Boone @lisaboone19.bsky.social · Jul 17

My colleague @toddmartens.bsky.social looks back on 70 years at "the happiest place on Earth," Disneyland
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

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Todd Martens @toddmartens.bsky.social · Jun 11

I was gonna go tomorrow but there’s no Metro service to downtown, so I’m out, unfortunately.

Todd Martens @toddmartens.bsky.social · Jun 10

The Nintendo Switch 2 is a refinement rather than a reinvention. Is that enough?

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

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Todd Martens @toddmartens.bsky.social · Jun 3

‘He’s ours.’ Walt Disney’s granddaughter takes a stand against Disneyland’s ‘robotic grandpa.’

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

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Reposted by Todd Martens

Dr Surekha Davies (she/her) @drsurekhadavies.bsky.social · May 22

"“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.

Seamus Blackley @seamus.bsky.social · May 11

www.latimes.com/food/story/2...

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Todd Martens @toddmartens.bsky.social · May 17

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....

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

Todd Martens @toddmartens.bsky.social · May 2

It ‘keeps Walt alive in the medium he pioneered’: Imagineers defend new Walt Disney robot

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

Todd Martens @toddmartens.bsky.social · Apr 29

Thank you!!! Sorry I missed ya’ll at the screening!

Todd Martens @toddmartens.bsky.social · Apr 28

Agreed! Really happy I found my drawings and my Disney Creative books and worksheets!

Todd Martens @toddmartens.bsky.social · Apr 28

My dream of working in animation was dashed at an early age — 8, to be exact — when I failed at drawing a Mickey Mouse in this WDW animation class. But I appreciate that I ambitiously signed it

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Todd Martens @toddmartens.bsky.social · Apr 27

Loved seeing a Beholder at Uni’s Fan Fest Nights. My father was a TSR exec and I had a lot of nostalgic feels here. Unfortunately the ambitious event is a mixed bag of experiences. Uni wants to elevate the haunt maze to theater, but did not fully commit to it. Hope to see it improve in the future.

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Todd Martens @toddmartens.bsky.social · Apr 25

Hahaha. It’s lots of sitting around with my cat. Thanks for sharing. See you at the 70th.

Todd Martens @toddmartens.bsky.social · Apr 25

Oh cool!

Todd Martens @toddmartens.bsky.social · Apr 25

Thank you!

Todd Martens @toddmartens.bsky.social · Apr 25

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.

www.latimes.com/travel/story...

He worked with Walt Disney to shape Disneyland. Now at 93, boy, does he have stories

Bob Gurr, the designer of the monorail, the Matterhorn Bobsleds, the Haunted Mansion "doom buggies" and more, isn't slowing down.

www.latimes.com

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Todd Martens @toddmartens.bsky.social · Apr 17

Thank you. Appreciate that :)

Todd Martens @toddmartens.bsky.social · Apr 17

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