Happy New Year from Walt's Magic Kingdom

Original Cel from Steamboat Willie held by The Walt Disney Archives

Merry Christmas from Walt's Magic Kingdom!

The Disney Archives Christmas Tree

Missing the Reindeer

Photo from Flickr

The Christmas Fantasy Parade of the old days featured the tall, silly looking reindeer, with tongues that hung out farther than Pluto's.  They were whimsical.  The newer reindeer appear more feminine, in my opinion.

Breakfast with Leonard

The man is a legend.  I mean who knows more about movies than Leonard Maltin? I sourced a lot of material from him while working on my masters thesis, specifically on the topic of Disney films.  When I found out I was going to get to interview him regarding his 2012 Movie Guide, I couldn't decide what not to ask him.  I was only going to have 10 minutes and I had so much that I wanted and could discuss with him.

First off, I inquired why he is still printing a book version of his guides being that we live in this iPad/Kindle/digital age.  Well he quickly informed me that the information is available as an App for your Ipod and iPad with more information than what could be put in the book.  The other reason for the book is the target audience - older people.  I even told him how as a kid, I used to go through his books and memorize stats like a sports fan memorizes baseball cards. The fact is that older generations are not necessarily interested in looking up information on the internet, they want a physical reference guide.  And really, a book is just easier to use.

Maltin also explained that he too will use IMDB on occasion but it it not always the most effecient way to find or organize data.  Sometimes you want the simplicity of a book, where you can look up the title and see if it's worth watching and who starred in it.

Since we share a love of Disney animation, I went on to discuss some concepts with him.  One of my first questions was to name his favorite Disney short.  He quickly and simply answered "The Band Concert." You'll recall that one.  It's where Mickey is conducted the orchestra in the park as it gets picked up and carried away by a tornado.  It was the first color Mickey Mouse cartoon and is considered by many to be one of the best.  It even has it's own theme park attraction at DCA!  It was no surprise that Maltin named it as his favorite.

I went on to discuss with him my actual thesis topic, which was the restoration of Disney's animated features and the loss of the animation art.  I wish had this access to him about six years ago when I had first begun that project.  He made a good point, which is that as much as they try, there is no way to completely reproduce on a DVD and television the look of those animated films which were recorded onto silver nitrate film and projected against a silver screen.  They can come close but it won't look the same.  There is also the slippery slope of "what were they trying to make it look like?"  Akin to "What would Walt do?"  He thinks the most recent restoration work done Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs was excellent.

My time with Mr. Maltin went by all too fast, but I did get to ask one other fun question: Keaton or Lloyd?  While he appreciated my slant on the old question of Keaton or Chaplin, he still refused to answer.  He said it was pointless to try to say one is better than the other.  While I admit I am a Harold Lloyd fan over Chaplin and Keaton, it is still silly to compare them against each other.  Each was a master of comedy.  The discussion ended when Tony Anselmo walked by the table and had some small talk with Maltin.  That too was almost unbelievable.

Much like our conversation, the book is awesome.  Maltin's 2012 Movie Guide has grown by another 300 entries since the 2010 edition with over 17,000 movies covered.  He also has the Classic Film Guide with over 10,000 movies from the beginning of film through the 60s with even more detail given to each movie.  These books would make great holiday gifts and are reasonably priced at Amazon. Get your 2012 Movie Guide now!

Lucky photo op!

(c) Disney

On a recent studio visit by D23 for media, they just happened to also be taking a photo for an upcoming D23 magazine issue.  After watching the initial photo being snapped, we were invited into the photo for the legends and luminaries.  In addition to the media and family members of those special guests, were the following people:

Kathryn Beaumont - voice of Alice and Wendy
Alice Davis - Imagineer
Lisa Davis - voice of Anita in 101 Dalmatians
Joe Hale - animation producer
Dickie Jones - voice of Pinocchio
Margaret Kerry - model for Tinker Bell
Burny Mattinson - storyboard artist
Floyd Norman - animator
Richard Sherman - composer/lyricist
Ruthie Thompson - scene planner, ink and paint girl (101 years old!)
Tyrus Wong - background artist for Bambi (also 101 years old!)

Another visit to the Disney archive

D23 hosted a media event recently to give a us a presentation of some of the upcoming D23 events.  While at the Disney Studios, we were also given another chance to explore around the archives, including the mysterious second floor!  Below are some items I found interesting:

Disneyland Barker Bird

Jug from Darby O'Gill and the Little People

This photo is just one of many bookshelves of random items.  Above, you can see heads from Pirates and Haunted Mansion.  There is also a small model of the multi-plane camera.  The maquette on the right is from The Black Cauldron.  The ships on the left were used for designing the ships for the Pirates of the Caribbean movies.

Happy Birthday Uncle Walt!

110 Years Young Today!

Meeting Richard Sherman

I had the awesome opportunity to visit the archives as a D23 media guest.  In addition to learning about all the fantastic D23 events coming up, I also was able to rub shoulders with several Disney legends and luminaries such as Alice Davis, Dickie Jones, Floyd Norman and Richard Sherman.

We all were fortunate to have Richard Sherman sit down at Walt's piano and play some tunes.  This is the same piano that the Sherman Brothers used to showcase their new tunes for Walt in his working office.  This piano for many years was seen inside the Opera House on Main Street at Disneyland.

Richard Sherman played for us the music to Feed the Birds, followed by a sing-along of Supercalifragilisticexpialidocious.  Lastly, he played Chimpanzoo, a song cut from Mary Poppins prior to production.

After the performance and after many of the guests left, I approached him for a photo and some small talk.  I told him how much I enjoyed the documentary "The Boys" about he and Robert's relationship.  I also expressed my appreciation for the legendary music he created over years.  He mentioned how special it was to work at the studio during Walt's time. "It felt like a family," he said.  To say it was a magical moment is an understatement.  All of the invited luminaries seemed truly happy to be recognized.  Their group photo will appear in an upcoming issue of the D23 Magazine.

Happy Halloween!

Photo (c) Disney

Main Street Popcorn

Fresh, hot golden popcorn.  Freshly popped during a cool fall evening at Disneyland.

Main Street Cinema Ticket Taker

Dressed in her finest fall fashion, Tilly, the Main Street ticket taker is always working!

Halloween Time descends on Disneyland

Halloween Season is in full swing. I'm looking forward tonight to checking out Mickey's Halloween Party for 2011.  I expect lots of people, long lines for Space Mtn and Haunted Mansion Holiday and hopefully generous candy distribution. The event is not scary, other than Space Mountain.

Mickey's Halloween Party
$49 per person for Advance price (September 30, October 3, 11, 18 & 25) 
$59 per person for Day-of-Event price (September 30, October 3, 7, 11, 14, 18, 21 & 25) 
$64 per person for Premium price (October 18 & 31)

Some unique features of this event include:

• Halloween Screams fireworks spectacular (9:30 each night)
• Photos with favorite Disney Villains
• Special treat stations offering both candy and healthy goodies
• Mickey's Costume Party Cavalcade (8:30 and 10:30 each night)
• Piratepalooza in Rancho del Zocalo Restaurante, kick up your boots with Goofy and other swashbucklers
• Buzz Lightyear's Intergalactic Space Jam -- a high-energy dance party that goes to infinity and beyond

Halloween Time at Disneyland

In just a couple of days, Haunted Mansion Holiday and Space Mountain: Ghost Galaxy will open at Disneyland, kicking off the relatively new event of Halloween Time at Disneyland.  I'd have to say that this is my favorite time of the year, not just for Halloween but also the weather cooling off and a slower pace after the busy summer.

As a kid, I became obsessed with Knott's Halloween Haunt beginning around 1987.  I've been back every year since and it is probably the only time of year I ever visit Knott's.  I can't recall the last time I visited during daylight.  I've also had an annual pass to Disneyland since 1984.  Disneyland always seemed to poo-poo the idea of doing anything remotely close to what Knott's has been doing for almost 40 years with Halloween.  However, with the growing popularity of the Haunt, it was only a matter of time before Disneyland tried to cash in the holiday as well.  Every year, Americans have been spending more and more on Halloween, making it a huge industry, so it's only expected that Disney is looking to get into that market too.

I've been enjoying the Halloween Time festivities at Disneyland and it was great to have Mickey's Trick or Treat return to Disneyland in 2010, now called Mickey's Halloween Party.  I plan to visit this year and report back.  Stay tuned.

Carthay Circle Club

Disneyland has Club 33 and now it looks like DCA will have their own exclusive club as part of the makeover process. “The Carthay Circle Club”, or Triple C will be part of the new Carthay Circle replica being built in the main entry at California Adventure. There will be one or two lounges and a probably restaurant being built.  One or more of these may be exclusive to the club.

At the D23 Expo, Disney execs again mentioned a teaser about extending the Club 33 program in some form, but no mention was made about whether or not the Carthay Circle Restaurant would be included in that effort.

Voices of the Parks, but mostly Disneyland at the D23 Expo

One of the few panels was able to get into to see was the Voices of Parks presentation with a panel of actors who have recorded voices and soundtracks for both Disneyland and Walt Disney World.  Below, I highlight some of my favorites.

Photo: Disney

In between the guy in purple and the guy with the glasses is Corey Burton, the voice of Haunted Mansion Holiday (doing a Paul Frees imitation) as well as the parking lot tram and many others. He confirmed that he declined the change to record the new safety warning in the Haunted Mansion that was added a couple of years ago.  He did not want to add to Paul Free's original masterpiece.  Burton described it as adding a mustache to the Mona Lisa.

Photo: Disney

In this photo is BJ Ward, who voiced the PeopleMover and to her left is Bill Rogers, the current voice of Disneyland.

Disneyland Fantasyland Additions - just announced!

The Princess Fantasy Faire is moving from next to Small World to the Carnation Gardens.  What will essentially become an expansion of Fantasyland, was announced yesterday at D23. Officially, called the Fantasy Faire.

"Guests will travel through a village square surrounded by fairytale cottages and pavilions to the heart of the square – Tangled Tower, inspired by the film. The village square will come alive with activities and entertainment, including a Royal Ribbon Parade where guests can dance and interact with Belle or Rapunzel. Guests can visit the their favorite Disney royalty from such films as “Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs,” “Cinderella,” “Sleeping Beauty,” “Beauty and the Beast” and “Tangled.”

‪The Fantasy Faire Stage will be a new entertainment venue where the stories of Disney’s fairy tale heroes and heroines will be brought to life, letting guests become part of the story as well.

This photo depicts Fantasy Faire stage (Carnation Gardens) to the left and Sleeping Beauty's Castle would be directly to the right of this image, out of frame.

D23 Expo has arrived!

I will be attending and adding content through the weekend.  This year is going to have some fantastic surprises.  Follow me on Twitter at @no1here.

Disney Studio - Legends Plaza and the Archives

The only other version of this is in the Magic Kingdom in WDW.

Legends Plaza at the Walt Disney Studios in Burbank, features this statue of Roy Disney, the Walt Disney and Mickey Partners statue and the hand prints of all the Disney Legends to date.

Absent Minded Professor Miniature prop

I am really looking forward to the Archives exhibit this year at the D23 Expo.  It was big crowd pleaser in 2009 and this year is going to be even bigger.  My photo of the Absent Minded Professor prop was taken on my recent studio visit when we stopped by the Archives for a visit.  The D23 Expo opens this Friday!

Walt Disney's former office at the Disney Studio

Walt's former office at the studio

On my recent visit to the Studio for the D23 Expo preview, I was able to take this shot of the exterior of Walt's office.  The current occupant is Shaun Cassidy and his production company.  This is the same office that you once could seen in the lobby to the Walt Disney Story and Great Moments with Mr. Lincoln.  It used to exhibit his working office and formal office.

D23 will feature presentation on new attractions, movies and products coming the The Walt Disney Company  all debuting in the near future.  Members of D23 also get opportunities such as a tour of the Disney Studios throughout the years.  You do not need to be a member of D23 to attend the Expo.

Golden Horseshoe Visit

Just a few days after the passing of Wally Boag and Judy Taylor (one day apart), I stopped by to take this photo.  It was a bit eerie that day staring at the empty stage with an empty house.

D23 Expo is almost here!

On my recent visit to the Disney Studios for the D23 Expo preview, I was also fortunate enough to meet Bill Farmer - the voice of Goofy for over 25 years.  But did you also know that he also voices Pluto and Horace Horsecollar?  He was made a Disney Legend in 2009, an award presented to him at the first D23 Expo.

This year the Disney Awards will presented to other voice actors like Jodi Benson, Paige O'Hara, Lea Salonga, Linda Larkin and Anika Noni Rose among others.  The Expo is August 19-21, 2011.

Pixar Panels at D23

For the 25th Anniversay of Pixar, the following panels will be taking place at D23, next weekend:

• A Conversation with the Pixar Creative Team
  Enjoy a rare opportunity to spend some time with the key figures responsible for Pixar's unprecedented success, including John Lasseter (chief creative officer, Walt Disney and Pixar Animation Studios), Jim Morris (general manager, Pixar Animation Studios), Pete Docter (director, Monsters, Inc.,Up), Andrew Stanton (director, Finding Nemo,WALL-E), Bob Peterson (co-director, Up), Lee Unkrich (director, Toy Story 3), Mark Andrews (director, Brave), and Dan Scanlon (director,Monsters University). 
•  
• The Characters of Monsters University
  Director Dan Scanlon and Production Designer Ricky Nierva discuss how they combine hair, horns, and a lot of heart to bring the wonderful Monsters University characters to life.
•  
• Michael Giacchino's Music of Pixar
  In this musical presentation, award-winning composer Michael Giacchino explores his early influences through the creation of modern-day classic scores from Ratatouille, Up and Cars 2.
• The Art of Brave
  Production designer Steve Pilcher and shading art director Tia Kratter show how they and their team put paint to canvas and fingers to computer keys to create the stunning visuals of Scotland for Disney•Pixar's upcoming film Brave.
•  
• Pixar Shorts
  Hosted by Tim O'Day, this retrospective screening of the animation studio's legendary short films will be followed by a panel discussion with several of the filmmakers, including Ralph Eggleston (director, For the Birds), Andy Jimenez (director,One Man Band), Angus MacLane (director, BURN-E), Pete Sohn (director,Partly Cloudy), Teddy Newton (director, Day & Night), and Enrico Casarosa (director, La Luna).

Expo attendees will also have access to advance screenings of an all-new 3D version of The Lion King, presented by RealD 3D.  This should top the screenings given last time of Toy Story 1 and 3 in 3D.

A Recent Disney Studio Visit

I normally only post about things related to Disneyland only, but this is related since much of Disneyland was originally built here.  I was recently invited up to attend a preview for the D23 Expo coming up later this month at the Anaheim Convention Center, August 19-21.

The Studio water tower that no longer has water.

Studio Back Lot Bike

Walt's Office

Nature's Wonderland, how we miss thee...

Wally Boag gone to the Golden Horseshoe in the sky

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Wally Boag passed away today at the age of 91.  He opened with the Golden Horseshoe Revue in 1955 and later went on to open the Diamond Horseshoe Revue at the Magic Kingdom in Florida.  He's a beloved Disney icon who will be missed.

Happy Disneyland Star Tours : The Adventures Continue Day!

This morning is the big day that Star Tours 2.0 opens officially.  I was able to hitch a ride last week during an annual passholder preview.  The refreshed queue was eye-catching.  It's nice to see the mix of familiar with the new.  I obsessed over every detail of this ride in 1987 when it first opened.  The new show is the kind of thing we all dreamed of, "What if there were multiple destinations each time?" Now, the dream is a reality.

My only criticism, is that just like the new Star Wars films, the new movies are done all CGI.  There was something special about making films that required miniatures, albeit now you can anywhere and do anything with computers.  The new film is super clear, having the latest technology, and most people won't notice the fact of how flat the old film was.

Make Shift Movie Theater

The amazing set up for the Pirates 4 premiere at Disneyland, May 7, 2011at the edge of the Rivers of America.

Main Street Moment

Disneyland en español

If you are looking for information on Disneyland, WDW or anything Disney in general in Spanish, check out DisneylandiaAlDia.com. There are also regular giveaways held there with good odds of winning something. 

Main Street Bakery on the Move and Annual Pass Changes

 

The latest word is that the Blue Ribbon Bakery will soon be relocating to the Plaza Pavilion.  The popularity of the bakery can be seen on any given night with lines that often wrap outside the door.  The move will also allow the Carnation Cafe to expand back indoors as it once did.

This is also the reason why new annual passes will no longer carry the picture of the card owner on the card.  The entrance gate will still flash your picture on a screen for the cast member scanning the passes.  Your picture will now be taken at the ticket booth or else a prior photo will just be placed onto renewed passes, such as what is done when renewing by mail.  The downside is that you can expect to be asked to show ID whenever using your pass for discounts.

Tiltshift Castle

An attempt at a tiltshift treatment of my favorite castle photograph of my personal collection.

Star Tours - The Adventure Continues

Star Tours 2.0 on it's way

It's now official!  Star Tours - The Adventure Continues will open to the public on June 3, 2011.  For those that love Disneyland parades, Mickey's Soundsational Parade, will debut Memorial Day weekend.  In an unsual move, Disney has also decided to premiere The Little Mermaid ~ Ariel’s Undersea Adventure at Disney California Adventure on the same day as Star Tours.  It should make for one busy media event.

Small World Towers

Have you ever wondered about the square towers located along the plaza in front of it's a small world?

These towers were built for Light Magic, the parade-esque show that made its debut at Disneyland in 1997. Light Magic was originally designed to replace the irreplaceable 24-year-old Main Street Electrical Parade, which had left for Tokyo Disneyland and then onto the Magic Kingdom at WDW. However, after receiving very unfavorable reviews in May 1997, it was abruptly ended four months later. The company announced that the show would return in 2000 but that never materialized, nor do I think it ever will.

Despite the short-term show, long-term infrastructure improvements made specifically for Light Magic - especially in Fantasyland are still used today.

Wordless Wednesday

Wordless Wednesday

Happy New Year

A new year is a upon us and the parks are a buzz with activity.  In case you did not get over to Disneyland during this busy Christmas season, small world holiday will still be open through January 17th before going down for about 10 days to revert to the regular ride.  Check it out while you can.