Destination: Disney

I HAVE MOVED...

2010-06-01T21:08:00.000-07:00

I am no longer doing this blog. I have started a new blog focused specifically on Disney ephemera called Disneyphemera. I hope to see you there.

Roller Coaster Rabbit at Disney-MGM Studios

2010-01-14T20:12:00.001-08:00

Disney's Hollywood Studios, formerly known as Disney-MGM Studios, used to be my favorite of the four Walt Disney World parks. This was back when you had the two hour Backlot Tour and the Animation Tour, in other words, when the park was actually what it said it was...a working film studio.

Yes, that is correct, TV shows, movies, and animation shorts and features were done at the studio. Guests to the park could actually see the filming of shows or movies. Or, they could see the animators working on the next Disney Channel cartoon episode or animated feature. The Animation Tour was definitely the reason I loved this park. I could spend a couple hours there.

Here is an article from the June 28,1990 edition of Eyes and Ears Vol. 20 No. 26 talking about the first fully animated work to come out of the new studio--Roller Coaster Rabbit. It you never got to visit Disney-MGM Studios back in the 1990s, well, take a few minutes to read this article. You will get a small idea of what you missed and what we all continue to miss today.

Disney-Henson Political Cartoon 1989

2010-01-11T11:02:00.000-08:00

A couple months ago when word came out that Disney was purchasing Marvel Comics, there was both optimism and pessimism from both Disney and Marvel fans. Personally, I was excited. The only thing that would have put me flying over cloud nine on a magic carpet would have been if Disney was purchasing DC Comics instead since I prefer DC to Marvel. But, that is a different story.

What immediately came to mind was all the negativity surrounding the Disney and Jim Henson negotiations in 1989 & 1990. Disney had just opened its third theme park, Disney-MGM Studios, in 1989, and two new Muppets based attractions had just opened at this park--Here Come the Muppets and MuppetVision 3-D. Adding to all the confusing and uncertainty was Jim Henson's sudden death on May 16.

I remember a cast member whom I worked with that first summer on the WDW College Program showed me a political cartoon from the Orlando Sentinel about the Disney-Henson negotiations. The cartoon was actually from 1989 when talks first hit about the negotiations. The cartoonist appeared to hit the nail on the head as to what all the naysayers thought was apparently going to be the outcome of such a partnership.

Anyway, I thought the cartoon was hilarious and had him make me a copy. Now, I knew I had kept that copy, but, for the life of me, I could not find it. I searched and searched until last week, I found it at the bottom of one of my boxes that did NOT have other Disney items in it. That figures. I thought it very appropos to the Disney-Marvel discussion. Well, better late than never.

My 1st WDW Plush...Dumbo

2010-01-08T16:39:00.000-08:00

Getting souvenirs is one of the highlights of shopping at the Walt Disney World Resort, especially for a child. Most kids want a plush character, and I was no exception. I remember my very first souvenir from WDW as a 5 year old back in 1973. A Dumbo plush by California Stuffed Toys!

Now, you might be wondering, "how in the world does he remember this"? Well, because I still have that very first Dumbo. And, he was very loved as can be seen in the picture. He is missing the little white ball on his hat. He is blind in one eye, since it is missing. His bow is all messed up. His fur is all matted and ears all mangled, but, he was and is mine. Just holding him brings back those memories of my first trip, at The Magic Kingdom.

Now, as luck would have it, last weekend I was at an annual flea market here in Louisville and came across the same exact plush as mine, exect this one was in excellent condition. He has both eyes in excellent condition. He has the ball on his hat. His ribbon is tied and unfrayed. His fur is not matted. And, his ears are beautiful. I just had to snatch it up for the very affordable price of $10. Now, my old loved Dumbo has company!

Here are the tags of each. From looking at the tags, I would guess that maybe the one I purchased this weekend is from after 1973. The front of the tag on my old Dumbo says Walt Disney Character as in singular, while the one I just purchased says Walt Disney Characters, this time plural. Both are labeled Walt Disney Productions. The back of the tags provide a little more evidence as to which is older. My Dumbo says, All New Material while the newer one has the additional phrase of SYNTHETIC FOAM & COTTON. The plushes were made by California Stuffed Toys.

Regardless of the condition, my beat up, battered, and blind Dumbo will always hold a prominent place in my Walt Disney World Disneyana collection--it all started with an elephant!

The Annual Walt Disney World Marathon

2010-01-06T18:55:00.000-08:00

The Walt Disney World Marathon Weekend starts tomorrow, January 7, and runs through (sorry, couldn't resist the pun) Sunday, January 10, 2010, sponsored by Cigna. And, once again, I will not be participating. Sure, I ran track in high school, but, that was a long time ago and I was not a long distance runner. Now, that doesn't stop me from admiring those individuals who participate and having an interest in the marathon. I mean, it is involving Walt Disney World, so, how can I not be interested.

But, have you ever wondered who won the first marathon? When it started? What entertainment surrounded the event? How many runners?

A few months ago, as I was going through some of my WDW collection, I found a small article on the first Walt Disney World Marathon. The article was in Tomart's Disneyana Update No. 1 from 1994 and appears on page 46 in a section called Theme Park Collectibles. What initially caught my attention were the various pictures of the WDW Marathon souvenirs. These include limited edition t-shirts, sweatshirts, caps, pins, and a watch, among other things. I really wish they had included some of the ephemera, but, oh well.

Anyway, as I read the article, I gathered some very interesting knowledge about the very first Walt Disney World Marathon. Those questions I asked earlier? Well, the answers can all be found in the text of the article, which I have typed out below:

MICKEY'S MARATHON

About 7,000 runners participated in the first Walt Disney World Marathon on January 16, 1994. Two and one-half years in the making, the event drew entrants from every state and several foreign countries.
The race began at 6 AM in the Epcot Center parking lot with fireworks, a band, and appearances by Mickey and Minnie. Temperature at the start was 40 degrees...ideal for long-distance running.
The course wound throughout Walt Disney World, including Epcot Center, the Magic Kingdom, and Disney-MGM Studios Theme Park. Mid-course entertainment included a laser show in Epcot.
Leonid Shvetsov of Russia completed the 26.2 miles in 2 hours, 14 minutes and 27 seconds to finish first in the men's division. Judit Nagy of Hungary won the women's division in 2:32:32. But David Bailey of Vista, California beat them all by finishing first in the wheelchair division in 1:52:29. Elite runners competed for $125,000 in prize money. An estimated 1500 people watched.
Enthusiastic Disney officials talked of making the annual event as famous as the Boston Marathon. Next year's race will be held January 8th. Disney is planning for a field of 12,000. Interested runners should call Central Reservations Operations at (407) 827-7200 for information and entry forms.

Well, I hope you not only enjoyed the pictures, but the article as well and gained a little more knowledge, because, in my opinion, it is a lot less painful than actually running the marathon.

You can find more information about this year's WDW Marathon at http://www.disneyworldmarathon.com/.

Remembering 2009...

2010-01-04T19:17:00.000-08:00

Well, it has been a while since I posted. I am looking forward to 2010. It is my goal that I have a posting at least three times a week. I also want to be more timely in commenting on the happenings of Disney, especially Walt Disney World and Disney animation. Also, I want to share more of the items in my Disney collection. But, first, I want to reflect on 2009.

It has been quite a year. We made our annual trip to WDW this summer and had a great time. I started a Disney blog. And, I added many items to my Disneyphemera collection.

But, what I will remember the most is what I lost this year. Besides the normal hustle and bustle of the holidays, my grandmother passed away about a week before Christmas. As expected, this made the normal festive season less of a celebration. Even though we were greiving over her loss, we chose to celebrate her life.

My grandmother, or Mammy as we called her, lived a wonderful life. She lived the type of life I pray to have. She lived to be 94 years and was even driving up until just a couple weeks before her passing. She was an inspiration to all her met her and touched many lives. She lived her life for the Lord. So, I believe now was actually a wonderful time for her to be called home.

She also loved her family. She not only got to see her six grandchildren, but also got to see many great-grandchildren, and even a couple great-great-grandchildren. Not many people are blessed with that.

She also travelled all over the world. She hit every state but Alaska, which was rather odd since she had grandchildren living there for a few years back in the 80s. She has travelled from Germany to Egypt to England and to Israel. And, yes, she has even been to Walt Disney World.

Here are a couple of pictures my mother gave to me over the holidays. They are pictures of Mammy at a Pooh character breakfast the day after my wife and I were married at the Wilderness Lodge. The first is one of her with Tigger and the second with Eeyore. I will never forget this day; the child-like surprised look on her face in one and the gentle smile in the other. This is one memory I will cherish forever, along with the many others.

I love you Mammy and miss you terribly.

The Princess and the Frog Hits Theatres Nationwide

2009-12-11T14:14:00.001-08:00

Today is the day Disney returns to traditionaly 2D animation, after a five year hiatus, with its 49th animated feature, The Princess and the Frog. In 2004, Disney bid farewell to its bread and butter 2D animation with the less than spectacular release of Home on the Range in favor of the new flavor of animation, CGI.

This will also be the first African-American princess for Disney named Tiana voiced by Anik Noni Rose, whom I did a post on a few weeks ago. Some of the other notable voices are Keith David (Goliath from Gargoyles), John Goodman (Sully from Monsters, Inc.), and the ubiquitous Oprah Winfrey. It is directed by John Musker and Ron Clements. This duo has directed several Disney features together over the past 20 years including The Great Mouse Detective, The Little Mermaid, Aladdin, Hercules, and Treasure Planet. Likewise, they have been involved in many others.

Ever since I heard about this new animated feature about two years ago, I have been excited for the return of hand drawn Disney. I hope like me, you are planning to take the family to see this show. Remember, if this show is successful, then more hand drawn features will surely follow. If not, then, the future might get a little murky. So, here's hoping to a big weekend and big holiday season for Disney's The Princess and the Frog.

Guide to WDW Pages 26 - 30

2009-12-09T21:09:00.000-08:00

Well, I'm going to go ahead and put up the last five pages of the 1979 Walt Disney World guide. I think I've beaten this topic to death. And, I think I've learned my lesson too. For future guides that I post on here, I'll do the entire guide in one day. If it is a guide like this, maybe I'll just hit some highlights, but post the entire guide. Anyway, on to the last five pages.

Pages 26 and 27 showcase the Lake Buena Vista resort area focusing on the WDW Village, LBV Club, WD Travel Co, LBV Office Plaza, and LBV Hotel Plaza.

Page 28 is the last page featuring activities at the WDW Resort. The Vacation, Treehouse, and Fairway Villas get the last page. Page 29 is the inside of the back cover and is a simple advertisement for three Disney movies hitting theatres in the summer. They include the re-release of 101 Dalmations, as well as a sequel in The Apple Dumpling Gang Rides Again, and finally the Unidentified Flying Oddball.

And, finally, page 30, which is the back cover. Of course, it is an advertisement for Polaroid, the sponsor of the guide. But, this is actually a pretty cool add for guests. Polaroid is letting you borrow their camera at WDW for free. All you have to do is pay for the film. What a great marketing idea--let guests try out your state of the art camera for free while they are making memories they will cherish for a lifetime.

Well, this concludes the 1979 Walt Disney World guide. I hope you enjoyed browsing the guide and catching a glimpse of how Walt Disney World looked at the end of its first decade of operation.

Happy Birthday Walt Disney

2009-12-05T06:42:00.000-08:00

Today is Walt Disney's 108th birthday. The image above, which I found somewhere on the Internet, is how I most remember him, granted, I wasn't alive when he was, but, this is how I always picture him, with a giant, warm, inviting smile on his face. I'm not going to write a long entry of all his accomplishments because I'm sure there will be many on the blogosphere today. He was a big part of my childhood, my adulthood, and now my families life. We love the animation and theme parks and everything in between. So, with a giant THANK YOU Walt, I wish you a very Happy Birthday!!!

Guide to WDW Pages 24 & 25

2009-11-30T17:41:00.000-08:00

We are now in the downstretch of looking through the Walt Disney World guide from 1979. Two more resorts are on pages 24 and 25. The first is a resort geared towards sports and relaxation--Golf Resort Hotel. Two courses are available for guests to play, the Palm and the Magnolia.

The following page has you staying out in the wilderness with deer, opossums, armadillos, and other creatures at the Fort Wilderness Resort. This place is ideal for kids to run around and explore the outdoors. There is River Country, canoeing, campfires, and the Wilderness Line steam train. The activities continue at night with the Hoop-Dee-Doo Musical Revue and Disney movies outside around the campfire while roasting marshmallows. Yum! I must admit, this place is still my favorite resort, even without the railroad.

Guide to WDW 1979 Pages 22 & 23

2009-11-29T11:56:00.000-08:00

What other activities are there to do around Walt Disney World in 1979 you ask? Well, the Walt Disney World guide answers that question on the remaining pages of the guide. Starting with pages 22 and 23, you can find the two resort staples that are still around three decades later with the Contemporary Resort Hotel and Polynesian Village Resort Hotel, respectively. Both have short descriptions for guests to get an idea of the atmosphere of each resort including the activities available for them to enjoy.

Both pages features pictures of the actual resort. It is interesting to look at and compare the impact that plants have on the visual aesthetics of these two resorts in just 30 short years. Although the buildings might look the same, the greenery is much different.

In addition to the customary resort pictures are those of the various activities that can be found at the resorts. The one that sticks out to me is the picture of the Luau girl doing her hula dance. A picture like that makes me want to go put on a lei, eat some Polynesian feast, and enjoy the nighttime fire-lit entertainment. Enjoy.

Guide to WDW 1979 Pages 20 & 21

2009-11-25T22:13:00.000-08:00

Pages 20 & 21 of the Walt Disney World guide from 1979 is filled with words. And, lots of them especially when you are talking about a park guide. The only picture on this page is an image of Pinocchio. The first page deals with some more tips, specifically tips aimed at your visit to help you save time and maximize your enjoyment at the park. The second page gives some details of what else you must see on your visit to Walt Disney World outside of the Magic Kingdom.

Well, there is a lot of reading to do, so, click on the image and get reading. Enjoy.

Guide to WDW 1979 Pages 18 & 19

2009-11-24T19:23:00.000-08:00

On to pages 18 & 19 of the Walt Disney World guide from 1979. These are Polaroid's tips for taking better pictures and better movies at Walt Disney World. It is broken into two sections, you guessed it, pictures and movies.

I actually found these pages kind of interesting. Many of these tips still apply today. It is funny to see things like the movies tip #2 where the cassettes only held about 3 minutes of video. My how times have changed. Page 19 has some examples of pictures along with some tips on how to take interesting pictures. And, if you can't get enough help from the guide, you can always head to the Polaroid Camera Center down on Main Street, U.S.A. Enjoy the tips.

Guide to WDW 1979 Pages 16 & 17

2009-11-20T16:21:00.001-08:00

Pages 16 and 17 of the Walt Disney World guide from 1979 feature yet another map, one that is just as cool as the one on the previous pages. But, instead of a map of the Magic Kingdom, this is a full spread map of the entire Walt Disney World resort as it looked in 1979. This very colorful map is wonderfully drawn and properly labeled. It is great seeing forgotten resorts such as River Country, Discovery Island, and WDW Village prominent on the map. Enjoy.

Guide to WDW 1979 Pages 14 & 15

2009-11-18T17:59:00.000-08:00

We are now half way through the Walt Disney World guide from 1979. On pages 14 and 15, we have a two page full map of the Magic Kingdom. This is a very cool map. It is color coded by attractions, shops, and restaurants. Just like with the descriptions of the attractions on the earlier pages, many of the attractions on the map are also accompanied by a sketch. It really is cool to see attractions like 20,000 Leagues Under the Sea featured on the map. Take a few minutes to look at the map and see what all has changed in 30 years to this iconic park.

Guide to WDW 1979 Pages 12 & 13

2009-11-16T17:39:00.000-08:00

Now we move into the future of Tomorrowland with pages 12 and 13 of the Guide to Walt Disney World from 1979. I love these vintage images, especially the Star Jets. There are several attractions I miss from Tomorrowland, with the most obvious for me being Mission to Mars. Ok, I also miss the Skyway, "If You Had Wings", and of course, I wish the TTA were still called the WEDway People Mover. Enjoy.

Guide to WDW 1979 Pages 10 & 11

2009-11-12T16:22:00.000-08:00

Fantasyland. The epitome of all the places in Walt Disney World. When most people think of Walt Disney World, they think of the Magic Kingdom. When they think of The Magic Kingdom, one of two things immediately come to mind...Cinderella Castle and Fantasyland. No land in any of the Disney parks captivates the hearts and minds of children, and even adults, more than the land that brings to life all the fabulous characters from the Disney animated features that generations of children have loved starting with Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs.

With pages 10 & 11 of the Walt Disney World guide from 1979, we are thrown into this imaginary land. We are treated with several pictures on these pages, including the Nautilus from 20,000 Leagues Under the Sea on page 10 and Pinocchio Village Haus and Dumbo, the Flying Elephant on page 11.

On page 10, all Fantasyland attractions are listed. Several of these iconic rides still exist today. Sadly, three of the more exiting rides have been replaced or dismantled. First, Mr. Toad's Wild Ride was replaced by The Many Adventures of Winnie the Pooh in 1999. In fact, there is a picture of Mr. Toad handing the deed over to Owl as you first enter the ride. One of my favorites, known as 20K to cast members, was filled in toward the end of 1994. It is now the home to Pooh's Playful Spot and the backdrop for Ariel's Grotto. The Skyway saw its last passengers flying overhead in 1999. And, finally, who could forget The Mickey Mouse Revue? Here, you could see ALL of your favorite Disney characters performing a wonderful musical fantasy. One last note...I just really love the sketches on this Fantasyland page, more so than any other land. How about the scary, and controversial, witch from Snow White. Wonder what parents thought when they saw that?

On page 11, you will find the restaurants and shops. I have a soft spot for all the Fantasyland food restaurants since I did my WDW College Program work experience here back in 1990. The staple of the restaurants is still found today, and that is Pinocchio Village Haus. All of the other restaurants have gone through various name changes. The same holds true for the shops as well. Except, none of these original ones exist today. And, after the D23 Expo, we know that many, many, many more changes are in store for this most wonderful land.

Guide to WDW 1979 Pages 8 & 9

2009-11-10T19:09:00.000-08:00

Here we find Frontierland and Liberty Square on pages 8 & 9 of the Walt Disney World guide from 1979, respectively. A couple of items to note on Frontierland are the Diamond Horseshoe Revue and the Mile Long Bar. Check out the picture of the ladies from the Revue.

Likewise, in Liberty Square, you can find the Mike Fink Keelboats, as well as several wayback shops including the Tricornered Hat Shoppe. Also, check out the Fife and Drum picture. Long before they entertained and inspired at the American Adventure in EPCOT Center, they tugged at your heartstrings and made you well up with patriotism in Liberty Square daily.

Guide to WDW 1979 Pages 6 & 7

2009-11-07T07:39:00.000-08:00

We move on to pages 6 and 7 of the Walt Disney World guide from 1979. Page 6 finishes up the description of Main Street, U.S.A. If there is one drawback with this early guide, it is putting Main Street on back to back pages, if you can really call that a drawback. The first section has an Information & Services you can find in this land. Since this is the entryway to the hub of the Magic Kingdom, it is appropriate that you'd find all the services in this turn of the century bustling town. The next two sections list all the shops and restaurants to be found on Main Street along with a brief description of each.

We move on to Adventureland, the first "land" of the Magic Kingdom, on page 7. The attractions are listed first. The one that particularly stands out here is the Caribbean Arcade. I don't recall anything about that. I have seen it mentioned on the Walt Dated World web site, but, not much more information that what is provided in the guide. The next two sections are the restaurants & snack centers followed by the shops that can be found in Adventureland. It is really interesting to look at the names and descriptions of these places and see how the land has changed. I like the description of the Adventureland Veranda...Polynesian entrees. Ok, that tells me everything I want to know about the food. What is a Polynesian entree? Like I said, these descriptions are very brief and occassionally, not all that helpful.

Well, enjoy looking over these two pages. There is a lot of information from 1970s Walt Disney World on them.

Disney Movie Rewards Double Points Day

2009-11-05T05:22:00.000-08:00

If you are a member of Disney Movie Rewards, today, November 5, is the day for you. DMR will be holding its firt Doubt Points Day in what they are calling A Season Wrapped In Wishes. For every DVD or Blu-Ray code you enter, you get DOUBLE POINTS! If you are not a member, well, this is the perfect time to join! Get all your codes together and start entering them. There are some great gifts in there, and, if you are like me, you can build up your points to get some really nice items. Go check it out at disneymovierewards.com!

Guide to WDW 1979 Pages 4 & 5

2009-11-04T10:13:00.000-08:00

Continuing on with our look at the 1979 Guide to Walt Disney World, we have one last "help" page from Disney. This one is aimed specifically to those guests in wheelchairs. The first part of page 4 informs guests in wheelchairs what transportation is available for them. What I find interesting is they can ride the monorail, but, they cannot board or unboard the monorail at the Contemporary Resort. I haven't looked at the law, but, this must have been before all the court cases and laws that require businesses to be wheelchair accessible.

The next section is broken down by each land with a list of all the attractions in each land. Then, each attraction is designated whether or not it is wheelchair accessible. The final section, highlighted in a blue box, is general helpful information for guests in wheelchairs.

Finally, on page 5, we get to our first land. And, what better land to start with than the first one you encounter upon entering the park--Main Street, U.S.A. There is a nice picture of Main Street, U.S.A. leading right up to Cinderella Castle. You can see a couple of horse-drawn trolleys, known as Horse Cars, transporting guests up and down the street to take in all the excitement. If you look closely, I think that is the Tobaccanist sign you can see on the left.

Each attraction and mode of transportation found on Main Street is listed with a short description of each. Now, I mentioned on my original post for this 1979 guide that one of my favorite things was the little sketches you could find to the left of each description. Well, here is where they begin. I just love this little touch.

As for the shops and restaurants to be found on Main Street? Well, I'm only doing two pages a day, and, unfortunately, they are on the next page, which will be tomorrow. But, this is the only land where this will happen.

Walt Disney Treasures Wave 9 - Zorro Seasons 1 & 2

2009-11-03T12:22:00.000-08:00

Today, Wave 9 of Walt Disney Treasures hits stores with the release of Zorro Seasons 1 & 2. I took my lunch break running over to Best Buy and purchasing both sets. I can't wait to start watching these tonight with my kids. The last time I saw these were back in the 80s or 90s when they ran syndicated on The Disney Channel. You can find some reviews on Imaginerding and Ultimate Disney.
The Walt Disney Treasures series is by far my favorite DVD series. This series, spear-headed by the highly respected movie critic and Disney aficionado Leonard Maltin, delves deep into the Disney vaults to restore, organize, and present classic Disney programs to Disney fans. The packaging is classic on these as they come in limited edition tins. The norm is a standard silver tin, with the exception of Oswald the Lucky Rabbit which came in a gold tin. But, now, guess what color Zorro comes? Yep, black! And, it pops out when you look at it.

The WDT releases come in "waves" and usually include 3 to 4 different program anthologies. Just like with the color of the tins, this wave breaks the norm by only including the two Zorro seasons. Now, the first wave came out in December 2001 and included Mickey Mouse in Living Color, Silly Symphonies, Disneyland USA, and Davy Crockett. Unfortunately, I was on Disney hiatus at this time and wasn't aware of this series until Wave 4 which came out in December of 2004. Since then, I have been faithfully buying each new wave on the day it hits the stores.

As for the missed waves? Well, I have been asking relatives to buy them for me for Christmas each year. This year, I know I am getting The Complete Goofy from my parents since I recently purchased it on eBay "for them" to give me. You can find a nice list of all the waves and reviews at Ultimate Disney.

Now, don't make the mistake I made in the past by not buying these as soon as they come out. They are limited, and this wave is extremely limited. There are only 30,000 copies available. So, if you want it and don't want to pay double or triple for the DVD, you better head over to Amazon, Best Buy, or Target as soon as you can to pick these up and add to your Disney collection.

Guide to WDW 1979 Pages 2 & 3

2009-11-02T14:49:00.000-08:00

Here are pages 2 and 3 of the 1979 Guide to Walt Disney World. This is the first picture in the guide and is so cute. It has a cute little boy apparently showing a Security Cast Member something. And, what makes it more special is the Cast Member is down on the child's level. Such a warm and welcome site for parents when they open the guide.

Now, these two pages are the Helpful Information for guests from ticket information, reservations, first aid, lost and found, cameras, and other needs to help guests enjoy their visit. If you forgot to pack your camera, no problem, you can rent one. Didn't want to pack your kid's stroller? No problem. Rentals are available. Oh no, you forgot the formula for your baby! Not a problem there either. Wait, your baby wants WARM milk. Hey, covered again. You can also find all the important Disney phone numbers. Can there be any more helpful information? Well, apparently there is more on page 4, which is tomorrow. And, we also will get to our first land.

The Princess and the Frog Article (USA Weekend - Nov. 1, 2009)

2009-11-01T19:52:00.000-08:00

Here's a nice little Sunday surprise I'd share with everyone. This Sunday's USA Weekend edition in the (Louisville) Courier-Journal has a nice article about Anika Noni Rose who voices Tiana in Disney's The Princess and the Frog. I always love when I open up the paper and find something Disney related. Enjoy the read.

Disney Twenty-Three Magazine Winter 2009 Issue

2009-10-31T10:21:00.000-07:00

I just received my Winter 2009 issue of the Disney Twenty-Three Magazine. WOW! These never cease to amaze me. Just looking at the cover itself makes you want to have it. I can't wait to start reading the articles, especially The Princess and the Frog. Of course, since I am watching college football and tonight I have to take the kids Trick -or- Treating, looks like I'll have to wait on that. But, hey, what better way to spend Sunday afternoon than reading about Disney.

And, what has become common place with the Disney Twenty-Three Magazine is a little gift. This issue doesn't disappoint. Included with the package is a replica of Walt Disney's 1932 holiday greeting card, wishing recipients "Season Greetings". And, to coincide with Halloween, which does happen to be today, the envelope is a burnt orange. Pretty cool.

Guide to WDW 1979 Pages (i) & 1

2009-10-30T22:57:00.000-07:00

The first page, or page (i) rather, is the Table of Contents. The guide is broken up into three sections as can be seen in the TOC--Magic Kingdom, Walt Disney World Resorts, Lake Buena Vista. At the bottom of this first page is a little interesting Disney PSA reminding you that if you brought your pet to WDW, then, make sure you protect it by taking it to the Walt Disney World Kennel Club. This reminds me of when I went through Seminars on the College Program. We were told that guests are so excited to get to the park that they forget things, such as locking there keys in the car with the ignition running, leaving their kids behind, and leaving their pets behind. So, this little PSA might just serve as a reminder to guests who were just a little rambunctious getting to the park and neglected their poor little critters.

The next page, which is actually page 1, has a detailed explanation of the WDW Transportation Schedule. At the top of the page is a cool sketch map of the entire WDW resort showing the transporataion available for guests. Below the map is a detailed description of each mode of WDW transportation which are motor coaches, monorail, ferryboats, and motor launches. The descriptions include everything from route, to times, to durations, to prices. It also includes the colors of the routes. Go ahead and click on the image to read the routes. It is pretty interesting to see all the different hotels and resorts listed.

As you can see, even the first couple of pages have a lot of information for guests to absorb and immediately throws them into the World of Disney.

Guide to Walt Disney World 1979

2009-10-29T18:29:00.000-07:00

I love getting brochures, pamphlets, and guide maps when I go to Walt Disney World. The ones we get today in the parks are nice and colorful, but, the ones from the late 1970s and early 1980s were special. This particular one I got from a vacation back in 1979. Now, I said these were special, and being 28 pages, plus the front and back covers, both inside and out, I think qualifies this as special.

The cover tells you what is to come inside this guide, starting with the title of "Your complete guide to the Walt Disney World Vacation Kingdom". There is a nice, offset picture of Cinderella Castle at an angle making it look even larger and more regal with some pink and yellow flowers in the foreground. And, seeing that this guide is "Compliments of Polaroid", it immediately makes you believe there will be a lot of color and picutres inside.

And, of course, you are not disappointed. The brochure, which would more aptly be called a small magazine, is loaded with colorful pictures from all over the resorts and Magic Kingdom. There really is no comparison with today's guides.

Now, besides the pictures, what I really enjoy about this guide, are the little sketches on the left of each attraction description. They just add that little Disney touch to the guide. During this time, the A-E ticket books were being used. So, on the right of each attraction is a color coded letter denoting which ticket is required to experience that particular attraction.

So, I hope you look forward to walking through this Walt Disney World guide with me the next couple weeks to see how the World existed in 1979.

WDW Cast Member Map 1990

2009-10-27T19:42:00.000-07:00

Here is a pocket-sized Walt Disney World Cast Member Map we each received on the College Program back in 1990. This was a nice little handy map. The front is pretty cool. It has a size profile of Mickey Mouse with a road map of the WDW property and its proximity to Orlando.

When you open it up, you see two different keys for the map. The first key consists of some of the more notable WDW infrastructure sites. There are six of these sites represented as A through F. Each location includes its name and a brief description. They are The Center, North Service Area, Transportation & Ticket Center, Vista-United Telecommunications, Crossroads Shopping Center, and Community Waste Research Facility and Walt Disney World Nursery.

As you open up this tri-fold map, the 17 resorts and parks are revealed, each as a side profile of Mickey. Again, each number specifies the name of the location as well as a brief description. The locations, from 1 to 17, are Magic Kingdom Park, Disney's Contemporary Resort, Disney's Mediterranean Resort, Disney's Polynesian esort, The Disney Inn, Disney's Grand Floridian Beach Resort, Disney's Fort Wilderness Campground Resort, Disney's Dixie Landings & Port Orleans, Disney's Village Resort, Disney's Village Marketplace, Pleasure Island, Typhoon Lagoon, Disney's Caribbean Beach Resort, Epcot Center, Walt Disney World Swan and Dolphin,
Disney's Yacht and Beach Club, and Disney/MGM Studios Theme Park. Go ahead and click on the image to read the descriptions.

Now, for the best part. When you open the brochure all the way, you have a nice, yet simple, map of the entire Walt Disney World property with all 23 locations neatly labeled. Not only are the numbers and letters on the map, but, again, the actual name of each location is on the map as well. This makes it for easy reading. This makes a very handy tool for cast members when showing guests directions to various locations on property.

Also, on the map are the various map roads in and around WDW. And, another neat little touch, the monorail route is also on the map. It is kinda neat to look at this map and see how the layout of WDW looked just a mere 20 years ago.

Nighttime Walt Disney World Ticket Brochure 1973

2009-10-23T22:00:00.000-07:00

The other day, we took a quick look at a Walt Disney World ticket prices brochure from 1972. Today, we have a similar brochure, but from 1973. This brochure is from June 11 thru September 1. It is promoting the extended nighttime hours running through the summer. The offseason hours, as seen in the previous brochure, were 9am - 7pm. But, these extended hours are 8am - 1am. So, guests can really get their money's worth now.

I also like the color of this brochure. It is a nighttime blue to help draw the guest's attention to the atmosphere of The Magic Kingdom. The ticket packages are still in the pink and gold style as the previous brochure, but, prices have increased. Also, a Guided Tour package has been added.

The back of the brochure has added a few new items which include the Polynesian Luau and the Kal Kan Kennel Club. Also, at the top are three new attractions listed--Walt Disney Story, Plaza Swan Boats, and Tom Sawyer Island.

Now, one other small observation...there is a horse-drawn trolley graphic on the front of the brochure with Brer Bear and a family. This cartoon family appears to be the same cartoon family in the steamboat from the 1972 brochure. Just a little interesting observation. So, it appears to be the same artist, which would be interesting to find out who that artist is. So, what do you think? You know how Disney is with story continuity and detail. Does it look like the same cartoon family?

Walt Disney World Ticket Brochure 1972

2009-10-21T20:38:00.000-07:00

Here is an old Walt Disney World ticket prices brochure from 1972 with a nice picture of Mickey Mouse and the old WDW logo with the Mickey globe. I just love the simple colors used on the brochure as well--pink, black, white, and yellow. Ok, red too if you count Mickey's shorts.

The prices were broken down by Child (3-11), Junior (12-17), and Adult. There were three different packages--8-Adventure, 12-Adventure, and General Admission. Looking at the Adult prices, to get into the Magic Kingdom, at a minimum, you needed to purchase the General Admission tickets which cost $3.75. Sounds pretty good to me. This gave you entrance into the Magic Kingdom, admission to all free entertainment, and one day's use of all the transporation at Walt Disney World which would include boats, monorail, and buses. Not too shabby.

But, for $1.65 more, you could essentially upgrade your GA to an 8-Adventure ticket book where you could have access to 8 attractions of your choice. Now, you got all the benefits of the General Admission ticket, plus, you got to experience any 8 attractions...of your choice!

But, wait, it gets better. For a mere 90 cents more, you could upgrade your 8-Adventure to a 12-Adventure. Now, you had the 8-Adventure package, plus, you could pick 4 more attractions to experience for under $1 more.

Oh yeah, one other thing, if you are staying at a Disney resort, ask for the special ticket prices. WOW! Could you imagine going to WDW for under $10? Ah, the good old days!

On the back, you could find some brief information about The Magic Kingdom, including its hour of operation, as well as information about some other entertainment at WDW. Also, on the back is a cool picture of a steamboat and Goofy waterskiing. I really miss these nostalgic looking brochures.

WDW Parking Pass 1982

2009-10-19T19:29:00.000-07:00

Here is a parking pass for Walt Disney World from our 1982 vacation. Ah, the good old days when parking was just $1. Of course, my parents probably griped about that at the time. But, looking back almost 30 years ago, parking looks rather inexpensive back then. Notice the graphic on the front. It only has The Magic Kingdom, Contemporary, and a sailboat. This was during the summer of 1982, just a few months before EPCOT Center opened. This graphic changed just a few months later to reflect the new park at WDW.

The back is has a layout of the parking lot with the various sections labeled by their Disney character names. There is also an 'AISLE NUMBER' line for you to fill in. Through all the anxiety and excitement as guests arrive at the park, the parking location is easily forgotten. The size of the these parking passes, which are slightly larger than a baseball card at 5" x 2.5", made it quite convenient for guests to put in their wallet or purse so at the end of the day at the Magic Kingdom, they know exactly where they parked.

Sorcery in the Sky 1990

2009-10-15T10:49:00.000-07:00

The Sorcery in the Sky fireworks show was the original nighttime spectacular at the Disney-MGM Studios. It was narrated by Vincent Price, the horror film icon whose legendary career in the genre spanned from the late 1930s all the way through the 1980s. He also voiced the Professor Ratigan, the villianous vermin from Disney's 1986 animated release The Great Mouse Detective. But, what my generation primarily remembers him for is his narration of Michael Jackson's 1983 hit, Thriller. Unfortunately, Price died in October 1993. I believe the narration for the firewords show was changed shortly after his passing.

Now, what made this fireworks extravaganza so memorable was toward the end, a giant inflatable Sorcerer Mickey Mouse would appear looking over the Chinese Theater (Mann's/Graumann's, which is it?) and would shoot fireworks out of his pointed finger. Fortunately, I did take a few pictures of Sorcerer Mickey when I was on the WDW College Program. These are from July 1990. As mentioned in other posts, this used to be my favorite park. And, this fireworks show was definitely my favorite. The show ran until 1998 when Fantasmic, the current Disney-MGM Studios, um, Disney's Hollywood Studios, nighttime event premiered. And, yes, I do like Fantasmic better than Sorcery in the Sky.

So, did you ever have the opportunity to see Sorcery in the Sky? And, what were your thoughts of it?

Here Come the Muppets 1990

2009-10-13T16:51:00.000-07:00

The Disney-MGM Studios was my favorite park when I was on the WDW College Program back in the Summer of 1990. The place was barely a year old. From the Animation Tour (my favorite), to the Backlot Tour, to the Monster Sound Stage, to the Great Movie Ride, to the various live shows...everything was awesome at the park.

Jim Henson's Muppets were already beginning to have a presence in the park with the ongoing construction and production of Muppet*Vision 3D. However, Disney wanted to make sure guests were already aware of the Muppets in their new park. So, to accomplish this, a live action show featuring the Muppets premiered on May 25, 1990. Appropriately titled Here Come the Muppets, guests got a glimpse for the first time of Jim Henson's Muppets in a Disney theme park. Sadly and unexpectedly, Jim Henson passed away in May of that summer right as we were all arriving at WDW.

The entry in the Disney-MGM guide maps at the time describe Here Come the Muppets as:

This live, mini-Broadway musical stars Kermit, Miss Piggy, Animal and a host of your favoriteMupets. Rolf entertains in the pre-show area.

It was hoped that this show would not only introduce the Muppets to the Disney parks, but, that it would keep guests pacified until Muppet*Vision 3D premiered at the park. Finally, it did premiere a year later on May 16, 1991. But, oddly enough, Here Come the Muppets continued to play for a few more months until its final perforance on September 2, 1991. The location later made its premiere as The Voyage of the Little Mermaid on January 7, 1992.

Now, I vaguely remember this show except for the pictures I have. What I do remember about it is probably from the videos I have watched on YouTube. So, who of you remember this live action show?

True Life Adventures Comics November 23, 24, 26, & 28, 1955

2009-10-13T14:03:00.000-07:00

This week's True Life Tuesday features a couple of primates, some pumas, and a real turkey. These True Life Adventures comic panels are from November 23, 24, 26, and 28, 1955. Enjoy.

Gurgi's Munchies and Crunchies 1990

2009-10-09T23:02:00.000-07:00

When I was on the WDW College Program in the Summer of 1990, I worked in Fantasyland Foods (FF). The flagship restaurant was Pinocchio's Village Haus, known
as Pinoch's in Dinsey lingo. The other restaurants that fell under FF were Troubadour Tavern (Troubs), Round Table, Tournament Tent (Tent), the Pretzel wagon, and the place I spent most of my time, Gurgi's Munchies and Crunchies (Gurgi's).

In July 1985, Disney released its 25th animated feature, The Black Cauldron, based off a series of books by Lloyd Alexander called Chronicles of Prydain. Probably the most recognizable and lovable characters from that film was Gurgi, a dog-like creature that not only talked, but had quite an appetite and provided comic relief to this rather dark picture by Disney standards. Ok, maybe he wasn't a dog-like creature, but, he was furry and he was funny and he always said, "munchings and crunchings", which, made him the appropriate character for the naming of this restaurant. Unfortunately, this film was a far cry from a box office hit. But, like Disney does for all of its animated films, it incorporates them into the parks in some fashion. The Black Cauldron was no different.

On October 26, 1986, Gurgi's Munchies & Crunchies opened, taking place of Lancer's Inn. A question I received frequently from guests while I worked at Gurgi's was, "what movie is this place based off of"? More often than not, when I'd tell people it was based off of The Black Cauldron, their response was, "I've never heard of that one". And, unfortunately, at that time, The Black Cauldron had not been released on video, so, guests really had no way to go view it. But, this provided me an opportunity to talk to guests, so, I'd give them a quick synopsis of the movie.

Now, if you aren't familiar with this restaurant's location, it is across from Dumbo and Pooh's Playful Spot. This was a walk-up counter service restaurant with five registers, two queues per register. Out front were maybe half a dozen umbrella covered tables for guests to relax and dine. The design of the restaurant was the same style as Pinoch's except themed to the lighter side of The Black Cauldron. The sign out front was very similar to the Lumiere's Kitchen sign, except it had a picture of Gurgi and had Gurgi's Munchies and Crunchies scrolled on it. I have scoured the Internet and have yet to find any photos of this extinct restaurant. And, I've said it many times in previous posts, but, unfortunately, we didn't have digital cameras back then. And, as a college student, I didn't "waste" my photos on restaurants, to my regret.

But, while looking through my photos from my 1990 experience, I did come across a couple of pictures that show this very small location. In the first picture, to the far right, you can see a door which led backstage to the ice machine. Judging from the locaction, I believe this cast member was on the middle register. You can catch a partial glimpse of the drink menu right above his head in the background. Of course, you can see the Fair Folk, including the Santa looking King Eidilleg flying with a cup cake. In the window, you can see some of the food items ready to be delivered.

Here are the drink items sold at Gurgi's that I can see on the menu and can recall from my memories:

Soft Drinks: Coca-Cola, Diet Coke, Sprite, Fanta Orange, and Fanta Root Beer (I think they were Fanta)
Orange Juice and Apple Juice boxes (Minute Maid I believe)
Hot Tea and Hot Chocolate
100% Colombian Coffee
Decaffeinated Coffee
Whole or Chocolate Milk
Lowfat Milk

As for the food items, what I can recall and can see in the window are the following:

Kids meal: Grilled Cheese or Chicken Nuggets (4 I think)
Chili Cheese Dog (yellow styrofoam container)
Chicken Sandwich (blue-green styrofoam container)
French Fries
Chips
Chocolate Chip Cookie

The kids meal came with a cookie, chips, and a Disney PVC figure. Of course, I do recall us also using those Mickey Mouse straws on occassion when we ran out of the figures. The summer of 1990 had those yellow boxes as seen in the pictures. I believe that was supposed to be Mickey's house. I remember that Mickey's nephews, Ferdy and Morty, were on the box. I wish I had saved one of those.

The next summer, 1991, the kids meal boxes were Disney Afternoon boxes. I actually did save an unused one of these. This is yet another example of Disney promoting one of its properties in the Disney parks as the Disney Afternoon was just taking off. The box has the Gummi Bears, Tailspin, DuckTales, and Rescue Rangers on it.

The second picture is basically the same as the first, but, just a little more to the right. In the background, you can see where we put all the condiments which included ketchup, mustard, mayonnaise, salt, pepper, bar-b-que sauce, and honey mustard sauce. Although these pictures don't show a whole lot of this tiny establishment, it is currently the only pictures I've seen in the past 18 years. I'm hoping that some of my former cast members have them. I've contacted some of them and if they do, hopefully, they will send them to me. If you have any, I'd love to see them.

Now, I've got many funny stories from working there, but, a couple of specifically food related tales. First, almost every day, we would have Germans come and ask for beer. I'd tell them that there was no beer sold in the Magic Kingdom. Then they'd point at the sign behind me and said, "beer". For the first few weeks this went on, I'd spend a few seconds trying to explain to them that this wasn't beer. Then, I learned. As soon as they'd point to the sign, I'd grab a little cup, put some root beer in it, and hand to them. Without flaw, they'd make a grimacing face and say, "MEDICINE"! That never got old to me and I got quite a chuckle, as did the guests.

Another common occurrence dealt with the kids meals. And, when I say common, I mean about every fourth kids meal order. Parents would come up and say, "I'd like a Chicken McNuggets kids meal". I'd reply, "I'm sorry, we don't have Chicken McNuggets", with an emphasis put on the "Mc" part. They'd look at me with a blank
stare, and then after a couple seconds, they'd get their gaffe and start laughing. Just goes to show the brand identity McDonald's has on chicken nuggets in our culture.

Gurgi's finally closed February 13, 1993, and then re-opened as Lumiere's Kitchen, followed by The Village Frye. To Disney's credit, it is amazing that a location based off of such a little known picture lasted about 6 1/2 years. And, to my knowledge, this was the only attraction, show, shop, or restaurant based off The Black Cauldron. In my opinion, it really is too bad that more attractions aren't based off of some of the lesser known animated features.

As for the stories of my time as a cast member at Fantasyland Foods...I think I'll save those for future posts.

True Life Adventures Comics November 14, 15, 17, & 19, 1955

2009-10-06T09:48:00.000-07:00

We are still in 1955 with today's True Life Tuesdays comic panels. These True Life Adventures comics are from November 14, 15, 17, and 19. This week features a few birds, some animal rituals, and another act of Mother Nature.

Snow White Diamond Edition Blu-ray/DVD $10 Coupon

2009-10-05T16:11:00.000-07:00

Tomorrow, Tuesday, October 6, 2009, begins the release of Disney's new line of home entertainment, its Diamond Edition line. Appropriately, the first release will be Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs which first hit theaters on December 21, 1937. This is definitely a timeless classic that has been loved by generations. Everyone knows the story, so, no need for me to do a review of the story, and, since I don't have the Blu-ray/DVD Combo pack, I can't do a review on that either. But, there are many sites out there where you can get that information.

What I do want to briefly mention is what is unusual with tomorrow's release. Disney is only releasing the Blu-ray/DVD Combo pack to stores tomorrow. And, it is trying a new type of packaging too. It will also be releasing a DVD/Blu-ray Combo pack. The Standard 2-Disc DVD set will not hit stores until November 24. This is yet another effort of Disney's to push the Blu-ray technology onto consumers. So, if you didn't get the platinum edition of Snow White back in 2001 and you really want it for your collection, Disney is enticing you to get it a month and a half early if you purchase the Blu-ray/DVD Combo or the DVD/Blu-ray Combo pack.

Now, I had been putting off getting Blu-ray sets for my collection until Disneynature's Earth was released. But, I decided at that time, I would get the Blu-ray/DVD Combo packs for all new Disney releases. My logic is this. First, I know I will eventually have a Blu-ray player. Second, it is only a few dollars more to get the Blu-ray/DVD Combo versus getting only the DVD set. Third, more extras are on the Blu-ray, which I love. Forth, and finally, the resolution is obviously much better. So, I am sold.

Now, to make the purchase even more enticing, if you purchase Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs Blu-ray/DVD Combo pack by October 10, you can get $10 off by going to showwhiteoffer.com and printing out the $10 coupon. That puts it a few dollars cheaper than the actual DVD!!! I can't wait til tomorrow, til then, Heigh-Ho!

WDW 15th Anniversary Displays

2009-10-02T17:37:00.000-07:00

The year long 15th Anniversary celebration at Walt Disney World provided some unique picture opportunites for guests. Digital cameras have basically made picture taking a zero cost hobby. Cameras at the time had 24 pictures to a roll and you had to pay to get them developed. Now, with digital cameras, you can take all the pictures you want. Not so in 1987 when we took our vacation to the World. Back then, you had to pick and choose your pictures. You had to be much more selective. And, for my parents, this meant that most pictures would have us in them, but not all.

The Magic Kingdom and EPCOT Center were the only two parks at the time and each provided a magic moment before you even enteredt the park. Each park had a different display erected near the front gate to celebrate the 15th anniversary. At the Magic Kingdom was a giant Mickey Mouse alarm clock with the number 15 in place the hour numbers. Flanking each side of the clock was a General Motors vehicle which was part of the car a day give-away promotion at WDW as mentioned in the last two posts.

At EPCOT Center, a giant yellow birthday cake was on display celebrating WDW's 15th birthday. Again, I regret saying that the only picture I have of this is with my Mom, two brotheres, and me standing in front of it. But, hey, it is a typical vacation picture. So, does anyone have any better pictures of this cake display?

Win a New GM Car

2009-10-01T16:30:00.001-07:00

As mentioned in yesterday's post, each day, one lucky and surprised guest won a brand new General Motors car as part of Walt Disney World's 15 Anniversary celebration. We were fortunate one day in 1987 to witness a guy win a car at EPCOT Center. It was pretty cool. Mickey and the gang came running towards the surprised man and gave him a giant key. You can see the key in the picture.

Unfortunately, this was before digital cameras, so, my parents only took a couple of pictures. There was a news crew there, but, if I remember correctly, they were a WDW news crew filming the experience. I've always wondered what the person in line in front of this man or behind this man thought? Could you imagine..."oh, sir, go ahead in front of me, I'm waiting for my spouse". ARGH!!!!! Or, what if a family was waiting on their slow kid? NOOOOOOOOO! Or, what if this guy let someone go in front of him. No way! Now, I know this definitely made this guy's vacation special and unforgetable. But, I wonder if it ruined the vacations of the people before and after him in line? How would you feel? Anyway, since we were just walking up to the gates, we thought it was pretty cool to witness a car being given away on this day.

WDW 15th Anniversary Prizes

2009-09-30T22:02:00.000-07:00

Starting in 1986, Walt Disney World celebrated its 15 year anniversary. As part of the celebration, the park gave a contest ticket to each guest that entered either the Magic Kingdom or EPCOT Center parks. The contest started on October 1, 1986 and lasted until September 30, 1987. I'm not sure if that was the official end date, but, that is what is stated on the back of the tickets. It might have been a few days before or a few days after. You can click on the image of the back of the ticket to read all the rules for the contest.

There were several cool things about this contest. First, the odds of winning a prize were pretty good. A different prize was awarded every 15 seconds, to match the 15th anniversary. This came out to be roughly 1 out of 24 tickets was a winner. So, a family of 4 that went for a full week to the parks probably won 1 or 2 different prizes. Second, the tickets were pretty cool and made a nice little souvenir even if you didn't win.

We actually won a couple of prizes--a button and a sticker. I have no idea what ever happened to the button, but, I still have the 4" x 4" sticker. If you did win, you would take your winning ticket to the Ticket Redemption Center where they would tear off the stub on the right of the ticket, stamp the back of the ticket with the date the ticket was redeemed for a prize, and give you your prize.

There were also a lot of other prizes including the big ones such as complimentary park tickets and a car. I don't recall them doing this at the 20th, 25th, 30th, or 35th anniversaries, but, I really hope they do it again at the 40th anniversary in a couple years.

True Life Adventures Comics November 5, 8, 10 - 11, 1955

2009-09-29T15:27:00.000-07:00

This week's True Life Tuesday is from November 5, 8, 10, and 11, 1955. Here you'll find some unusual lizards, some ice loving fish, a fungus, and some pranks of the weather. I still find these little tidbits about nature fascinating and I hope you do too. Enjoy.

Earning Your Disney Degree

2009-09-26T21:29:00.000-07:00

As mentioned in one of my first posts, I was on the Walt Disney World College Program in the Summer of 1990. As part of the WDWCP, student cast members had the opportunity to earn either a Mousters of Business Applications or a Ducktorate Degree. Each degree required you attend the 10 Disney seminars and achieve an average rating at your work experience. To get the Ducktorate, you had to also do a team project and presentation. At the end of the program, you received your degree signed by both Mickey Mouse and Donald Duck. Take a look at the page from our College Program handbook which gives a more detailed description for earning your Mousters or Ducktorate.

The above image is a scan of my Ducktorate Degree. This scan doesn't do the certificate justice. The border and mouse ears are all in gold. The paper is the same quality paper as a college diploma. And, yes, I proudly list my Duckorate on my resume. Of course, it always strikes up a conversation with recruiters too.

Disney Management Communications from February 1990

2009-09-23T14:43:00.001-07:00

As I was looking through my WDW College Program items this afternoon, I came across an interesting item we were given during one of our Traditions or Seminars classes. To tell you the truth, I can't recall which. I was on the WDWCP Summer 1990 class, so, a lot of those memories from then have run together. Anyway, this handout we were given was a photocopy of FYI--Corporate News for Disney Management from February 1990. It outlined the new attractions, shows, restaurants, and other happenings taking place in what was coined the "Disney Decade". I vaguely remember talking about a couple of these items in our classes. But, as I read this document this afternoon, it was really interesting to look back and see which of these came to fruition and which ones ended up being discarded or potentially shelved for a future date. Now that the D23 Expo has transpired, it looks like maybe a couple of these might be coming on line, albeit, a decade delayed.

Some of these items I have read about as rumors or "deleted" attractions, but, I've never seen anything in official Disney correspondence to corroborate some of these attractions. Some of the notables that jump out are the Soviet and Swiss pavillions at Epcot's World Showcase. How cool would that have been. The Soviet pavillion was actually one of the attractions I specially recall being mentioned in Seminars class. One item that immediately jumped out at me was a new 3-D movie by George Lucas. I wonder what that was going to be? I see that the fourth theme park, which became Animal Kingdom, is mentioned. Also, a Circle-Vision 360 film combined with Audio-Animatronics depicting Western Civilization was to be placed in the Magic Kingdom. Wonder what that was about?

Staying with the Magic Kingdom, Plectu's Fantastic Galactic Revue was to be a new show in Tomorrowland. A variety show with Audio-Animatronics. Hm, not too sure about that one. Others we have seen materialize such as Alien Encounter, which didn't last too long, and Splash Mountain. Heading over to the resorts, we see that the Wilderness Lodge was a huge hit. But, what was this Buffalo Junction Resort or this Kingdom Suite Hotel supposed to be? A "haunted" hotel is mentioned as well. Is that the Tower of Terror, another attraction we heard about on the WDWCP. I don't know.

Anyway, take a few minutes to look over this document. It is pretty interesting to look back at what might have been, what transpired, and what still may be.

True Life Adventures Comics October 29 & November 1, 3, & 4, 1955

2009-09-22T06:50:00.000-07:00

It is True Life Tuesday again. This week's True Life Adventures comics are from October 29 and November 1, 3, and 4...1955. This edition features a fish that always likes to look up, some big little critters, and a rodent that never drinks water. And, there is an animal that proves that curiosity doesn't only belong to a cat. Enjoy.

The Torch of The American Adventure

2009-09-18T20:21:00.001-07:00

Maybe it is my penchant for the nostalgia of my youth or the pride and patriotism I feel for this country I live, but whatever it is, The American Adventure is definitely my favorite attraction in World Showcase at Epcot. Now, my favorite part of the 29 minute show occurs at the end when Robert Moline's music starts playing "Golden Dream" and Randy Bright's lyrics start tugging at your heart. The visuals make your heart swell even more as a montage of notable Americans from the past sixty to seventy years, fades in and out before your eyes. At the crescendo, the images all fade away to make way for the iconic scene from The American Adventure. That spectacular image is of our hosts, Benjamin Franklin and Mark Twain, appearing inside the ring of the torch of the Statue of Liberty. The music is still playing as these two great Americans continue to philosophize about our past and our future. As the show ends, Mr. Franklin leaves us all something to ponder by quoting the novelist Thomas Wolfe,

To all people, regardless of their birth, the right to live to work, to be themselves, and to become whatever their visions can combine to make them. This is the promise of America.

This final scene of Franklin and Twain on the torch of the Statue of Liberty is not only the most remembered scene from the show, but, one of the most utilized images in books, blogs, magazines, and other materials when The American Adventure is described. Anyway, this got me thinking, "hey, the torch doesn't look like that today!" Now, I am not a New Yorker definitely not an aficionado of the Statue of Liberty. I guess I've always taken this scene for granted. But, I wonder how those under maybe 30 years old view this scene? Has this scene seemed a little different to them? Do they even notice? Well, I decided to do some research on the torch and The American Adventure.

The Statue de la Statue de la Liberté, or The Statue of Liberty to Americans, was a momument given by France to the United States in 1886 to celebrate our centennial. The famous French sculptor Frédéric Bartholdi was commissioned to design the statue with the year 1876 determined as the completion date. The statue was to be presented to the American people on July 4, 1876. Unfortunately, due to many delays in the development of the statue, along with the 1875 start Bartholdi got, this did not happen.

Bartholdi decided to construct the statue out of copper and indeed finished the right arm and torch in 1876. Therefore, this part of the statue was sent on to the United States where it was put on display in 1876 for the American public at the Centennial Exposition in Philadelphia. Later, it would be put on display at New York's Madison Square Garden.

The remainder of the statue was not completed until 1884. Lady Liberty was then broken into 350 individual parts so it could be shipped aboard the French frigate Isère. The statue reached its destination, New York Harbor, on June 17, 1885. Although a decade past its original target date, the statue was unveiled on Liberty Island by President Grover Cleveland and officially dedicated to the United States on October 28, 1886, to commemorate the centennial of the signing of our Declaration of Independence. This enormous gift represented the friendship France and the United States built during the American Revolution.

The statue has always been a warm and welcoming sign to immigrants coming to this young nation to make a new beginning for themselves. But, for about 16 years, from 1886 to 1902, the Statue of Liberty servered a dual role as a lighthouse. It was the first lighthouse in America to use electricity and could be seen by boats about 24 miles out.

Now, lets zero in on the torch. Keep in mind, that statue, including the torch, was made out of copper. This is where it gets interesting. In 1916, approximately $100,000 worth of damage occurred to the statue in the Black Tom explosion. Later that year, the Mount Rushmore sculptor, Gutzon Borglum, modified the copper torch by cutting away most of the copper of the flame and replacing it with glass panels. A light was also placed inside the flame at this time giving it the illusion of a real flame at night. However, because of these modifications, the torch starting leaking rain and melting snow which drastically increased the rate of erosion to the statue.

Fast forward 60 years to July 1976. This is when Disney announced that it would move forward with Walt Disney's plans for Epcot. This second theme park, which would become known as Epcot Center, was broken into two parts--Future World and World Showcase. At first, Disney Imagineers planned to put the American Adventure pavilion in the middle of Future World. Thank goodness that didn't happen. Instead, it became the focal point, or weinie, of World Showcase and flanked by other nations' pavilions to each side around the lagoon.

The architect Imagineers wanted this pavilion to have a sense of grandeur and be inviting to guests, and above all, be America's mansion. The show Imagineers also wanted to create this same type of emotion with The American Adventure attraction by making it America's show. The unifying theme of the show would be that America, as Richard R. Beard states in his book, Walt Disney's Epcot Center Creating the New World of Tomorrow, is a "nation of pioneers, dreamers and doers, driven by the kind of venturesome and restless spirit that feeds on challenges, revels in milestones, thrives on innovations." So, it is no wonder that the Disney Imagineers chose to use the torch, which signifies enlightenment, in the closing scene of The American Adventure which is the most recognizable feature of the Statue of Liberty.

The American Adventure was one of the original attractions that made its debut on October 1, 1982 when Epcot Center became opened. Now, keep in mind that this final scene of The American Adventure is supposed to be set in the present day where Mr. Franklin and Mr. Twain are pondering America's past and future. Well, the torch at the time the attraction was designed was the retrofitted one by Borglum. It wasn't until 1984 renovation of the Statue of Liberty that the torch was replaced by a solid copper torch, the same as the original. It was then given a gold leaf coating. This is the torch that is there today. The original torch with the glass paned windows can be found in the museum at the lobby of the Statue of Liberty.

As for The American Adventure, it has only gone through a revovation two times since it debuted. The first was in 1993 where it received all new animatronics as well as a new version of the theme song. The second was in 2007 where the final montage received an additional 45 seconds of footage with the most notable being the 9/11 terrorist attacks on The World Trade Center and the brave men and women of the NYPD and FDNY.

So, that explains why the torch in The American Adventure looks the way it does. It is based off of the torch held by the Statue of Liberty in the late 1970s and early 1980s when the attraction was designed. That torch was the original copper torch built by Frédéric Bartholdi and then retrofitted with glass panels and internal light by Gutzon Borglum. It does make you wonder though, when the next renovation/refurbishment of The American Adventure occurs, will the Imagineers update the torch? And, if they do, will they also display the old torch somewhere else in the pavilion? What do you think?

If you would like more information on the Statue of Liberty, please visit the National Park Service's web page for the Statue of Liberty.

The first image I took in the Fall 2008.
The image of the torch in the lobby of the Statue of Libery was borrowed from the following web site: http://www.endex.com/gf/buildings/liberty/libertyfacts/LibertyTorch.htm
The image of the new torch was borrowed from the following web site: http://www.statueliberty.net/Statue-of-Liberty-Torch.html
The last image was scanned from Richard R. Beard's book.

Dining Around The World Brochure Late 1980s

2009-09-17T12:13:00.000-07:00

The tenth and final item in the Fort Wilderness welcome packet is an undated brochure for Dining Around The World. From a visual standpoint, this item is very bland and is much smaller than the other brochures. But, what makes it interesting from a theme park enthusiast perspective is what is inside. Here, you will find all the full service restaurants at Walt Disney World in the late 1980s. Many still exist, but, several of them have changed their names. Take a look. Have you been to any of these defunct restaurants? If so, do you remember what you had to eat there? And, do you have any pictures?

True Life Adventures Comics October 22 & 26 - 28, 1955

2009-09-15T15:42:00.000-07:00

True Life Tuesday is here again. This week's edition features the TLA comics from October 22 and 26 - 28, 1955. Hope you enjoy these vintage panels.

Sony Rear Vision Sweepstakes Fort Wilderness 1989 Brochure

2009-09-14T18:06:00.000-07:00

We are getting close to the end of the contents of the Fort Wilderness welcome packet. This ninth item is a 1989 brochure for the Sony Rear Vision Sweepstakes to "Win a Walt Disney World Resort family vacation, including a 5-day/4-night stay at Disney's Fort Wilderness Resort and Campground". There are some nice pictures inside of some activities around the resort including carriage rides at the Settlement, horseback riding, and the petting farm. Also, there is a nice picture of some some tubing at River Country, complete with the logo on the tube.

Fort Wilderness Fleetwood Booklet 1988

2009-09-13T17:40:00.000-07:00

The eighth item in the Fort Wilderness welcome packet is an October 1988 (10/88) edition of an advertising booklet for Fleetwood. This booklet has 24 pages, but, only the first four pages are of interest to Walt Disney World. The first page, which is the cover, has a nice photograph of Chip N' Dale posing with the campground entrance sign for Fort Wilderness. The second and third pages are a spread for the Hoop-Dee-Doo Musical Revue with a few nice pictures. The fourth page has a picture of the Fort Wilderness Fleetwood Trailer Home Rental as well as a floor plan for the six sleeper model. The other pages of the booklet, which I did not take pictures of, are pictures of various Fleetwood trailer models.

All Aboard A Christmas Carol Train

2009-09-11T21:43:00.000-07:00

All Aboard! Disney's A Christmas Carol Train Tour made its stop in Louisville, Kentucky today, is a new marketing vehicle (no pun intended) Disney is utilizing to promote this new incarnation of Charles Dickens A Christmas Carol starring Jim Carrey. The stop will last from September 11 through the 13th and is FREE. This makes two days in a row that our family has participated in a Disney event away from any Disney park. However, today's event was much more entertaining than yesterday's. Obviously, the train and the theater were the main attractions, but, a few booths were set up outside offering drawings and games for prizes. One of those booths was Radio Disney, which gave away mini movie posters and t-shirts. Now, without going into a ton of detail on this tour, I'll give a quick overview and then let the pictures tell the story.

As you approach the train, your party is given a boarding pass, which made for a great souvenir. The train was beautifully painted and was basically a moving billboard advertising Dickens' story. The first car introduces guests to the film through displaying character art and costume reference, as well as some historical Dickens memorabilia. The next car features concept art displayed on high definition screens. The screens also change pictures every few seconds. Next, some maquettes and models were displayed. The next car featured motion picture cameras as well as behind the scenes look at the process in the movie. The next car no pictures were allowed. Here, several screens displayed more behind the scenes clips followed by an interactive couple of cars where guests could get their picture morphed into one of the characters from the film including Scrooge and Tiny Tim. The last car featured final art and some live carolers as you exited. Overall, the train tour was very reminiscent of the Narnia attraction at Disney's Hollywood Studios. I thoroughly enjoyed looking at the various props and behind the scenes videos.

After exiting the train, we headed over for about a 15 minutes sneak peek the portable theater. All I can say is Disney's digital 3-D looks amazing. Ok, one more thing to say. I am very excited about this film which hits theaters on November 6th. This looks like no previous interpretation of A Christmas Carol I have ever seen before. The motion capture, which most associate with The Polar Express, has improved in these past five years.

After the movie, it was time to head over to the booths. We got some tattoos of Scrooge, snowflakes, and heart-shaped candy canes. Yes, we signed up for a the Disney Movie Surfers raffle, and then headed over to the Radio Disney booth. For the next hour, the kids played games and won prizes. Of course, I had to hit all the booths and get the free advertising ephemera. So, has anyone been to this tour in your city? If the tour is stopping at your city in the next few weeks, definitely try to hitch a ride. I hope you are as excited as I am about this upcoming release. If not, well, "Bah Humbug"!

Extras in Disney's Secretariat

2009-09-10T21:15:00.000-07:00

As mentioned in my earlier post, I heard about a casting call today from 3pm - 8pm ET at Churchill Downs for the 2010 release of Walt Disney's feature Secretariat starring Diane Lane. The announcement stated all ages and all types are wanted for the movie. The only thing we were required to bring was a picture of ourself. So, my wife and I decided we would take our whole family down to the track and see if we might be extras in the picture.

We arrived at Gate 10 around 5:30pm. The parking lot actually looked fairly empty. However, when we got out of our vehicle and walked up to the actual gate, the line was fairly long. Luckily, the weather was in the lower 80s with a nice breeze. It wasn't like standing Peter Pan's queue at WDW. The line did move fairly quick, but, did take us about two hours to finally get inside. Once inside, we were taken on an elevator up to the 4th floor where we were each given an application to fill out.

While we were filling in the application, a female staffer gave a short spiel on what they were looking for in individuals for the movie. In a nutshell, they said that everyone that showed up would be cast as extras if they showed up in a couple weeks on the filming dates and to wear clothes representative of the 1970s. It was pretty interesting, but, having four kids, maybe we should have thought this one out a little better. Anyway, this whole process for our family took maybe 30 minutes. And that was that. We turned in our forms in designated stacks by age and sex and then we were out of there.

It was now about 7:45pm and the line was almost as long as when we first arrived. There was definitely one lesson we learned from this experience...leave your kids with the grandparents while you take their pictures with you and fill out the forms for them. Oh well, now I'm looking forward to possibly seeing Diane Lane and maybe even appearing in Secretariat.

Casting Call for Secretariat in Louisville

2009-09-10T06:04:00.001-07:00

Just heard on our local news station this morning, WHAS, that Disney would be holding a casting call for the upcoming movie Secretariat from 3pm - 8pm ET today at Churchill Downs in Louisville, Kentucky. They are looking for extras of all ages and types. Just think I might have to take the family down there. Who knows? That would be kinda cool if at least one of my family members was an extra. If I go, I will take some pictures, so, stay tuned.

I found the casting call information on the Business First web site.

True Life Adventures Comics October 13-19, 1955

2009-09-08T07:54:00.000-07:00

It is time for True Life Tuesday. This week's edition features the TLA comics from October 13, 14, 18, and 19, 1955. I'm not sure if I mentioned this or not in previous posts, but, the date on the TLA comics is on the bottom of the panel. Enjoy.

Breakfast with Chip 'N Dale

2009-09-07T14:19:00.000-07:00

We are now at the seventh item in the Fort Wilderness welcome packet. It is a two-sided brochure from 1989 featuring our de facto ambassodors of Fort Wilderness, Chip 'N Dale. They want the whole family to attend their Chip & Dale's Country Morning Jamboree at Pioneer Hall. This is a fun breakfast show to get young campers all geared up for the day. Melvin the Moose will be there, some specially invited Disney characters, along with a couple of their human friends, Cindy Lou and Alabam. The breakfast features a good old fashioned country cooking of scrambled eggs, bacon, hash browns, and biscuits and gravy along with some chocolate chip muffins. And, by Disney standards, the prices are reasonable at $9 for kids and $12 for adults. Sounds like just the thing to get everyone excited about getting up and at 'em in the morning at Walt Disney World.

WDW Transportation Cards

2009-09-06T11:01:00.000-07:00

One of my recent favorite Disneyphemera items is the Official Walt Disney World Transportation Collector Card series. There are 18 cards total in this series covering the three WDW modes of transportation. The breakdown includes 12 monorail and three each of the boats and buses. These cards are fantastic looking by any standard. Bright, colorful, detailed, and educational. Each card has a beautiful illustration of a different WDW vehicle. And, it doesn't stop there. Each illustration also has a hidden Mickey! Go ahead, click on the images and see if you can find them.

Accompanying the vehicle is a different Disney character ranging from animation shorts to features to Pixar and even to our favorite Epcot character. The back of the each card has a trivia question relating to the Disney character as well as three facts about the particular mode of transportation. This is just a fantastic series.

Now, for the really good news. These cards are absolutely free. This is a great way to get your kids involved in the Disney magic early in the day before you venture to a park. All you have to do is politely ask one of the transportation cast members if they have any of the transportation cards. This also offers a great opportunity to strike up a conversation with the bus driver, boat captain, or monorail driver to find out more about the vehicles, WDW, and even about them and their job. This has become one of those magical moments for our kids. They love asking for the cards and get excited about seeing if they get a new one to complete their collection. In fact, it is very common for the cast member to give out one of each type they have to the kids. But, you better do this early in the morning as these cards usually go fast. Happy collecting!

Disneyland Pigskin Classic

2009-09-05T06:09:00.000-07:00

This is my favorite time of the year. Leaves starting to change colors. Cool weather. Kids going back to school. Ok, who am I kidding? It is time for college football!!! This year is the latest I can ever recall college football starting. But, back in the mid-1980s up through 2002, the NCAA only allowed schools to play in 12 regular season games if the first game were a licensed or official classic game. Thus, the preseason classics were born.

From 1990 through 1994, Disneyland sponsored one of these games called the Disneyland Pigskin Classic played at Anaheim Stadium in Anaheim, California. This game was the second preseason classic and was basically an answer to the already established Kickoff Classic. As opposed to the Kickoff Classic, the Disneyland Kickoff Classic pitted a teams from the west and the east. Sounds like a Disneyland versus Walt Disney World rivalry to me. Unfortunately for the classics, but fortunate for college football fans everywhere, the NCAA changed its rules and allowed every team to play 12 regular games without the "classic" stipulation. This signalled the death knell for the recent traditions known as the pigskin classics.

In 1992, my alma mater, Texas A&M, was fortunate enough to play in the Disneyland Pigskin Classic III against the Standford Cardinal. My Aggies prevailed in a low scoring 10-7 defensive battle. This August 1992, Volume 73, No. 5 edition of the alumni magazine The Texas Aggie has a small preview of the game. Now, I've got to go watch ESPN GameDay.

Pirates Point Excursion 1989

2009-09-04T08:18:00.000-07:00

If you haven't noticed yet, except for a couple of pieces, all the inserts in the Fort Wilderness welcome packet have been on brown recycled paper. Dated 1989, this sixth item is no exception. What is interesting about this single-sided brochure is it isn't for anything at Fort Wilderness or a park. Instead, it is for an activity at another resort--Disney's Polynesian Resort to be precise. Before the Pirates and Pricesses Parade, Captain Jack Sparrow, and The Pirates League, there was the Pirates Point Excursion. Here, you can sail the Seven Seas Lagoon, hunt for buried treasure, enjoy refreshments...even have a marshmallow roast and sing-a-long with your Pirate Hosts! Yo-ho, yo-ho, a Pirate's life for me! Geez, wish I had done that as a kid.

Fort Wilderness and Fleetwood Brochure 1989

2009-09-03T19:18:00.000-07:00

We are now half way through the Fort Wilderness welcome packet. This fifth item is by far the most colorful insert thus far. It is a brochure of Disney's Fort Wilderness Resort and Campground fro 1989.

The back is a nice advertisement for The Official Recreational Vehicles of Disney's Fort Wilderness Resort, Fleetwood, and includes a handful of pictures of families roughing it Disney-style at Fort Wilderness.

As you open the brochure, you see a generalized map of Fort Wilderness and its proximity to River Country, Discovery Island, and the Magic Kingdom.

The inside is a layout informing guests to Discover the Fun of Camping and that there is Entertainment All Day Long. Included are several pictures of activities at Fort Wilderness, River Country, Discovery Island, the Magic Kingdom, and Epcot Center. Noticeably missing from this guide is the Disney-MGM Studios which suggests this pamplet came out earlier in 1989.

Disney's Fort Wilderness Guest Questionnaire 1988

2009-09-02T10:57:00.000-07:00

With the fourth item in the Fort Wilderness welcome packet, we again finally have an item that is not related to Discovery Island. Instead, we have a Fort Wilderness questionnaire for guests to fill out upon completion of their stay at this frontier inspired resort. The outside back of the questionnaire has a note from then Executive Vice President of the Walt Disney Resorts, Robert I. Small, which reads:

Welcome...

It is a pleasure to have you as a guest at our
resort. My staff and I want your visit to be a dream
come true. All of us believe that Disney Resort
Experiences Are Magic and we are here to ensure
that all your expectations are met. To help keep
the DREAM and the Magic, we need your
thoughts.
It is important to us that you continue to
select the WALT DISNEY WORLD Resort as your
vacation destination. The comments of concerned
guests, like you, help us maintain the standards of
quality that are synonymous with the Disney name.

Thank you for helping us keep the Magic.

Robert I. Small
Executive Vice President
WALT DISNEY WORLD Resorts

The fairly exhaustive questionnaire, which appears on the inside and covers all three pages, reflects Mr. Small's honest invitation to you, the guest, to provide both positive and negative feedback. Your positive responses will help to continue to exceed the guest's expectations of a Disney resort. Likewise, your negative responses, or suggested improvements, will help facilitate in improving any deficiencies in the current guest experience. And, to show Disney truly does value and desire its guests' feedback, the postage is prepaid and addressed directly to Mr. Small.

This type of questionnaire is definitely refreshing compared to the ubiquitous please praise us type of card seen in most establishments today. Typically, five simple items are listed, such as cleanliness, quality of food, friendliness of employees, followed by a couple of lines for comments. Then, to prevent any negative comments from filtering to top management, there is a comment card drop box, where the local manager conveniently has access to dispose of any cards not meeting his/her approval. And to further discourage and feedback, if you want to mail it in, you get to pay for postage. So, even with a simple questionnaire, Disney exceeds guest expectations.

True Life Adventures Comics October 3-7, 1955

2009-09-01T09:40:00.001-07:00

Ironically, today's blog entry is apropros as the first Disneynature production comes out on DVD/Blu-ray today. Released on Earth Day 2009 (April 22), this documentary film, narrated by James Earl Jones, if nothing else, is an homage to Walt Disney's True Life Adventures films.

Last week, I mentioned that Tuesday's would be True Life Tuesday's, a place where I could post a different set of four one panel dailies that I had purchased. I posted the first four comics from the albums which were from 1955, but, did not have the specific date. Well, this week's edition does have the date. Featured here are the TLA comics from October 3, 4, 5, and 7, 1955. I hope you enjoy them. Now, I'm off to get my copy of Earth.

Walt Disney World Discovery Island Brochure 1989

2009-08-31T15:30:00.000-07:00

The third item in the Fort Wilderness welcome packet is another guide map for Discovery Island. This one, however, is dated 1989. The first difference you notice with this one from the previous one is the title. Instead of Disney's DI, it is Walt Disney World DI. I haven't had the chance to research this, but, I'm wondering if maybe DI changed the name in 1989. More on this theory in a second.

The next thing you immediately notice is the addition of more color. You now have various shades of red and pink. Third, the back has a nice illustration of a female cast member with a couple of monkeys on her shoulder presumably for some sort of demonstration for the guests.

Now, back to the date issue. Some more supporting material for believing today's item was used prior to yesterday's is what is missing from this brochure. This has no show times schedule, no Chip 'N Dale Rescue Rangers Discovery Club, and no Mickey Mouse Recycled Paper icon. If anyone knows when the official name change, if any, of DI occurred, I'd really like to know. What are your theories?

Disney's Discovery Island Brochure Undated

2009-08-30T12:32:00.000-07:00

The second item in the Fort Wilderness welcome packet is a brochure for Disney's Discovery Island. I am sorry to say that I only went to Discovery Island one time, I was very young, and I don't remember a thing about it. I always said I would go some day. Unfortunately, it closed before that day came. Lesson learned--don't put off doing something until tomorrow, you might be too late.

Anyway, this particular brochure is undated, but, we know it is from 1988 or 1989 thanks to the packet and the other paper items inside. The front and back form a nice mural of some ducks, a deer, adn a hawk with its prey. On the back is a times schedule for the Feathered Friends and the Birds of Prey shows.

When you first open the guide, you see a nice yet simple map of the entire island for easy navigating. Then, when you open the guide up fully, you get a four panel layout with pictures of some of the various wildlife found on the island as well as some facts about each one.

Lastly, one little item to note...in the bottom right corner on the fourth panel is a small illustration of our favorite chipmunks soaring on an eagle under a banner that says, Chip 'N Dale Rescue Rangers Discovery Club. Now there's something for the young nature explorers to look into!

WDW Bus Transportation Routes 1989

2009-08-28T20:33:00.000-07:00

Yesterday I wrote about the Fort Wilderness welcome packet and mentioned ten brochures were included in this packet. So, lets start looking at those items.

The first item is a card from 1989 displaying the Walt Disney World Bus Transportation Routes. The card, once folded, measures 3.5" x 6" and is on heavy stock paper. The front has a nice black and white sketch of a bus leaving the Magic Kingdom with Cinderella Castle in the background.

The inside and back display the individual routes. Each route informs guests of the properties a particular bus will stop. Then, beside these routes a colorful flag is displayed to distinguish that bus route. Each bus will have this particular flag emblazoned on its side so guests know which bus they need to hop aboard and reach their destination.

Fort Wilderness Welcome Packet 1989

2009-08-27T19:07:00.000-07:00

Every vacation I have taken to Walt Disney World with my parents, whether the summer of 1973 to the fall of 2008, we have always camped at Fort Wilderness. I have many fond memories of this much under-appreciated and overlooked resort, but, I'll save those stories for future posts. What I want to show here is a Fort Wilderness piece from my Disneyphemera collection. This is a welcome packet from 1989. However, it should be noted that the folder itself is dated 1988. The folder is 6" x 10" which is actually a smaller version than one I also have from a vacations a couple years earlier. This packet came with 10 brochures showcasing the various activities in and around Fort Wilderness. The dates on the brochures are from 1988 and 1989, which means this packet was obviously given to guests in 1989. I'll be posting each one of these individual items over the next couple of weeks.

Now, what I love the most about this packet is the detail in the artwork on the cover. This was back when each resort had its own customized welcome packet as opposed to the generic blue one we've become accustomed the last few years. The artwork appears to be a simple pencil sketch, but very detailed. This single cover tells new guests everything available at this one resort. The background is of the Settlement Trading Post including Pioneer Hall. In the foreground, you see a cowboy mounted on a horse. This image is simple and immediately informs guests that horseback riding can be on the agenda at this resort. Various water activities are displayed including fishing, swimming/tubing, and canoing. Another activity shown is the Petting Farm. And lastly, the night time activities including performers from the Hoop-De-Doo Musical Revue and roasting marshmellows and singing around a campfire. Before you even had a chance to open up this packet, your heart was already racing and your mind jumping back and forth on which activity to do first. And, this is just the place you are staying!

On the back of the folder is a map of the entire resort including the bus routes. Back in 1988 & 1989, there were only two bus routes--the Silver Flag Route and the Brown Flag Route. Now, I will admit, the routes on this map are a little hard to follow, as you can see. The map itself doesn't have the actual route, but instead, a little side box has the routes. But, it is just the routes...no map. So, you have to use your imagination and overlay the routes onto the actual map.

Disney has definitely lost some of the magic when it comes to the theming of the welcome packets. Here's hoping, or more aptly, wishing, that we'll see these customized packets return in some form in the coming years.

True Life Adventures Daily Comic Panels

2009-08-25T18:12:00.000-07:00

The True Life Adventures series is a collection of short subject documentary films produced by the Walt Disney Company roughly between the years 1948-1960. The series won numerous Academy Awards for the studio including five awards for Best Two Reel Live Action Short. The films were among the earliest production experience for Roy E. Disney. Also, this creative and entertaining documentary series was the launching pad for Disney's new distributor, Buena Vista International.

There was also a comic strip that was inspired by these films called Walt Disney's True Life Adventures. This was a daily comic panel series that ran from March 1955 until 1973. The comic panels were written by 2007 Disney Legend inductee Dick Huemer. He got his start at Barre-Bowers Studios as a tracer on Mutt and Jeff. He eventually became an animator for the studios again working on Mutt and Jeff, but this time the cartoons. In 1923, he joined Fleischer Studios and was one of the top animators there. The most notable project he worked on there was Out of the Inkwell. In 1927, Huemer worked for the infamous Charles Mintz as an animator on Krazy Kat.

Then, in 1933, he got his start with Disney as an animator working on several of the early Silly Symphonies including The Tortoise And The Hare (1934), The Wise Little Hen (1934), and The Band Concert (1935). He later directed some of the Fab Five's cartoon shorts including The Whalers (1938) and Goofy And Wilbur (1939). Next, he wrote several of the stories for Der Fuehrer's Face (1942) and Toot, Whistle, Plunk and Boom (1953). Lastly, he also worked as a story director on several animation features including Fantasia (1940), Dumbo (1941), Saludos Amigos (1943), Make Mine Music (1946), and Alice in Wonderland (1951). After leaving Disney in 1948 to pursue his own comic strip called Buck O'Rue, he returned to work for Disney a short three years later. In 1955, Dick was tasked to do the writing for the True Life Adventures daily comic panel which he did until he retired in February 1973. This also ended the almost 20 year run of this educational and quite beautiful, not to mention very cool, daily comic.

The illustrations for TLA were done by George Wheeler who was an inbetweener at Disney in the 1950s. He later went on to work for Hanna-Barbera as a layout artist and character designer from 1968 to 1979 on various Saturday morning cartoons such as Scooby-Doo, The Flintstones, Superfriends, Dynomutt Dog Wonder, The Harlem Globetrotters, and The Banana Splits Adventure Hour, of which I was a huge fan of all of those growing up. Then, from 1972 to 1974 he worked as a layout artist at Filmation on a handful of projects including Treasure Island, Oliver Twist, and Star Trek. Just like with Huemer, he was the illustrator for the entire run of the TLA series.

Well, about a week ago, I came across a nice collection of these Walt Disney's True Life Adventures one-panel comic strips. The owner had purchased these from an unclaimed storage locker and knew that someone might enjoy these. Ding, ding, ding. I was the lucky recipient. The original owner had clipped these comics out of the Louisville Times newspaper starting in October 1955 through July 1962. Unfortunately, the title was also clipped off of each one and glued into three faux scrapbooks made out of notebooks. The owner used three identical notebooks and numbered each side of the sheet. There are 515 full pages, and by full pages, I mean four comics per page. That comes to 1,060 True Life Adventures comics!

The last sheet has two comics on one side and then an undated one on the last. But, on the page with two comics, the individual also included a "missing" list and a notation of when and where these comics were clipped. So, for the price of $25, I couldn't pass it up. At first, I thought I'd resell them on eBay, but, after I started looking at them and the care the owner put into these albums, not to mention what a gem these comics are, I realized I must keep these in my personal collection. So, for the forseeable future, I'll post four new comics as part of True Life Tuesdays. Enjoy.

Jonas Brothers Rock Kentucky!!!

2009-08-24T18:34:00.000-07:00

Yesterday, August 23, Sunday afternoon, my wife and I took took our oldest daughter and two of her friends to see the Jonas Brothers in concert which is officially called the Jonas Brothers World Tour 2009. The girls started getting in the spirit by watching Camp Rock while we drove to Lexington. We arrived at Rupp Arena about an hour and a half before the show. Parking was not a problem, and for $10, we parked in the arena event parking.

A section of the parking lot in front of the arena was sectioned off for some activities including a JoBros bus sponsored by Verizon where fans could scribe a note to Kevin, Joe, and Nick. It was pretty cool.

We met up with some of our friends inside Rupp and headed to our seats. The place was extremely crowded. The females definitely outnumbered the males by a ratio of at least 15 to 1. Of course, we had to stop and look at the memorabilia for sale. The girls wanted shirts, but, for $40, we passed on that. Instead, we forked over $20 for a program and $10 for JB glow sticks.

There were three opening acts to get the crowd going. The first was Honor Society which was already rocking the place by the time we eventually made it to our seats. Next up was a band from Asia called the Wonder Girls. They were pretty good and I think the boys and men in the audience actually enjoyed them more so than Honor Society. The place was defeaning. Every time a picture of a JB was thrown up on the screen or when someone mentioned one of their names, the noise would increase big time. I'll tell you this, girls scream a lot louder than guys...a whole lot louder. Maybe it is the shrill sound that makes it so deafening.

Next up was Jordan Sparks. She really got the place rocking again and built up the female frenzy for the JoBros. At one point, someone on stage asked who thought Kevin was their favorite JoBros. The place erupted. Next up was Joe. WOW!!! Even louder. I was expecting that. I thought he would get the loudest cheers, no, screams. Then came Nick. OH MY GOODNESS!!! That is all I can say. Was I ever wrong about Joe.

Finally, around 8pm, the lights went out, and a bright orange-red light appeared in the center of the arena. Then, it happened. MY EARS BURST!!! The Jonas Brothers started rising out of the center of the stage. Now, I have been to many sporting events in my life, but the sound I heard was nothing like I had ever heard before. The arena had over 20,000 people, of which I'd say over 70% were girls from the age of 7 to 20. I was laughing so hard. It really was amazing. But, I kid you not, my ears are still ringing today.

I am obviously very familiar with the Jonas Brothers music since I have a crazed JoBro fan for a daughter and I am a Disney fan. They played every single song I knew. I found myself singing right along with all the females in the audience. One of the highlights was when Nick took center stage on a lily white piano. He spent maybe 10 minutes giving his testimony on diabetes. It was pretty moving. I was very impressed with the young man. One of the funniest things appeared at the end of this as the video screen panned to a teenage girl crying. Very reminiscent of Beatles or Elvis footage we have all seen. I really think Nick is the most talented of this very talented fraternal trio. Not only does he sing and play guitar, but, he also plays the piano and drums. The guy has a lot of talent.

Now, I didn't want to embarrass my daughter in front of her friends, so, I didn't make a spectacle of myself by dancing, but, I was doing the dad toe-tapping and slight head-bob. But, the mothers in the crowd, they were rockin'! I am no concert aficionado, but, these guys rocked! I was so glad we went and had an awesome time. Fortunately, I brought my camera and took a lot of pictures. I'll post more in the next couple of days along with more of my thoughts on the concert.

Radio Disney & The JoBros

2009-08-22T19:21:00.000-07:00

Radio Disney held a Jonas Brothers event today sponsored by Sam Swope Auto. They were giving away two sets of 2 JoBros tickets and backstage passes to the Jonas Brothers World Tour 2009 tomorrow at Rupp Arena in Lexington. Well, we already have tickets for the concert, but, my daughter wanted to go and try to win those backstage passes. And, hey, I get to go to a Disney event and if she won, I can sell her tickets. She can keep the backstage passes. The event was almost two hours and lots of games for kids were played for prizes. There were maybe 25 - 30 kids there ages 3 - 18. Unfortunately, I forgot to bring my camera. Not sure what I was thinking with that move. Well, it really didn't matter because my daughter didn't win the drawing for the passes. But, we did have a great time. She even won a couple of the games.

The best part were the freebie goodies that were given out to everyone, including the parents. Below are the pictures of the various items we got which include a JoBros poster, postcard, VIP badge, and necklace; DisneyXD bumper sticker; G-Force trading cards and game sheet; and Little Mermaid bookmark/door hanger. Now, I've gotta go sign up for the Radio Disney AM 680 Newswire so I can be informed about future events...and more goodies and Disney fun times with my kids outside of The World.

Member of the Mouseketeer Clubhouse

2009-08-20T21:10:00.000-07:00

When I first went to Walt Disney World back in 1973 for the first time, there was only one theme park--The Magic Kingdom. However, there were still a lot of things to do back then. Especially at night. We were staying at Fort Wilderness, so, there were always things to do at that resort. Unfortunately, for my brother and me, we didn't get to experience those activities one night. Instead, our parents decided to take us to a Disney child care service called the Mouseketeer Clubhouse. Now, I can't remember a whole lot about it except that it was in the Contemporary and we played a lot. Then, after about an hour or so, my parents were picking us up. I'm not even sure what they did that night. Guess I should ask them.

I did find a little information about this Mouseketeer Clubhouse in my 1986 edition of the 'Walt Disney World VACATION INFORMATION' pamphlet.

Anyway, as we left, we were given a very cool certificate showing that we were a member of the Walt Disney World Mouseketeer Clubhouse. The certificate came on a nice piece of heavy 8.5" x 11" parchment paper. The hot pink border really sets it off and draws attention to both Mickey Mouse and the friends from the Hundred Acre Wood. (NOTE: This picture doesn't do this item justice. The pink is actually much brighter.) Unfortunately, I wasn't a big collector as a kid, so, I folded mine in half. Then, later we pinned and stapled it to my wall. Argh! And, finally, as you can see on the edges, you shouldn't store in an attic because silverfish really like to hang out there. But, still, this piece is one of my favorite items in my collection, if for no other reason than the memories it brings back from my first visit to Walt's world.

Collecting Disneyphemera

2009-08-19T20:34:00.000-07:00

What is Disneyphemera? Well, it is a term I coined (no pun intended), for my Disney collection. In a nutshell, Disney + ephemera = Disneyphemera. Ta Da! I was surprised to learn a few years ago that a lot of people didn't know what ephemera was. Personally, I have always thought of it basically as paper items that were usually discarded after a short time. Dictionary.com defines ephemera as "anything short-lived or ephemeral, items designed to be useful or important for only a short time, esp. pamphlets, notices, tickets, etc.". So, I collect Disney items that a lot of people end up throwing away. Great! I collect Disney trash.

Anyway, ephemera is actually a much broader field than just those examples given in that definition. Other paper items included are trading cards, pictures, letters, napkins, matchcovers, maps, cups, plates, books, comic books, newspapers, postcards, magazines, candy wrappers, cereal boxes, and pretty much anything made of paper. By definition, if something is made of paper, it isn't intended to last very long. Ok, maybe that isn't a true definition of paper, but it is my definition.

Now, paper items aren't the only items that are ephemeral. Items made out of plastic, metal, cloth, glass, and other materials can all be lumped into ephemera as well. Some examples include pens, pencils, tokens, coins (remember the 'no pun intended' comment), plastic cups, buttons, caps, t-shirts, and drinking glasses. Obviously, ephemera collecting has a lot of crossover collectibility with other collectors. Comic books, stamps, and baseball cards are the ones that come immediately to mind and are probably the most common and largest collector groups.

For my personal Disneyphemera collection, I mainly focus on items from Walt Disney World. That doesn't mean I pass up on Disneyland items, Disney movie related items, or other general Disneyphemera items I come across. Of course I add them to my collection, or at least save to trade or sell so I can add pieces to my WDW collection. I will be displaying pieces of my collection in my blog, the first of which I posted the other day about my acceptance letter to the WDW College Program.

There are several good Disney blogs and web sites out there that focus on different Disneyphemera. The following are a few of my favorite:

Disneyana World
my Disney collection Blog
Presscoins.com The Unofficial Walt Disney World Pressed Coin Guide
Theme Park Paper - A History of the Disney Theme Parks
Vintage Disneyland Goodies
Vintage Disneyland Tickets
Walt Disney World A History in Postcards

Also, there is a great ephemera blog that I read daily called ephemera exploring the world of old paper.

If you aren't familiar with these, I hope you check them out.

A WDWCP Offer

2009-08-16T21:25:00.000-07:00

In early March 1990, the Walt Disney World College Program came to Texas A&M University. A couple hundred students turned out that night to listen to a WDW cast member named Rick Neely pitch working on the college program. We watched a short presentation and then listened to several students from previous semesters talk about their experiences on the WDW College Program. It was very interesting and everyone was very excited.

I remember how up front the recruiters were when asked questions. "If you expect to make money, then the WDWCP is not for you", was the response one of the questions. They were recruting for three different semesters--summer, fall, and spring. They must have been hurting for people in the fall and spring semesters because they talked about how competitive the summer session was. I remember the figure they gave. They said that you had about a one in ten chance of getting onto the summer program. Obviously, the summer is when most students want to work. They told us they would hire about 1,100 college students from around the country for the summer semester, along with about 1,000 international students. Well, I thought, "what the heck, I'll give it a shot". I really didn't think I had a chance. But, after the presentation was over, I went ahead and signed up for an interview the next day.

I went back to my apartment, filled out the application, and read some interviewing tips I had received in one of my college courses. I could barely sleep that night. I was so nervous going into that interview the next morning. I remember thinking that everything was stacked against me. It was my first interview ever! And, it was with Disney! And, to top it off, not only was I the first interview of the day, but, I was the first interview at Texas A&M on this visit. TERRIFIC!

Well, the interviewer was an attractive young lady who was about seven months pregnant. She had a welcoming smile and was very friendly. Unfortunately, I cannot recall her name. And, to tell ya the truth, I can't remember a single question she asked me that day. Of course, I couldn't remember anything she asked me as soon as I walked out of the interview either. Anyway, I do remember that I just tried to relax, be friendly, and, to borrow a cliche, be myself. The interview was very short. It couldn't have been longer than five minutes. When I left the interview, my roommates asked me how it went. I said something to the effect of, "ok, but not great". And, of course, they wanted to know what questions I was asked. But, like I said, I couldn't remember anything specific said in the interview. Ok, that isn't true. I do remember her asking if I had a preference of where I'd like to work. I put down Foods Host since I thought that would offer me the best opportunity. Anyway, not a great interview, first interview of the day, oh well, so much for that.

Now, fast forward a few weeks to the beginning of April. I was going to school at Texas A&M University. I remember this day fairly well. I was a little upset with myself because I had just done poorly on a test. I was walking back to the campus bus stop going over the test questions in my head. When I got to the bus stop, I ran into my two roommates who were waiting there for me with an excited look on their faces. They both started talking real fast, but, all I heard them say was "Disney" and handing me an envelope. I said something to the effect of, "oh great, a rejection letter". Their synchronized response was, "SCOTT, IT IS TOO THICK TO BE A REJECTION LETTER, WE THINK YOU GOT AN OFFER"!!!

My eyes lit up and my heart started racing. They had a point! Without thinking about the collectibility of the envelope, I tore it open as fast as I could. I GOT AN OFFER!!! I was so ecstatic. I could not believe I got an offer. How did that happen? I didn't think my interview went especially well. But, aparently I made an impression on the recruiter. My roommates were so excited for me since the semester had been relatively rough on me from a personal standpoint. They went on to class and I took the bus back to our apartment.

Now, this was before cell phones, email, Facebook, instant messaging, and the Internet, well, at least as we know the Internet today. So, I ran inside and started dialing my parents. I thought my mom was going to cry; she was so excited for me. I think she must have made several dozen calls after we hung up. She told me she called everyone from her co-workers, to our friends, to all our relatives.

Anyway, this 24 hour span was the beginning of what ended up altering my future.

Welcome to Destination: Disney...

2009-08-14T18:55:00.000-07:00

Why in the world am I doing a blog? A Disney blog no less. There are so many awesome Disney themed blogs out in cyberspace already, so, why create another? I have wanted to start a blog for about a year now, but, I kept putting it off, talking myself out of it. But, like most Disney bloggers out there, I love Disney and hope I have something to offer to the Disney community. So, I have finally decided to throw my mouse ears into the blogosphere. And, if no one reads my blog, well, then I guess I will at least enjoy writing about Disney.

It seems my family thinks I am obsessed with Disney. Ok, I'll admit, I am just a little bit fascinated with all that Walt has imagined, including his animated features and shorts, but especially Walt Disney World. From 1973, when I first ventured into Walt's magical world at the innocent age of five, to the end of the first decade of this new millenium, I have been to "the World" over a dozen times and Disneyland once. In addition, the summer of 1990 was a magical, fantastic, dream of a summer when I had the opportunity to be a part of the Walt Disney World College Program where I was placed in Fantasyland of the Magic Kingdom. The following summer, I returned to work for the mouse and relive more of the magic. Those were two of the best summers of my life and they literally changed my future. But, I'll save that tale for a future post.

Besides my love for WDW, I also enjoy collecting Disney ephemera, especially pieces related to the Walt Disney World Resort. Nothing is out of the realm for my collection--from cups, plates, and swizzle sticks to coins, stickers, and match covers. Along with ephemera, I also collect Disney movies, Disney books, and other Disney related items.

So, what do I hope to accomplish with this blog anyway? Well, that is the question I have been asking myself ever since I have wanted to start a Disney blog and one I'll probably never be able to answer completely. However, I do know the main focus will center around Walt Disney World, but, I will also post about other items related to Disney including movies, history, and current events, to name a few. I also want to share stories from my time on the college program and the two summers I spent working at WDW. Really, if it is Disney related, then it is fair game for me to share.

I hope you enjoy my Disney blog and look forward to hearing feedback and stories from you as well. With that said...

WELCOME!