The Princess and the Frog Hits Theatres Nationwide

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

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

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

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

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

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

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.