Imaginerding: Disney books, history, links and more!

Links for 2012-01-30 [del.icio.us]

2012-01-31T00:00:00-08:00

Sunday on the Skyway: Journey Thru The Matterhorn
DaveLand takes us through the Matterhorn.
Holiday Planner - Part Six
Lee has posted a lot of screen caps from this video series. Love it!
Main Street Confectionary: It’s in the Details
Does a little self-linking hurt?
Return to the Golf Resort
An amazing and in-depth article by Foxxfur.
The Carousel House Murders
Parkeology goes long form!

Lots To Do In Line: Disneyland, a Book Review

2012-01-30T09:12:00.000-05:00

A Book Review of Lots to Do in Line: Disneyland by Meredith Lyn Pierce

Lots To Do In Line: Disneyland by Meredith Lyn Pierce. 2012. 268 pp.

Since the beginning of time (July 17, 1955), the biggest issue that Disney and guests have struggled with is what to do while in the queue for an attraction. In most cases, the wait to board an attraction can be 20 minutes to an hour, depending on the season. The Imagineers have always done a great job of themeing the queues to make it a more enjoyable wait, but sometimes it is hard to just stand by and wait.

Meredith Lyn Pierce has written a fantastic and handy book to take with you to Disneyland that will help alleviate the anticipation and restlessness that can accompany waiting in queues. Lots to Do In Line measures 4" X 9" and will fit easily into a backpack or bag. It is a great size for holding while in line; it won't interfere with other guests' enjoyment of the area and it is easy to access

The book is divided into two major sections that cover Disneyland and Disney California Adventure Park. The focus of the book is presenting trivia questions about the queue of each attraction at both parks. Every attraction (at the time of printing) is presented with anywhere from three questions to over fifty, depending on the length and details ascribed to the queue. In order to dissuade thoughts of cheating, the answers to the questions are at the end of the chapter on each land.

In order to provide more variety (and for things to do while walking or waiting outside of queues), Meredith has created a scavenger hunt for each park. The scavenger hunt will have your party looking for random elements throughout out the park, but not in the queues. Some are well-hidden and some are more well-known. It is a great way to have the kids looking around and finding details they many not have seen before.

Meredith also suggest that you collect things while in the park. Not that she is recommending that you take things, but that you note when you see things that can be grouped together, like character t-shirts or a specific type of shoe. It is a way to engage all the different people in your group, especially the younger children. They can look for something easier to spot and keep track of it throughout the visit.

The book is a nice addition to your touring plan of Disneyland. It is easy to carry around and will offer hours of enjoyment and fun while waiting in lines at Disneyland. Meredith also asks for your help in updating the book at her site http://www.lotstodoinline.com/.

Intrepid Traveler provided a review copy of the book.

Geeky Disney Links

2012-01-28T09:58:00.001-05:00

A shot of the Italy Pavilion from November 2001. The covered stage was set up for various musicians to play throughout the day. At the time, these performers were playing an Italian-inspired classical set.

I've got some Disney Links for you!

Back From the Bathroom
Fee shares some bathroom photos!
Creepy Minnie Mouse poses with a festive trash can in the...
The link title says it all!
I Speak For The Tree...Part Two
Kevin adds more to the woeful tale.

New Collection of Disney-related Interviews
Didier hips us to a new book.
Bear all
Ryan looks back at the beginnings of a great show.
The 626 – Secrets of the Haunted Mansion part 1
Jeff Heimbuch shares the stories behind the tombstones at the Haunted Mansion at the Magic Kingdom.
THE WALT DISNEY FAMILY MUSEUM INTERIOR
SamLand shares some wonderful photos of the Walt Disney Family Museum.

Disney Storyboards for Kelvinator, 1955
Kevin Kidney shares some amazing storyboards.
Disney: Equal Opportunity Employers (unless you are a hairy Asian)
Parkeology finally weighs in on the new policy changes.
WALT DISNEY FAMILY MUSEUM EVENT SNAPSHOTS
SamLand shares more photos from his event at the Walt Disney Family Museum.

From Beverly Hills to The Jungle Cruise Ancient Shrine
DaveLand discusses the development of the Jungle Cruise.
DREAMS OF WONDERLAND
Brian Sibley celebrates the 180th birthday of Lewis Carroll.
20 Feet Under The Sea
Donnie shares some great shots from Castaway Cay of a sunken detail.
Souvenir Friday- Gifts From Disneyland Catalog
Looking for a gift for the Disneyland fan in your life?

Links for 2012-01-27 [del.icio.us]

2012-01-28T00:00:00-08:00

From Beverly Hills to The Jungle Cruise Ancient Shrine
DaveLand discusses the development of the Jungle Cruise.
DREAMS OF WONDERLAND
Brian Sibley celebrates the 180th birthday of Lewis Carroll.
20 Feet Under The Sea
Donnie shares some great shots from Castaway Cay of a sunken detail.
Souvenir Friday- Gifts From Disneyland Catalog
Looking for a gift for the Disneyland fan in your life?

Links for 2012-01-26 [del.icio.us]

2012-01-27T00:00:00-08:00

Disney Storyboards for Kelvinator, 1955
Kevin Kidney shares some amazing storyboards.
Disney: Equal Opportunity Employers (unless you are a hairy Asian)
Parkeology finally weighs in on the new policy changes.
WALT DISNEY FAMILY MUSEUM EVENT SNAPSHOTS
SamLand shares more photos from his event at the Walt Disney Family Museum.

Communicore Weekly Episode 2 Featured on Boing Boing

2012-01-26T10:21:00.001-05:00

Episode 2 of Communicore Weekly was released late Tuesday evening and the next day we had a mention from Cory Doctorow on Boing Boing.

Here is the link for the video: http://youtu.be/zodsLoLCSoE

We introduce a new segment this week and we have some fantastic musical segments by Steve Williard and Andrew Taylor from Amplify This Music.

Communicore Weekly Episode 2 topics:

This Day in Disney History
George's Book of the Week
News Round Up
Bathroom Break! (Special thanks to Melissa from Disney On Wheels for the photo help!)
The Five Legged Goat

You can keep up with Communicore Weekly by becoming a fan on Facebook!

And as the theme songs says, "It's the greatest online show!"

Len Testa Live and North Carolina Geekfest!

2012-01-25T08:30:00.000-05:00

I was able to attend a program at the Eva Perry Regional Library in Apex, NC (close to Raleigh) last Saturday. Len Testa from Touringplans.com was the speaker and he spent over an hour discussing how to make the most out of your vacation at Walt Disney World. In addition to sharing great advice, he spent time answering questions and autographing copies of the Unofficial Guide. He tried to sign my copy of the Lines app on my phone, but it just didn't work out. If you ever get the chance to see Len Testa live, do it. He is a great speaker and will answer any question!

There is another Disney event scheduled for Saturday, February 18 at the Cameron Village Library in Raleigh and it is being co-hosted by Ryan Wilson of the MainStGazette. This should be an all-out geekfest, so make sure to put it on your calendar right now!

A Disney Documentary and A History of the Parks

A screening of the film Disneyland Dream about a family winning a trip to Disneyland in 1956 with Marsha Orgeron, head of N.C. State's Film Studies Dept.

Plus, Disney theme Park history with (the awesome) Ryan Wilson of MainStGazette.com.

Saturday, Feb. 18 @ 2 p.m.
Cameron Village Library
1930 Clark Avenue, Raleigh
919.856.6710

Links for 2012-01-24 [del.icio.us]

2012-01-25T00:00:00-08:00

New Collection of Disney-related Interviews
Didier hips us to a new book.
Bear all
Ryan looks back at the beginnings of a great show.
The 626 – Secrets of the Haunted Mansion part 1
Jeff Heimbuch shares the stories behind the tombstones at the Haunted Mansion at the Magic Kingdom.
THE WALT DISNEY FAMILY MUSEUM INTERIOR
SamLand shares some wonderful photos of the Walt Disney Family Museum.

Links for 2012-01-23 [del.icio.us]

2012-01-24T00:00:00-08:00

Back From the Bathroom
Fee shares some bathroom photos!
Creepy Minnie Mouse poses with a festive trash can in the...
The link title says it all!
I Speak For The Tree...Part Two
Kevin adds more to the woeful tale.

Too Funny For Words, a Book Review

2012-01-22T21:52:00.000-05:00

Too Funny for Words: Disney's Greatest Sight Gags by Frank Thomas and Ollie Johnston. 1987. 223 pp.

This book was a surprise for me. Too Funny For Words was actually a Disney-related book that I had not heard of. Frank Thomas and Ollie Johnston should be familiar names to most animation fans. They were both members of Disney's legendary Nine Old Men and pretty much had a hand in every animated feature from Disney before they passed away. Thomas and Frank wrote the Illusion of Life: Disney Animation (1981) and it is considered the primer on animation.

Too Funny For Words was published in 1987 and is a light-hearted and completely serious look at the evolution of Disney animated gags. This book is more than a primer; it is a look at how a gag works. Any animation student or scholar needs to own this. Thomas and Johnston have an easy and affable writing style. It is very obvious that they loved what they did and want to share it.

Presented in two sections, the book looks at what a gag is, how it evolved and what are the quintessential gags. Part I focuses more on how gags changed over the years and how different Disney characters fit different gags. It also deals more with the technical side of creating the gag and animating it.

Part II is all about the gags. Thomas and Johnston discuss the nine types of gags in detail with copious and beautiful illustrations, sketches and rough animation.

The Spot Gag
The Running Gag
The Gag-That-Builds
The Action Gag
The Tableau Gag
The Inanimate Character Gag
The Funny Drawing
Specialized Gags (Color, Effects and Caricature)

After finishing the book, I was surprised to watch a modern animated short and noticed in one scene that the animators used five of the gags mentioned above.

An sample page of tableau gags featuring Donald Duck.

The Tableau Gag
The tableau gag is a held picture at the end of an action, in which the character is left with a ridiculous appearance due to some foreign substance or object having been placed on, around, over, or in his face or figure. This is not an action gag because the humor is in the still picture or final tableau that results from an action rather than the action itself. (p. 30)

This book really has a specific audience in mind, but can be enjoyed by anyone with an interest in animation or Disney animated films. More than just a book on gags or animation, it is a celebration of more than fifty years of Disney animators. Thomas and Johnston share some of their favorite gags from some of their favorite animators. It is a little humbling to see where two giants of animation gush over their contemporaries. As instrumental as Thomas and Johnston were to animation, they still profess their love and admiration for their fellow artists.

Special thanks to Scott Otis for providing the picture of the book jacket. You can follow him on twitter @otisney.

Disney Links, Links and More Links!

2012-01-21T10:37:00.001-05:00

This a photo from 2001 details the water tower and steam funnel vent-off grate for the former Toontown stop on the Walt Disney World Railroad. The steam funnel is an effective way of removing the engine steam from the area to protect the cast members and guests I can't wait to see what the 2012 Fantasyland refurbishment is going to do to this area and how they will theme all of the details.

More of Walt's Gulfstream...
A Great article from A Film LA about Walt's plane.
Bring Back the Half Yard!
A half yard of beer! Need I say more?
Squid Attack
More goodness from Hoot Gibson.
Photo Hunt Update
Wow. Incredible photos from Imagineering Disney, to say the least!
Who cut this trash can in half?Actually, this unique bin is...
I wonder where the other half is...
Preview boulevard
Ryan takes a long step back in time to share a photo of a pretty famous spot.
A Fitting Tribute – The Windows Of Main Street
Jeff Heimbuch peruses some windows from Main Street.

Split Personality Lunch Box
Nick from DisLeeLandia shares an awesome lunch box!
1984 Donald Ducks Birthday
Great photos from Disney On Parole!
From the Mouth of the Mouse – Building the American Adventure
Jeff Heimbuch talks to Steve Alcorn--Imagineer that helped design the American Adventure.
Buena Vista Obscura: Johnny's Corner
Foxxfur prepares a slice of Kissimmee Americana.
Do You Know This Man?
Michael Crawford shares some of the evolution of Dreamfinder.
M.J. Winkler + Felix the Cat = Walt Disney's Alice
Great article detailing a major historical milestone for the Disney Brothers.

Reduce, Reuse, Recycle: Nemo's Organ
Daveland looks at a very special organ,
Tri-Corner Sandwich at the Liberty Tree Tavern, the Best Thing I Ever Ate
A little blatant self-promotion..
The Magnificent Desolation of World Drive
David at Futureprobe shares two amazing Walt Disney World photos and pines for a different world.
Yesterland – The Disneyland Hotel Tram
Werner has a great article about the Disneyland tram.
At The Nexus Of Time, Space, And Mickey Mouse
Crawford shares some Disney and Doctor Who? Wow...

Links for 2012-01-20 [del.icio.us]

2012-01-21T00:00:00-08:00

Reduce, Reuse, Recycle: Nemo's Organ
Daveland looks at a very special organ,
Tri-Corner Sandwich at the Liberty Tree Tavern, the Best Thing I Ever Ate
A little blatant self-promotion..
The Magnificent Desolation of World Drive
David at Futureprobe shares two amazing Walt Disney World photos and pines for a different world.
Yesterland – The Disneyland Hotel Tram
Werner has a great article about the Disneyland tram.
At The Nexus Of Time, Space, And Mickey Mouse
Crawford shares some Disney and Doctor Who? Wow...

Communicore Weekly VideoCast 01

2012-01-19T08:55:00.001-05:00

In association with Jeff Heimbuch from Mice Chat (The 626 and From the Mouth of the Mouse), we are bringing you Communicore Weekly!

(Imagine massive amounts of festoonery and trumpet fanfare.)

So, what is Communicore Weekly?

Glad you asked!

We are producing a weekly web series that focuses on some of the geekier sides of Disney.

This weeks show includes:

This Week in Disney History!
George's Book of the Week!
Sorcerer's of the magic Kingdom!
The Five Legged Goat!

Enjoy and let us know what you think!

Here is my article on the Bob-A-Round boats:
http://www.imaginerding.com/2011/03/bob-round-boats-at-walt-disney-world.html

Links for 2012-01-18 [del.icio.us]

2012-01-19T00:00:00-08:00

Split Personality Lunch Box
Nick from DisLeeLandia shares an awesome lunch box!
1984 Donald Ducks Birthday
Great photos from Disney On Parole!
From the Mouth of the Mouse – Building the American Adventure
Jeff Heimbuch talks to Steve Alcorn--Imagineer that helped design the American Adventure.
Buena Vista Obscura: Johnny's Corner
Foxxfur prepares a slice of Kissimmee Americana.
Do You Know This Man?
Michael Crawford shares some of the evolution of Dreamfinder.
M.J. Winkler + Felix the Cat = Walt Disney's Alice
Great article detailing a major historical milestone for the Disney Brothers.

Walt Disney World Books on Mouse Chat!

2012-01-17T09:00:00.000-05:00

I was invited to join the Mouse Chat podcast crew one evening to talk about books that feature Walt Disney World history.

You can grab the podcast here:
The Best Disney Books and Answering Disney Questions.

Besides talking about some of my favorite books about Walt Disney World history, I get to answer some listener questions with Lisa, Bob, Chris and Lauren. As much as I love Walt Disney World, these people know all the ins and outs of traveling to the Vacation Kingdom of the World and their answers to the questions were enlightening and funny.

This also gives me the opportunity to update my list of Walt Disney World history books with some additional titles.

A frequent request at Imaginerding is for books about the history of Walt Disney World. While there isn't one book that covers it completely, there are several titles you can digest that will give you a very good picture. There are a lot of titles available and they come from different sources; check out the ones that look most interesting.

The definition of a bibliography is:

a complete or selective list of works compiled upon some common principle, as authorship, subject, place of publication, or printer.
--http://dictionary.reference.com/browse/bibliography

This bibliography is by no means a complete list of books available on Walt Disney World; I have only added books that I own. Feel free to leave a comment if I have missed something good!

General Interest
The books included in this set focus on more than just Walt Disney World. I consider each title an essential part of any Disney enthusiast's library.

The Imagineers. Walt Disney Imagineering: A Behind-the-Dreams Look at Making the Magic Real. 1998. A spectacular title that looks at how the Imagineers create the theme parks. Concept art, anecdotes and pictures fill the volume. Has information on the development of attractions, lands and resorts. A must have!
The Imagineers. Walt Disney Imagineering: A Behind the Dreams Look at Making More Magic Real. 2010. A completely re-vamped update to the 1998 classic. Shares concept art, photos and paintings from Disney Parks around the world. The focus is mainly on developments of the past 15 years.You can read my review here.

Kurtti, Jeff. Walt Disney's Imagineering Legends and the Genesis of the Disney Theme Park. 2008. Kurtti looks at Imagineering's (WED) heavy hitters and discusses their contribution to the modern theme park. Rare concept artwork and loads of biographical anecdotes present a look at early Imagineering. You can read my review here.

Smith, Dave. Disney: The First 100 Years. 1999. An essential part of every collection, Disney Archives Head Smith has put together a chronological look at the Disney Company.

History
The following titles are specific to Walt Disney World and cover more than just an attraction. The Kurtti, Koenig and Beard titles are a must!

Beard, Richard F. Walt Disney's Epcot Center: Creating the New World of Tomorrow. 1982. This is the book that every fan of Epcot should own. An amazing amount of conceptual artwork and photos of the park during its first few months. In-depth information on the pavilions and anecdotes from the Imagineers. There are three editions: a pre-opening, post-opening and a short version. The difference in the post- and pre- is whether some of the pictures are in-park photos or close-ups of models. You can read my review here.

Emerson, Chad. Four Decades of Magic: Celebrating the First Forty Years of Disney World. 2011. A compilation of essays celebrating the rich tapestry of Walt Disney World by Disney historians. Includes an essay by yours truly!
Emerson, Chad. Project Future: The Inside Story Behind the Creation of Disney World. 2009. Emerson takes an in-depth and straightforward look at the creation of Walt Disney World. It covers the purchase of the land and the political machinations that took place. It includes a great timeline and listing of key players. You can read my review here.

Gennawey, Sam. Walt and the Promise of Progress City. 2011. An urban planner by trade, Sam is uniquely qualified to trace the development of EPCOT Center. This books looks at how Walt evolved his plans and what EPCOT Center might have looked like if plans had progressed. You can read my review here.

Gordon, Bruce; Kurtti, Jeff. Walt Disney World Then, Now, and Forever. 2008. Theme Park Exclusive. Gordon and Kurtti have written a history/souvenir guide for Walt Disney World. It does act more like a family scrapbook than a history book, until you delve into its pages. You can read my review here.

Koenig, David. Realityland: True-Life Adventures at Walt Disney World. 2007. Koenig looks at the creation, construction and development of Walt Disney World. There is not another title that talks to as many former employees to reveal anecdotes and what happened politically. You can read my review here.

Kurtti, Jeff. Since The World Began: Walt Disney World, The First 25 Years. 1996. The seminal title in any theme park enthusiast's library. Kurtti explores the first 25 years of Walt Disney World with photographs and rich historical detail. You can read my review here.

Malmberg, Melody. The Making Of Disney's Animal Kingdom Theme Park. 1998. This book goes into an incredible amount of detail on the initial ideas, design and implementation of Disney's Animal Kingdom. You can read my review here.

Mannheim, Steven.Walt Disney and the Quest for Community. 2003. This book could almost be considered a biography of the Epcot that could have been. Mannheim writes a very through-provoking and enjoyable work on Walt Disney's plans for EPCOT Center and how they germinated and became reality (or didn't, in some cases). You can read my review here.

The Story of Walt Disney World, Commemorative Edition. Various Years (1971, 1973, 1976). An official publication that looks at the first few years of Walt Disney World. It focuses on the building of the Magic Kingdom, the resorts and the rest of the vacation kingdom. It has a great stylized map and lots of pictures.

Walt Disney World, The First Decade.1982. An official publication that looks at the development of the Magic Kingdom, hotels and the Village Marketplace. The book is like a time capsule with lots of great photos. You can read my review here.

Walt Disney World, 20 Magical Years. 1991. An official publication that is part history and part souvenir guide. Great for pictures and as a time capsule. Updates Walt Disney World, The First Decade. You can read my review here.

Yee, Kevin. Unofficial Walt Disney World 'Earbook 2011: One Fan's Review in Pictures. 2011. Kevin has been producing this year-long look at Walt Disney World since 2010. This is a great resource for historians and fans. I just wish Kevin had started this series in 1971. You can read my review here.

Yee, Kevin, Walt Disney World Hidden History: Remnants of Former Attractions and Other Tributes. 2010. An unofficial guide that looks at the hidden details, histories and tributes throughout the Walt Disney World Resort. You can read my review here.

Attraction Specific

Broggie, Michael. Walt Disney's Railroad Story: The Small-Scale Fascination That Led to a Full-Scale Kingdom. 1998. Broggie presents a fascinating look at Walt's Railroad--part biography and part theme park history. The majority of the book focuses on the Carolwood-Pacific, but Broggie does discuss the Magic Kingdom and Ft. Wilderness Railroads. You can read my review here.

Jacobs, David. Disney's America On Parade - A History Of The U.S.A. In A Dazzling Fun-filled Pageant. 1975. It is hard to believe that Disney released a book that focuses solely on a parade! This is a wonderful mix of history, concept art and photographs of the long-running and well-loved parade at Disneyland and Walt Disney World during the country's bicentennial. You can read my review here.
Leaphart, David. Walt Disney World Railroads Part 1: Fort Wilderness Railroad. 2010. David has compiled an monumental and magnificent look at the Fort Wilderness Railroad. A must for any fan of Fort Wilderness, trains or early Walt Disney World anecdotes. Visit the author's website for more information. You can read my review here.
Leaphart, David. Walt Disney World Railroads Part 1: Fort Wilderness Railroad Gallery Companion. 2010. A companion guide to David's work on the Fort Wilderness Railroad. More pictures than you can shake a stick at!

Surrell, Jason. The Disney Mountains: Imagineering At Its Peak. 2007. Surrell takes an in-depth look at every Disney mountain, from Matterhon to Everest, with side trips to some un-built mountains.
Surrell, Jason. The Haunted Mansion: From the Magic Kingdom to the Movies. 2006. If you are a fan of the Haunted Mansion, you need to own this book. Surrell starts at the earliest concepts and takes us through to the final incarnations, step-by-step. The concept art is wonderful.
Surrell, Jason. Pirates of the Caribbean: From the Magic Kingdom to the Movies. 2006. An in-depth history of Pirates of the Caribbean, from concept stages to Disneyland Paris. We experience all versions of the attraction through the script, artwork and photographs.

Artwork
There would be no Walt Disney World without these artists.

Hench, John. Designing Disney. 2009. Hench shares his thoughts on helping to design every Disney theme park. The text is insightful and the artwork is astounding. There is also a 2003 edition.
Kurrti, Jeff; Gordon, Bruce. The Art of Walt Disney World. 2009. Theme Park Exclusive. Jeff and Bruce have collaborated again to create a sister volume to the wonderful Art of Disneyland. This large-scale book presents concept artwork from every phase of Walt Disney World's history. Many of the images are seen here for the first time. Every fan of Walt Disney World should own this title. You can read my full review here.
Mumford, Dave; Gordon, Bruce. A Brush with Disney : An Artist's Journey, Told through the words and works of Herbert Dickens Ryman. 2000. A look at Herb Ryman's art--not just work done for Disney, but over his entire career. You can read my full review here.

Miscellaneous
Detailed-inspired travel guides, academic treatises and amazing photographic titles. Usually more of a time-capsule than a history title.

Burns-Clair, Pam and Peri, Don. Walt Disney's First Lady of Imagineering Harriet Burns. 2010. Harriet's daughter Pam and Disney Historian Don Peri craft a fascinating and beautiful collection of anecdotes and tributes to Harriet Burns, as told by her family, friends and co-workers. You can read my review here.
Childs, Valerie. The Magic of Disneyland and Walt Disney World. 1979. This work is mainly a pictorial essay about Disneyland and Walt Disney World. Geared mainly for park detectives and people who visited the parks in the 1970s. You can read my review here.

Fjelmman, Stephen J. Vinyl Leaves: Walt Disney World And America. 1992. Vinyl Leaves is a rare book in the fact that it takes a detailed look at Walt Disney World from 1988-1992 and details almost every attraction. It is presented as a sociological/anthropological look at Disney and America, but the descriptions of the parks are the strongest points. The index is astounding and will be referenced for years to come. You can read my review here.

Hannaford, Dee. The Gardens of Walt Disney World Resort. 1988. One of the most beautiful coffee-table books ever produced about Walt Disney World. Amazing photographs of the gardens and natural areas help to create a snapshot of Walt Disney World Resort in 1988. Absolutely gorgeous and belongs in every collection.
Imagineering Field Guide Series: Epcot, Animal Kingdom, Magic Kingdomand Disney's Hollywood Studios. 2005-2009. Written by The Imagineers (Alex Wright is the main author), this series of guidebooks discusses some of the details and histories of the parks. They are designed to be taken into the park with you; hence the artwork can be fairly small, but exciting.
Justice, Bill. Justice for Disney: Animator, Director, Imagineer. 1992. Bill was a pivotal person in the development of animatronics and a few early Walt Disney World attractions. It is a very charming memoir and offers something for everyone. You can read my review here.

Lindquist, Jack. In Service to the Mouse: My Unexpected Journey to Becoming Disneyland's First President. 2010. Jack was a pivotal Disneyland employee and was eventually the first president of Disneyland. He worked with the opening of Walt Disney World and was on the World Showcase development team. You can read my review here.

Marling, Karal Ann. Designing Disney's Theme Parks: The Architecture of Reassurance. 1998. Marling presents a series of academic articles written by historians, critics and architects that look at the development of the Disney theme park. Wonderful photographs.

Preskit, Denise. Christmas at Walt Disney World: An Unofficial Pictorial of the Christmas Season Through the Years at the Parks and Resorts. 2011. Who doesn't love Walt Disney World at Christmas? Prolific blogger and photographer, Denise chronicles some of the Christmases past and offers a detailed look at the 2011 Holiday season. You can read my review here.

Reynolds, Robert R. Roller Coasters, Flumes and Flying Saucers: the Story of Ed Morgan and Karl Bacon, Ride Inventors of the Modern Amusement Parks. 1999. Reynolds presents a narrative series of interviews with the founders of Arrow Development. Mostly about Disneyland, but there is a chapter on Walt Disney World. You can read my review here.

Ridgway, Charles. Spinning Disney's World: Memories of a Magic Kingdom Press Agent. 2007. Mr. Ridgway recounts his years with the Walt Disney Company and what it was like to work at Disneyland and Walt Disney World. It reads like a love letter to the theme parks.

October 2011 marked the 40th anniversary of the opening of the Walt Disney World Resort in Orlando, Florida. The Vacation Kingdom has seen a lot of changes over the past four decades and the editorial staff at Imaginerding wants to celebrate the unique and rich history of the resort with a series of posts.

A very special thanks to Celeste Cronrath for designing the series of logos for our posts. Make sure to follow her on Twitter.

Roller Coasters, Flumes and Flying Saucers, a Book Review

2012-01-15T20:44:00.000-05:00

Roller Coasters, Flumes and Flying Saucers: the Story of Ed Morgan and Karl Bacon, Ride Inventors of the Modern Amusement Parks by Robert R. Reynolds. 1999. 192 pp.

Outside of Walt Disney and his Imagineers, no one did more to revolutionize ride design than Ed Morgan and Karl Bacon. Through their company, Arrow, they were responsible for developing and building a majority of the rides at Disneyland. They would have gone down in amusement park history just for their invention of the mine car roller coaster, the log flume and the first looping coaster. Arguably, their most admired contributions consist of the following:

Creators of the Autopia;
Developed and designed the water propulsion systems for it's a small world and Pirates of the Caribbean;
The tubular steel roller coaster design and fabrication for the Matterhorn;
Execution and development of the much beloved Flying Saucers.

Ed relates his first coaster building experience when he was a teenager:

The summer I was sixteen, my father was out of town on a job, and my brother and I and a couple of friends needed a summer project. Someone suggested we build a roller coaster, it seemed like a good idea at the time, and our lot was ideal, in that it was very deep from the street in front to the alley in back. Demonstrating a total lack of planning, we started out with an eight foot folding step ladder. The first drop started at the top of the ladder. The track bed was of 1 x 12 inch pine with side boards nailed to it. The coaster car was a short plank supported by four roller skates modified for this purpose.

In operation, we pulled the car to the top of the ladder, climbed in, and took off. Great fun, but think of how much better it would be if it were higher and longer! The next step was to add 2 x 4 inch legged supports progressively higher up. We saw right away that they were unstable, and had to add diagonal bracing. We were learning fast, but not fast enough to sit down and plan and consider the consequences.

This stage, when finished, required an extension ladder to reach the top. it provided a fast ride--too fast at the end of the track. Our solution to this was too add track with a small hill. (Pages 17-18)

One of Ed's friends ended up rocking the car, derailed it and ended up breaking his collar bone. Ed's father ended the coaster episode.

Walt Disney tests the flying saucers at the Arrow Plant.

Roller Coasters, Flumes and Flying Saucers was published in 1999, long before the recent influx of memoirs and interview-style books. Reynolds spent a lot of time interviewing people through email and talking with Ed and Karl. he presents a majority of the book in interview form with Ed and Karl directly relating their stories. Reynolds sprinkles in historical details and outlines the full story of Arrow Development between the interviews.

Beyond the work that Arrow did for other amusement parks, you still come to sense that Disneyland would not have been completed on time or with as many attractions without Arrow. Also, the major development of ride design allowed Disney to offer attractions that no one else could compete with.

Ed and Karl relate their stories of working directly with Walt Disney, Admiral Joe Fowler and Dick Nunis. At points, they discuss some fairly technical engineering feats, but it is never overwhelming. Arrow was at the forefront of developing almost every new technology for rides. The water propulsion for most boat rides, the guided rail of the Autopias, the Matterhorn and so many more. Imagine seeing the full build-out of the Pirates of the Caribbean ride in the Arrow parking lot? And Disney executives in their suits riding the attraction for the first time. Fans of the famed Flying Saucers attraction will love hearing about the development of the ride and the issues that Arrow had with keeping it operating.

Most of the book focuses on Dineyland and the evolution of Arrow. There is one chapter devoted to Walt Disney World and the work that Arrow did. Arrow was hired to build almost every attraction at the Magic Kingdom, especially the Fantasyland rides. They built both of the omnimover attractions and Peter Pan (although they didn't build Peter Pan at Disneyland).

Walt Disney and Joe Fowler, in the front row, hold on for another drop.

They were asked to design Space Mountain, in 1966, and it was a far different layout than the one that debuted at the Magic Kingdom. "In the original plan there would have been four separate coasters within the structure, The tracks would also penetrate the building and continue outside the mountain for a portion of the ride." Ultimately, Disney wanted Arrow to move their facilities to Walt Disney World but Arrow declined. Disney had enough in-house talent after the opening of Walt Disney World, that they no longer needed Arrow for manufacturing. This signaled the end of a more than 20 year relationship.

Ed and Karl relate other stories of their developments for Knott's, the infamous Freedomland and various Six Flags parks. You realize that Arrow did a lot more than build and design for Disney, but they always saved the best for Walt. Chances are, if you have visited any amusement park in America (or most of the world), you have ridden a ride created or designed by Arrow.

I have read a few other reviews in which the book has been critiqued for the grammar and writing style. Most of the issues I had with the grammar were related to the transcriptions of the interviews. The interviews are related as is, with minimal changes in structure. The anecdotes are still priceless and perfect for the Disneyland fan.

You will gain a new perspective for the development of the theme park and most modern ride systems. Ed and Karl happened to be in the right place at the right time, but they also had the skills and talents to succeed. As I read the book, Ed and Karl reminded me of Walt and Roy in their relationships. They really needed each other to succeed. Roller Coasters, Flumes and Flying Saucers is a perfect book for anyone interested in theme park history and early Disneyland development.

Remnants of Pleasure island

2012-01-11T08:30:00.000-05:00

On a few recent trips to Walt Disney World, I ran into some remnants of Pleasure Island.

This was that last Mr. Funnmeister at Pleasure island. This photograph was taken in August 2010 and it was not in a very accessible area.

The remaining photos were taken around the Rivefront District of Pleasure island. By the former 8-Trax and the Lombard Promenade. It is where the 14 is designated on the map.

Leftover theming for the Riverfront. The buoy has the logo and PI initials.

A lone person using his cell phone under the pavilion. Being the serious Disney enthusiast, I couldn't resist getting an upshot!

You can see the lighting equipment that is still there.

One of those great details that most people will stroll right by is a reference to Lombard Street in San Francisco. This could have been a regular set of stairs, but the Imagineers chose to pay tribute to the famous road in San Francisco. I imagine that someone was thinking of semi-intoxicated revelers making their way to the bottom.

LOMBARD PROMENADE

1929

Designed by Island founder and incurable romantic Merriweather Adam Pleasure after a trip he and wife Isabella took to San Francisco. They both fell in love with the city's back-and-forth boulevard, Lombard Street. Isabella wanted a photograph as a souvenir, but Merriweather insisted on recreating the street itself.

It later became a favorite site for the legendary, day-long hide-and-seek tournaments organized by the Pleasure grandchildren.

The fabled follies of Pleasure Island and its founding family are recorded on the histerical plaques at each island entrance.

8-Trax is a very interesting club because of its location and the sign hanging above the door. It took me a minute to explain to my (then) 11 year-old son what an 8-track tape was. The club started off as Videopolis East and was considered the sister club to Videopolis at Disneyland. It also catered to the under 21 crowd, which could explain its rather out-of-the-way location. By 1990 it was known as Cage and had been turned into 8-Trax by 1993.

VIDEOPOLIS EAST

Artificial Intelligence Lab

1929

Built for Island founder Merriweather Pleasure's son Henry, the "mad genius of Lake Buena Vista" and Henry's life work, the Pleasure Cellular Automaton. Henry died thinking his experiments in artificial intelligence had failed. But when the building was reopened in 1987, the automaton was alive and thriving.

In fact, it directed the refurbishing of its home and designed the sophisticated computer hardware that shows itself to best advantage.

The complete and purely subjective saga of Pleasure Island is synthesized on the ersatz histerical plaques at the Island's entrance.

I included this photo so you could see the coloring on the door. Obviously, 8-Trax catered to the 1970s crowd.

Don't forget to keep an eye out for other pieces of Pleasure Island history. To keep up with the changes, you can always visit Save Pleasure Island blog. In addition to photo updates, the author keeps everyone up-to-date on the latest Pleasure island news.

Walt and the Promise of Progress City, a Book Review

2012-01-09T09:00:00.000-05:00

Walt and the Promise of Progress City by Sam Gennawey. 2011. 374 pp.

Since 1966, the world has been captivated by the vision that Walt Disney presented in his Project Florida film. It was such an amazing and inspiring vision, that Walt's brother Roy was able to persuade the State of Florida to pass legislation that would allow the Disney Company almost unfettered power to develop the City of Tomorrow. After Walt's passing in 1966 and then Roy's death in 1971, the Company wasn't able to complete Walt's dream as laid out in the film, but many of the innovative technologies found their way into the Vacation Kingdom. Regardless, the Company battled the press, local governments and the public with their outcries of "Where is EPCOT Center?" As we all know, Disney finally opened EPCOT Center, the theme park, in 1982 and it was a far cry from Walt's 1966 vision.

There has been a lot written about the Disney theme parks with an emphasis on the creation of EPCOT Center and the variance from Walt's ideas. Much of the critical writing has focused on trying to dissect where Disney went wrong or strayed from Walt's vision and promise. This is where Sam Gennawey's book differs and offers a new look at what happened and what we might have seen. Sam has had a varied and long career that has led him to being an urban planner. Being a Disney fan and an urban planner makes Sam an obvious choice to postulate on Walt, urban design and what might have been.

Walt and the Promise of Progress City is an exhaustive and thoroughly enjoyable book about Walt's EPCOT City, how the ideas were developed and what a visit to 1982 EPCOT Center could have been. Since Sam is an urban planner, you would assume that he would write with jargon and discuss overly-complex theories. On the contrary, Sam has written a book dealing with fairly complex subjects that any Disney fan will be able to read, enjoy and digest.

Sam's book takes a different path than what I expected, which is a great thing. I assumed that Sam would just discuss what could of happened and why it didn't turn into Walt's vision. Instead, Sam discusses how everything that Walt Disney did from the first Disney Bros. Studios through the Project Florida film and how Walt applied everything he learned to Progress City. Sam looks at each project and analyzes the steps Walt took and the progression of his ideas. It was quite eye-opening to connect the Burbank Studio, Tom Sawyer Island, the Mineral King project and the World's Fair to urban planning designs and theories.

After Sam explains all of the projects that led Walt to want to create a Utopian city, he takes us on a visit to the EPCOT Center of 1982 that could have been. Sam takes us place-by-place through what an average visitor would experience at EPCOT Center. We start wit the jetport and end with the industrial park; in between, Sam covers the governance, living in EPCOT, shopping, entertainment and transportation. It is an amazing journey where you realize, that for every dream Walt had for his new town, at least half of them came to fruition in the first ten years at Walt Disney World.

Walt and the Promise of Progress City is an inspiring tale that any fan of Walt Disney, the theme parks or urban design will enjoy. Sam takes us on a journey through urban design and planning that encompasses everything Walt did to discuss the vision. Although Sam covers some fairly intense theories, the book is not an academic treatise. Sam does a fantastic job of interpreting urban planning theories into a format that is accessible to the layperson.

I applaud Sam for tackling such a divisive subject as EPCOT and the oft-stated Internet battle cry of "What Would Walt Do?" None of us can say for certain what would of happened had Walt lived longer, but it is obvious that Sam understands urban planning and took a storied look at the project and analyzed it with intelligence, thought and a sense of wonder.

Disney Links - the Best of 2012!

2012-01-05T13:41:00.001-05:00

My favorite eatery in the Magic Kingdom, the Columbia Harbour House, is one of three places where you can eat on the second floor of the Magic Kingdom. It is also one of the best themed counter-service restaurants. Did you know that there used to be a kitchen and service window on the second floor? Their signature item served from the second floor was a baked potato. Any thoughts on the other two places that afford second-story dining?

And now for something completely different!

Perisphere, 1939 New York World's Fair
Major Pepperidge shares some great images of one of the inspirations for EPCOT Center.
Shake it like a Polaroid picture
Donnie takes on a rather inspiring project!
YEAR IN REVIEW– 2011
Imagineering Disney provides a look at back at their best of!
On the drawing board
Ryan looks at what might have been in 1991.

Top 11 Disney Photos of 2011
Tom shares his favorite 11 photos!
Old Bags Part One
Hoot Gibson gives good ephemera.
From the Mouth of the Mouse – At the French Market with Jeffrey
I love Jeff's interviews!
A Model Kingdom, 1968
Crawford does it again! Seriously, this is the best post of 2012!

Mickey's Christmas Carol - The Album

2012-01-05T09:00:00.000-05:00

On Episode 103 of WEDWay Radio, Nate and Matt discuss the Year in Review for 1983 (brilliant idea, guys). One of the releases for 1983 is the featurette, Mickey's Christmas Carol. Matt mentions that he believed that the animated film was based on a recording released earlier.

I knew I had read something in the wonderful book Mouse Tracks: The Story of Walt Disney Records by Tim Hollis and Greg Ehrbar.

[Alan] Young gained another fan base after becoming the voice of Uncle Scrooge starting with the 1975 Disneyland Storyteller album Dickens’ Christmas Carol Featuring the Walt Disney Players. But even though he wrote, coproduced, and did the voices of Uncle Scrooge, Mickey Mouse, and Merlin on the LP, Young almost missed out on being cast for the 1983 film version, Mickey's Christmas Carol. "l was working with an actor who was doing a Scottish accent," remembered Young, "He gave me the script, and lo and behold, it was the one I had written for the album! So I called someone at Disney and said, ‘Can I audition for Scrooge McDuck?’ They said, ‘Yes, but we didn't think you would want to do it." [p. 142]

Titled Dickens’ Christmas Carol with the Walt Disney Players, the 1975 album boasted the largest assemblage of major Disney characters gathered for a recording. Mickey "played" Bob Cratchit, Uncle ScroogeMcDuck “portrayed” Ebenezer Scrooge, and Alan Young provided both of their voices as well as that of Merlin from The Sword in the Stone (as the Ghost of Christmas Past]. Young also wrote the entire script, although he shared the writing credit with Dinehart on the strength of an additional quip in which Willie the Giant (the Ghost of Christmas Present) says to Scrooge, "We have along way to travel and we must fly. Take hold of my robe—Duh, not back there, unless you want to fly tourist!”

This album provided Disney with more than impressive sales: it inspired the Oscar-nominated 1983 featurette Mickey's Christmas Carol and led to Young’s permanent status as the voice of Uncle Scrooge on the series Ducktales and other TV and theatrical cartoons, recordings, and theme park shows. [pp. 143-144]

When I talk about books and reading, I am always reminded of a great quote by Will Rogers:

“A man only learns in two ways, one by reading and the other by association with smarter people.”

Disney's Adventure Guide to Florida

2012-01-04T09:00:00.000-05:00

In 1980, Walt Disney World was still a good neighbor resort—they would often publicize local and more regional attractions. I ran across this unique FODOR'S guide to Florida from 1980, a scant two years before EPCOT Center would open and the time when Disney would undergo a shift in management and outlook about their neighbors. Once EPCOT Center opened and Disney had a lot more to promote at their Florida property, they changed how they promoted themselves.

I am fascinated by how Walt Disney World was marketed before Eisner and Disney's Adventure Guide to Florida - A FODOR'S Travel Book has a great two-page layout about Walt Disney World with a pretty amazing picture. The whole book is 64 pages and features 49 other Florida attractions.

Walt Disney World, 20 miles southwest of Orlando, is the leading family attraction in Florida. There's nothing quite like it east of California's Disneyland. Comer early—and come often; one day isn't long enough to enjoy the magic world that was built by Mickey Mouse and his friends.

And the overlay is this amazing picture:

Even an 11 x 17 scanner can't get a great image of the photo. Click on it to make it larger.

Check out the layers of the composition: the Nautilus, the Sky Buckets and Space Mountain. Who wouldn't want to visit this place? It is also a fantastic angle that you didn't see very often in Walt Disney World marketing. If you click on the image to see the larger version, you can almost make out the Sky Bucket turning point to the left of Space Mountain. It looks like the buckets had to go down, make the turn and then go back up. Okay, maybe I need to get another hobby.

Jason's Disneyland Almanac 1955-2010, a Book Review

2012-01-02T10:02:00.000-05:00

Jason's Disneyland Almanac by Jason Schultz and Kevin Yee. 2011. 320 pp.

Jason's Disneyland Almanac is one of the most amazing resources about Disneyland ever created.

And not just because Jason is a fellow librarian, either.

More or less, Jason started this project in 1995 with a timeline. As he continued to do research and discovered new sources, the timeline developed into an almanac that saw its beginnings at the impressive Disneyland Nomenclature blog (started in 2008). Kevin Yee, the prodigious author, former Disneyland cast member and Disney historian spent time helping Jason craft this monumental work.

So, what's an almanac?

An almanac is a listing of climatological data, planting dates, anniversaries, tide tables and other interesting facts.

So, a Disneyland Almanac?

I know that you won't be doing any planting at Disneyland, so why would anyone make a Disneyland almanac? In this case, Jason and Kevin have produced a massive volume that covers park hours, weather, openings, closings, events, dedications, debuts, endings and famous visitors. Pretty unbelievable and pretty geeky (and I mean that as the highest compliment).

One of these days is extremely important. Can you guess which one?

So, why would you want a Disneyland almanac?

This is truly a source for the Disneyland fan that needs to know everything. It is a major research tool that will quickly and succinctly provide you with some of the basic information about a specific day at Disneyland. Of course, the geekiest details are included, as well. This book is designed as a handy reference to pinpoint anything special that might have happened on a given day (like an attraction or shop closing). There is an index that provides quick access to dates featuring attractions, celebrities and notable Disney employees

From the entry for 1987:

Star Tours was not just another major attraction, however; it was the first of its kind. This was the first motion picture simulator used in a theme park setting. It was so new, in fact, that the simulator had to be described to the public by analogy as a cross between a roller coaster and a movie.

The park stayed open for a complete 60 hour stretch to herald the debut of Star Tours. Visitors could purchase a regular-priced ticket at any point during the extended party, and then return later as though it were one long weekend day. This was the second such 60-hour party, the first having come a year earlier to welcome Captain EO.

The entry from 1979 about Big Thunder Mountain Railroad:

Another roller coaster joined the Disneyland mountain range in 1979, in the form of Big Thunder Mountain Railroad. The new attraction replaced Mine Train Through Nature's Wonderland, which had been a more gentle train ride through different landscapes and vignettes of animals. The atmosphere had been the main draw for the Mine Train, but this focus was not destined to last. Big Thunder Mountain Railroad provided not only atmosphere, but an entire "backstory" which explains the ride elements in a more cohesive narrative. Local Indians referred to the mountain as Big Thunder because of the frequent rumblings we would call earthquake, but which were attributed by the Indians to a haunting. True to form, our mine train hurtles out of control and unmanned around the mountain, culminating in an earthquake we experience directly. This switch away from mere atmosphere to a preference for story was no accident; around the same time, the ride designers who had worked with Walt were increasingly retiring, and a second generation of "Imagineers" were now charged with making their own creative decisions.

This is one of the more niche titles that I have reviewed at Imaginerding. Not only is the title very specific, but the audience is limited, as well. This isn't a bad thing, it is just a shame that a lot of people will not add this to their Disney library due to the scope. Granted, you won't pick up this book for leisure reading, but you will be using it to check dates, special events and to confirm details. If you are Disneyland historian, researcher or enthusiast, then you need to own this book.

By the way, did you figure out the inspiration for the cover design?

The author provided a copy of this title for review.

Nerdy Travel: One More Disney Day

2012-01-01T11:02:00.001-05:00

Want a Free Day at Walt Disney World? What about spending 24 hours straight in the Magic Kingdom?

If you are interested in taking advantage of this great deal from Disney, then email me or give me a call!

Disney has done some very interesting marketing promotions over the past few years. The latest one takes advantage of the leap year we have just entered. Basically, if you book a three-day/three-night non-discounted stay (during 2/26/12-3/10/2012), you will get one night/day free. The big news, though, is that Disneyland and the Magic Kingdom will be open 24 hours straight from 6:00am on February 29 until 6:00am March 1.

Check out the release below for more information.

This is not the first time that a Disney Park has been open for more than 24 hours. Disneyland did it several times in the 1980s and 1990s when a new attraction was opened (like Star Tours, Indiana Jones Adventure, etc). but this is the first time that both Disneyland and the Magic Kingdom will be open for 24 hours. During the Grand Opening parties of the 1980s, Disneyland would often be open for 60 straight hours! Can you imagine being able to spend that much time at Disneyland?

Time is a precious thing. And, in 2012, it’s leap year so you will get an extra day to spend making memories with family and friends. Why not spend that extra day at the Disney Parks as Disney Parks celebrates “One More Disney Day” – a celebration of the extra day you can enjoy at Disney Parks during this Leap Year.

24 Hours of Magic!

In celebration of Leap Day, for the first time ever, both the Magic Kingdom® Park in Florida and the Disneyland® Park in California will be open for 24 hours straight, beginning at 6 a.m. on Feb. 29, 2012, to enjoy select attractions, entertainment and services! That’s an entire, non-stop day (and night) of magic, characters and more.

One more Disney Day and Night of Disney Magic Free!

Enjoy one more day and night of Disney magic FREE when buying a 3-night, 3-day non-discounted room and ticket package at select Walt Disney World® Resort or Disneyland® Resort hotels before Jan. 31, 2012 (for arrivals most nights Feb. 26 – March 10, 2012).

Concierge Level Vacation Planning at No Additional Cost to You!

George also writes food related pieces over at the Disney Food Report where he focuses on the nerdier side of Disney dining. He is also a travel agent with Pixie Vacations and you can email him at George@pixievacations.com for free vacation planning and help booking your next Disney vacation. For fun and quirky Disney links you can follow him on twitter @biblioadonis.

You Want Disney Links?

2011-12-31T09:40:00.000-05:00

A photograph of the painting that Minnie Mouse was doing of Goofy's Barnstormer. If you looked out the window of Minnie's House, you could see the Barnstormer attraction. Obviously, Minnie painted this before it was turned into an attraction. I do hope that the Imagineering Archives saved the painting.

On with the Disney-related links for this week.

Walt Disney World's 20th Press Kit
I love Disney press kits!
Secret Entrance! November 1970
Not only a secret entrance but a fantastic book-related find!
2011 Best in World of Yesterday - Vacationland
Ryan shares an amazing map from an unlikely source.
Meet The Mouse
Michael Crawford points his studied eye towards a newer Magic Kingdom attraction. Does it stack up?
A Walk Through the Walt Disney Family Museum
SamLand takes us on a tour of the Walt Disney Family Museum.
The Enterprise-EPCOT Signage Similarity
Futurprobe does it again!

Didier Ghez's 2011 Disney Book List
Didier runs down the list of great Disney books released this year.
The New XPass: What Does It Mean for You and Me? By Bob Angelo.
Bob Angelo does a guest post and editorializes on the rumors of the X-Pass.
Coming Soon! The Carthay Circle to DCA!
Robert at a Filmic Light takes a seriously in-depth look at the Carthay Circle building at DCA.
Mural-Removin' Season at Disney
Sometimes progress hurts a lot...
2011 Best in Photo Safari - Pioneer founders
Ryan from the Main Street Gazette shares some details from Minnie's Country House.
Mouth Of The Mouse – A Character’s Best Friend
Jeff Heimbuch offers another castmember interview...with character.
Chasing the Moon
Shane from Parkeology has an interesting collectible to share.
Claude Coats: The Art of Deception and the Deception of Art
Long Forgotten Haunted Mansion shares another insightful post. Claude Coats was truly a master.

Concierge Level Vacation Planning at No Additional Cost to You!

Skyway at the Magic Kingdom

2011-12-30T10:17:00.000-05:00

In operation from October 1, 1971 to November 10, 1999, the Skyway at Walt Disney World's Magic Kingdom outlasted the Disneyland attraction by 5 years and the Tokyo Disneyland version by one year.

Let's take a trip from Tomorrowland to Fantasyland.

The first two photographs are from the Tomorrowland Transit Authority. I love how the second image has so much of the pylon in it.

Is this how you properly frame a photo?

The rest of the pictures are from the Skyway gondola bucket proper as we head languidly towards Fantasyland.

I love the scope of Tomorrowland you can see here.

Obviously, this trip was in 1997.

Does turning the camera sideways make it more artistic? The Castle Cake in all of its glory.

Yes, that is Mickey's Toontown in the background. Goofy's Barnstormer is obvious. Did you notice his pants ?

At this time 20,000 Leagues Under the Sea had been closed for a few years. It was still a beautiful body of water to glide over.

Fantasyland is always busy. This is an interesting anlge since you can see the it's a small world show building and Arial's Grotto.

Check out all of the people waiting in line for Dumbo the Flying Elephant. If you look a little closer, you can see that the queue is covered with umbrellas!

I have always been surprised by the lack of photos I took on vacations before owning a digital camera. But with each trip, I took more and more photos.

Do you have any vintage Disney photos you want to share?

Disney ebooks for the Amazon Kindle

2011-12-28T10:42:00.001-05:00

Did you get a Kindle device over the holidays and are you looking for some great ebooks?

There is a lot of Disney-related content out there and I want to share some with you. You can fill up your Kindle for your next vacation or start to build your electronic Disney library.

Travel Guides to Walt Disney World

Historical Walt Disney World

Biographical and Other

Fiction

Waking Walt
Down and Out in the Magic Kingdom
The Raiders of Castillo del Mar (Co-written by Shane Lindsay of Parkeology. Read my review here.)

Vinyl Leaves: Walt Disney World and America, a Book Review

2011-12-26T16:56:00.000-05:00

Vinyl Leaves: Walt Disney World And America by Stephen M. Fjellman. 1992. 492 pp.

The movie Swiss Family Robinson—based on Johan Wyss's takeoff on Daniel Defoe's Robinson Crusoe—is one in which, as in all "Disney versions," art and history are transformed by dilution. So we have a fake tree holding a fake treehouse, representing a fake story told in a different medium from, but alluding to, a classic piece of literature, in an amusement park visited by 30 million people a year, most of whom are, like myself, enchanted.

I love that quote from page two of Vinyl Leaves. It is a great summation of what to expect from the rest of the book.

Author Stephen Fjellman is Professor of Sociology and Anthropology at Florida International University. It was obvious that he spent an inordinate amount of time visiting Walt Disney World and he turned his passion into one of the first academic works on Walt Disney World.

Vinyl Leaves can be seen as two different books:

A sociological look at Disney, Walt Disney World and America's view of Disney. Fjellman spends time looking at how Disney tells stories through film, theme park attractions and buildings.
A time capsule of Walt Disney World from (around 1989 to) 1991. Fjellman offers a walk-through of almost every attraction at Walt Disney World. It is actually a pretty impressive feat to have documented Walt Disney World and it is amazing to read the attraction descriptions 20 years later.

It is hard to describe Vinyl Leaves outside of the context presented above. It is a socilogical/anthroplogical treatise that wanes between graduate level discourse and an overly-detailed travel guide. Most Disney enthusiasts will find themseslves skipping entire chapters of the book when Fjellmean wades into serious discourse that doesn't discuss the parks at all. It is mainly a look at sociological constructs and Americana.

One of the most amazing parts of the book is the Notes section. Laugh all you want, but the Notes section is 87 pages (roughly 18% of the total book) dedicated to every source Fjellman used as well as more detailed notes about attractions. I can appreciate Fjellman not using footnotes, but I found myself spending as much time reading the notes as the actual text. I hope that this book will be converted into an appropriate ebook where the notes could be a more streamlined part of the book. Still, Walt Disney World researchers and historians are going to be praising Fjellman for years.

This book is for three different types of people: sociologists and anthropologists; Disney fans looking to explore older attractions; and Disney enthusiasts and historians that are looking for primary sources. Fjellman has written a lot of theoretical explanations for why Disney presents something in a certain way or why guests react to an attraction in specific ways. It is quite enlightening and might cause you to see the attractions in different lights. Especially when a corporate sponsor is at the helm of an attraction, like during the early days of EPCOT Center.

Fjellman approached the book as a fan of Walt Disney World that has the ability to point a critical eye at his surroundings. He never bashed Disney and he never donned rose-colored Mouse Ears. He sits comfortably as a very well educated Disney fan that can discern what Disney is presenting and still enjoy it.

Vinyl Leaves is not for the casual Walt Disney World fan. Based solely on the sections that describe the attractions, this book easily makes it into my top ten books about Disney. If you have a vested interest in studying the theme parks' history then this is a definite must have.

Disney Links

2011-12-24T09:00:00.000-05:00

A view of the Disney Hollywood Studios that you can't get any longer. When the Sorcerer's Hat was constructed, the Disney-MGM Studios tree was moved to the entrance plaza. This photo was taken in December, 2000.

Epcot History: Skyleidescope
Sarah shares some great photos of Skyleidescope!
One Golden Sun
It is amazing how far Parkeology will go to prove a point!
PI Update: Island Tour
I love the Pleasure Island photo updates!
Star Tours: In Praise of Avoiding Spoilers
Jennifer from Those Darn Cats posts a column about Star Tours 2,0 on Studios Central.
Sneaking Into Image Works @ The Imagination Pavilion
Dark Side of Disney. That is all.
The Season of Giving: Walt and Dr. & Mrs. Stein
Another great article from the Walt Disney Family Museum.

Disneyland Aerial: No Rest For The Weary
Dave provides some excellent aerial shots!
Make Your Own Mickey Gingerbread House
More self-promotion from the Disney Food Report,
Birds of a Feather – Disney’s Jose Carioca
Jeff ruminates on his favorite animated character.
Disneyland: Steps In Time, Adventureland
Chris Jepsen looks at Adventurland!
The Carsland Conundrum
Michael Crawford offers an impressive op-ed piece of Carsland and Avatar.

Disneyland Entrance Sign Blow-out!
Daveland posts a tribute to John Stamos, er, the Disneyland sign.
Step Back in Time to 1971
Deb Wills shares some photos from 1971 that a reader sent in. Make sure to check out the one shot from the interior of the monorail.
PI Update: From The SkyCam
I love PI Updates--and these are from the sky! ;)

Top 5 Walt Disney World Guide Books
Be sure to check out my GUEST post over at Everything Walt Disney World.
Latest Fantasyland Expansion Updates.
Interesting Fantasyland updates from Chris.
Snow White Looks upon Death
A snack to tide us over...

Disneyland Mickey Mouse Wreath

2011-12-22T10:30:00.000-05:00

Looking for a more traditional Mickey wreath?

The following craft is from the Winter 1995 Disney Magazine (check out the Fort Wilderness wreath here).

A holiday trademark on the lampposts of Main Street, U.S.A., the Mickey wreath will be replaced with a surprise this year. So here's how to make a smaller one for your door at home.

Materials:

1 plain greenery wreath, 12" to 24" in diameter

2 smaller plain greenery wreaths, 8" to 10” in diameter

2 yards of 2 1/2-to-3 inch wide red ribbon, wired or plain

9 to 15 2” to 3" holiday ornaments

Heavy-gauge wire (18-gauge works well)

Green pipe cleaners

Tools needed:

Wire cutters

Scissors

Hot glue gun (optional)

Attach the smaller wreaths (the ears) to the large wreath (the head) with lengths of wire. If the ears flop, secure them with additional wire or a dab of hot glue. If hanging the wreath on a door, simply tack up the ears with a nail or two. To attach the ornaments to the head, insert a pipe cleaner or other light wire through the hook of the ornament and down through the greenery of the head wreath. Twist the wires to secure the ornament in place. If ornaments lack hooks, glue them in place.

George is also a travel agent with Pixie Vacations. He would love to help you plan your NERDiest vacation ever--send him an email at george@pixievacations.com to get a price quote or just talk Disney. If you are looking for more of his writing, you can also find him at the Disney Food Report.

Fort Wilderness Wreath - How to Make Your Own

2011-12-21T11:10:00.000-05:00

The Winter 1995 issue of the defunct Disney Magazine has a 6-page blowout dedicated to Holiday in the Parks and they cover the main events happening during the 1995 Christmas season (including the Disney Institute's first Christmas). One of the craft projects is how to make your own Fort Wilderness wreath! This could be a fun project to do leading up to this holiday. Especially if you have some excited, bored and crafty people at home.

When designing holiday ornaments for the different Walt Disney World resorts, Christmas Services supervisor Belinda Robertson asks herself, “What do you find when you walk out the backdoor?" At Fort Wilderness, you find woods — so the resort's wreaths feature apples, pinecones, and grapevine. For real country flair, Robertson suggests substituting a red bandanna for the traditional red bow.

Materials:

18-inch Scotch pine artificial wreath

20 inches of grapevine

3 pinecone flowers

5 sprigs of white and green holly

3 dried pods

10 pinecones, assorted sizes

20 artificial apples, varying sizes

Floral wire

Place the wreath on a flat surface. Unravel the grapevine and weave it through the wreath, twisting wreath branches around the vine in four or five places to secure it. Use floral wire to attach the remaining items. Be sure to scatter the apples, pinecones, pinecone flowers, pods, and holly around the wreath, rather than clumping the items together.

Earth Station and the WorldKey Kiosks at EPCOT Center

2011-12-20T11:20:00.000-05:00

In the early days of EPCOT Center, Disney had a lot that needed to get accomplished in regards to PR about the park. One of the features of Spaceship Earth was Earth Station (where Project Tomorrow is currently). Earth Station was the first Guest Services area for EPCOT Center and it was also an orientation center for the theme park with seven large video screens that previewed the attractions and pavilions.

Concept art for Earth Station. Notice the screens and the attraction vehicle?

In 1982, computers were still a mystery to most people. Another thing that Disney wanted EPCOT Center to do was educate people on how computers could be used in every day situations. Of course, getting people to use, or touch a computer was a more difficult process to do in 1982. So, what does Disney do? They created the Worldkey Kiosk system. It was a group of touch-screen computers that would show you laserdisc-based videos of attractions and pavilions, allow you to speak directly with a castmember via video chat and the only way to make a dining reservation.

Yes, the only way to make a dining reservation at EPCOT Center in the early days was to use the WorldKey Kiosks. More often than not, the dining was booked by 10:00am that day. What a better way to introduce people to what a computer can do, right? So, if you didn't spend the time in the morning waiting in Earth Station to use one of the WorldKey Kisosk, then you might be saddled with eating from one of the more crowded quick service restaurants.

In 1994, Earth Station closed to be replaced by the Gobal Neighborhood. Disney built a new Guest Relations building and they relocated the Worldkey Kiosk terminals to the left side of Guest Relations. From what I can surmise, the kiosks were in use until about 1997.

UPDATE: Mister EPCOT on twitter posted that the WorldKey Kiosks closed on March 21, 1999.

The kiosks are still there. If you head down the covered area you will see a nice sitting area.

Pay no attention to the looming plants. It is Disney's way of saying , "Don''t go back here."

You can still see the detail of where the kiosks were. I assume that they are still back there, boarded up behind the wood panel. The next time you are at Epcot, meander on over to the WorldKey Kiosks and see if you can finally snag that reservation for Le Cellier Cafeteria.

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