I Was A Real Life Mermaid
Did you know there used to be live mermaids at Disneyland in the late 1950s and 1960s? It's true! In this excerpt from Chris Strodder's book The Disneyland Book of Lists, one of these former Disneyland mermaids shares her tale.
When the new Submarine Voyage launched in mid-1959, eight costumed mermaids splashed around in Tomorrowland's lagoon as part of the celebratory festivities. ...
Disneyland And Imagineering Part 11
The Storm before the Storm
It was becoming increasingly clear that the year-long struggle to get the park opened was wearing on everyone involved. No one was more affected than Disney himself. Many around him had noticed a change in his behavior. He seemed uneasy and unsure of himself. His wife Lillian was worried that with previous warnings from his doctor about stress, the pressure would lead to a ...
Hunny In The Briar Patch
"Critter Country" was originally called the "Indian Village." Until 1971, that section of Frontierland contained Native American shows and attractions. The following year, it became "Bear Country," the first major expansion since the "Haunted Mansion" and cost $8 million. "Bear Country" was themed like the forest of the Pacific North-West. The centerpiece attraction was "Country Bear Jamboree" and was also ...
Adventure Awaits
When "Adventureland" was first conceived, it was to be based on Walt's award winning documentaries on Africa and Asia. "Jungle Cruise" was the star attraction until "Swiss Family Treehouse" opened in 1962. The inspiration for the "Jungle Cruise" includes the True-Life Adventure documentary, "The African Lion" and the film, "The African Queen" (the name for the Land was to be "True-Life Adventureland" ...
Disneyland And Imagineering Part 10
"I know it's here somewhere"
I'm not sure if that's exactly what was said upon first sight of where the Rivers of America used to be, but I'm sure it was something similar. Maybe with a little more salt. A lot of the excavation for the layout of the park revolved around removing existing trees and vegetation, digging out what would be the basin for the riverbed that would become the Rivers of America. ...
Todays Future
During the rush of getting the Park constructed, "Tomorrowland" was the last land finished. Budget cuts didn't allow all of its attractions to be opened that first day. One of those cuts was to use the "Nautilus" sets from "20,000 Leagues Under the Sea" as a walk-through. When it closed in 1966, the organ belonging to Captain Nemo was moved to the ballroom of the "Haunted Mansion." For the first four ...
Disneyland And Imagineering Part 4
Last time we left off, we were meeting some of the Imagineers who were responsible for the initial creation of Disneyland. We began to see the park take physical shape and learn about the origins of Main Street USA and Sleeping Beauty's Castle. There were roughly 6 months until the opening. The orange and walnut groves that once existed all to themselves were being transformed into a pear-shaped amusement ...
When Villains Rule The Night
If I've ever been to Disneyland during Halloween, I was a kid, because I don't remember it. However, I do know that for Halloween, like Christmas, the decorators go all out. The equivalent of the giant tree in the Town Square and Mickey shaped wreaths are Mickey shaped jack-o-lanterns, complete with friendly smile and pumpkin ears. The entrance plaza has the "fab five," Mickey and friends, made out of ...
California vs. Paris: The Village – Part Two: Entertainment
This month, in part two of my series of articles comparing Downtown Disney in the California Disneyland resort with the Disney Village in Disneyland Paris, I will be looking at the entertainment these areas have to offer.
Of the two, Disney Village seems to have much more of a variety of entertainment offerings, which includes PanoraMagique (a tethered hot air balloon much like "Characters in Flight" ...
Growing Up In Disneyland
Don DeFore's Silver Banjo Barbecue Restaurant in Frontierland
Disneyland fans who have enjoyed the park numerous times might say they too "grew up in Disneyland." But my family's story is a bit different. Our Mom loved to quote us kids saying, "gee, do we have to go to Disneyland again? Such was the case in the early years of the Park when Dad owned a restaurant in Frontierland. A few stories below ...
A Diamond Celebration In Sardineland
It had been three or four years since I had last been to Disneyland. But, on May 22, my mother and I went, just the two of us. That day was the opening day, for lack of a better term, of the park's Diamond celebration. As a part of that, the parks were open for 24 hours, closing at 6 A.M. on May 23 for a few hours.
Rather inadvertently, we ended up parking in the "Toy Story" parking lot instead of ...
Disneyland And Imagineering Part 5
Last time we left off, opening day was rapidly approaching. Teams of artists were working in their respective areas and time truly was of the essence. The lifestyle in the mid-50s was a family oriented, hard working culture, with a new-found desire for excitement. World War II had been over for almost ten years and the subsequent opening of the park would be two years and several days after the Korean War ...
California vs. Paris: Village vs. Downtown
This month, I will be starting a series of articles comparing Downtown Disney in the California resort with Disney Village in Disneyland Paris.
Both Downtown Disney and Disney Village serve similar purposes. As well as providing more places for Guests to spend money (and for longer hours, including after the parks have closed), they help turn the area into more of a "resort" rather than a place for a ...
A Date With Disney
The date had not been going at all well. Normally, Katie loved Disneyland. But, with Josh, her date, complaining the whole time, she felt herself going bonkers. While he was great when they were about ten yards away from getting on the rides, the rest was just a spout of anti-Disney prattle.
More often than not, she found herself spacing out, typically remembering the times she had gone there while ...
Disneyland And Imagineering Part 3
How to build an Amusement Park in 3 Easy Lessons
When we last left our Imagineers, a final location had been chosen, funding had been arranged, and crews were assembled that would begin by retaining trees and vegetation that could be utilized in the design, and the vegetation that would have to be removed as a non-stop adventure was about to commence that would continue long after the park opened. (I ...
Disneyland And Imagineering Part 2
Did you know Walt Disney declared bankruptcy?
It's true.
Pre-Disney: The Roadside Attraction
As I was putting together the material for this article in the series, I wanted to touch on a part of Americana that has significance. I enjoy reading and finding archival film to see how the amusement industry came into being, which was roughly 75 years prior to the opening of Disneyland. The ...
Merriest Place On Earth
"The Happiest Place on Earth" becomes all the more magical during the Most Wonderful Time of the Year. Tinsel and garland cover almost every inch of the already beautiful park. In 2006 they had a machine that produced many tiny bubbles grouped to make snowflakes. My mother has a picture of me dancing in them, somewhere.
When the House of the Future was still there, a large, red ribbon would be placed ...
California vs. Paris: Disney Junior - Live On Stage
This month, as part of my mini-series of articles comparing Disney California Adventure to Walt Disney Studios Park in Paris, I will be looking at Disney Junior - Live on Stage!
Both of these replaced a thematically similar attraction called Playhouse Disney - Live on Stage! which in turn replaced an opening day feature. In California, this was the ABC Soap Opera Bistro (a restaurant themed to daytime ...
Disneyland And Imagineering Part 1
There's no I in Team, but there are three in Imagineering.
Introduction
Well, it's not quite as long as the title from that 60's Mixed-Up Zombie movie, but it's close, and in my mind a lot more entertaining, and there's no corn or cheese here.
Growing up a railroad kid, spending time with my father when he would go to work in the freight house or, even more exciting, the roundhouse, I can ...
Classic Disneyland
There is a site called Yesterland and it details all attractions that have
closed, from the PeopleMover to the House of the Future, Main Street
Electrical Parade to Carnation Ice Cream Parlor, as well as the seasonal
Explorer's Canoes.
Of the aforementioned attractions, House of the Future closed twenty years
before I was born and that's the main one I've wanted to see. The pictures
posted ...
California vs. Paris: Animation
This month, as part of my mini-series of articles comparing Disney California Adventure (DCA) to Walt Disney Studios Park (WDSP) in Paris, I will be looking at the animation buildings.
In WDSP, the attraction is called Art of Disney Animation whereas in DCA the equivalent is simply called Disney Animation Building. Both were opening day attractions, and both share elements with the Florida equivalent ...
California vs. Paris: Tower of Terror
This month, as part of my mini-series of articles comparing Disney California Adventure (DCA) to Walt Disney Studios Park (WDSP) in Paris, I will be looking at The Twilight Zone Tower of Terror.
Of the four versions of this attraction in the Disney parks worldwide, these two are by far the most similar. However, there are some very subtle differences. For example, the former is built out of steel, ...
California vs. Paris: Park Two, Cars And Armageddon
For my next few articles comparing the Disneyland resorts closest to my heart (Anaheim and Paris), I am going to focus on comparing some of the attractions in the non-castle parks: Disney California Adventure (DCA) and Walt Disney Studios Park (WDSP). Although some of the shops, eateries, meet and greets, and photo ops in WDSP have equivalents in DCA (and/or elsewhere in the world), none are of enough note ...
California vs. Paris: Welcome Foolish Mortals -- Part Four
In the final section of my four-part comparison between California's Haunted Mansion (in its regular form, rather than its seasonal overlay) and France's Phantom Manor, I shall be looking at the post-ride section of the attraction.
After the final scene of the ride, in which Guests see themselves in mirrors with a ghostly apparition joining them, the Doom Buggies take riders past a "Dead end" sign ...
California vs. Paris: Welcome Foolish Mortals -- Part Three
In part three of my four-part comparison between California's Haunted Mansion (in its regular form, rather than its seasonal overlay) and France's Phantom Manor, I shall be looking at the ride itself.
Both versions use an Omnimover. In Paris this does not feature on-board audio. Other than this, the ride system for both is the same (even down to the self-lowering safety bars), but the visuals one ...
California vs. Paris: It's A Small World -- At Christmas
In an article for this very site, published August 2011, I discussed the it's a small world attractions in the Disneylands in Anaheim and Paris, mentioning that at "a more seasonal time of year" I would take a look at how their festive overlays compare.
For Christmas, both versions have placed a Santa hat on the Gregory S. Marinello-designed clock, but to the untrained eye, this seems to be the only ...
California vs. Paris: Welcome Foolish Mortals -- Part Two
In part two of my four-part comparison between California's Haunted Mansion (in its regular form, rather than its seasonal overlay) and France's Phantom Manor, I shall be looking at the first three rooms one encounters upon entering the building.
All three rooms feature audio being played over music. In California, the audio was provided by Paul Frees as the Ghost Host. In France, this was provided by ...
Music is Magic
I don't even remember my first trip to Disneyland as a child. My first trip with my high school band, on the other hand, I do remember, if a little vaguely. Hey, I've been going since I was a kid, and even with my makeshift leash, all the wonderful memories have always tended to blend together. It was when I was a freshman in high school and we were to march down Main Street, something we did every year. ...
California vs. Paris: Welcome Foolish Mortals-- Part One
To conclude my series of articles comparing the two Disneylands closest to my heart (California and Paris), I shall be writing a four-part look at those rides in which hinges creak in doorless chambers, and strange and frightening sounds echo through the halls.
In Paris, the equivalent of the Haunted Mansion is called Phantom Manor. Originally narrated by Vincent Price, the majority of the audio of ...
California vs. Paris: Big Thunder Mountain Railroad
The description in the Disneyland Paris park map for Big Thunder Mountain tells you that riders will "Hurl through an abandoned gold mine at breathtaking speed aboard a runaway mine train!" making this attraction one of only two within this park to have a blurb ending in an exclamation mark. (The other is Star Tours).
Although I do not necessarily believe that the mine is supposed to be abandoned ...
California vs. Paris: Rivers of America
I learned something today.
My comparison article for January 2013 was always going to be about the Rivers of America in Anaheim's Disneyland Park, and its counterpart in Disneyland Paris.
However, until perhaps five minutes ago, I had assumed that the Paris equivalent was also called Rivers of America. Turns out, it's the Rivers of the Far West.
Whilst it has been made clear which rivers ...
