Two months ago, I was warned that my article for the July issue would be about my first memories of Disneyland. I knew from the outset how hard this would be. If I had been asked about my first visit to Florida's Magic Kingdom this would be easy. It was November 18th 1988, which was Mickey's 60th birthday. I could write reams about my memories: the parades; my first trip on a monorail; finding ...

This month I shall conclude my comparisons of California's Tomorrowland with Paris's Discoveryland, by looking at their versions of Autopia and Captain EO. Captain EO, the $30million 3-d musical starring Michael Jackson and Anjelica Huston, was an opening day attraction at Disneyland Paris, by which time the film had already been showing for five and a half years in the California Park and EPCOT ...

Disneyland's fall schedule moves into October with three new adventures open, a fourth nearing completion special private nighttime parties for major groups and site preparations for a new Tomorrowland During the fall, the relaxed time to see Disneyland following the summer rush, the "Magic Kingdom "is open Wednesday through Friday from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. and on Saturdays and Sundays from 10 a.m. to 7 ...

The Land that Never Was One of the themes that Disney toyed with was the birth of the nation, continuing on through the Colonial Era, following inventors and political figures that shaped our country. Officially, it wouldn't be referred to as a land per se, the same as Main Street USA, New Orleans Square and Toontown. Actually the proposed idea was a combination of two areas, the first being Liberty ...

The day after Disneyland opened on July 17, 1955, many newspapers had a field day with the myriad of problems the park had, such as gas leaks, failing plumbing and a lack of drinking fountains. Some called it Walt's Folly and more. But that didn't seem to matter to the public because when the park opened its gates the next day, there was a long line of people waiting to get in - and the lines never ...

The new century started out with few changes inside Disneyland, as the company was focused on big changes outside the park, but things would liven up as the century progressed. 2000 Parking at Disneyland changed with the opening of the Mickey & Friends parking structure on the land that was a strawberry farm for decades. The more than 10,000-space structure was the largest one when it started ...

Walt Disney has announced a $5,500,000 new building program for his fanatastic Disneyland playground the largest expansion since the fun spot opened in 1955. Disney said the expansion would consist of six projects, including a full scale, monorail the first of its type in the United States; a submarine voyage beneath "The Polar Ice Cap;" reconstruction of the Materhorn, complete with bobsled and skyway ...

If the new Autopia at Disneyland needs a slogan, it could be "Cars are people, too." At Tomorrowland beginning June 29, guests will have the choice of three personality-filled vehicles to "drive": Suzie, a cute, curvy compact; Dusty, a rugged and roomy SUV; and Sparky, a Ferrari-like sports car. "Today, being on the open road is a common experience, but the thrill of trying on a new car is still there," ...

The Disneyland Resort announced today a joint 13-year marketing, promotion and sponsorship agreement with Chevron that will update and improve Disneyland's Autopia attraction. Terms of the agreement were not disclosed. The remodeled Autopia, tentatively scheduled to open in mid 2000, will feature new visual show elements, restyled cars, the introduction of an entertaining pre-show area, and the ...

At the end of Disneyland's opening week we had just two cars running out of the (37) Autopia ride vehicles built. Walt's custom car was safe on its rotating display turntable parked in Tomorrowland, while the two police cars were still running good enough for ride operators to give the tiny kids a ride. I was still repairing the cars with my own tools, working out of the trunk of my yellow Cadillac ...

Disneyland and Chevron today unveiled a remodeled Autopia featuring restyled cars and roadways with interactive surprises, visual puns, unexpected road hazards and humorous billboards. The new attraction, which officially opens to the public tomorrow, combines the Fantasyland Autopia and Tomorrowland Autopia roadways into a single attraction with access through a new boarding area in Tomorrowland. ...

If Imagineers David Mumford and Bruce Gordon have gained fame among Disney fans, it may be because they haven't forgotten their roots. Gordon spent his childhood building Disneyland models in his garage and went on to become a show producer on the park's new Autopia. Mumford, meanwhile, filled his early years with Disney memorabilia and worked his way up to his current stint as art director for the Mermaid ...

In just about any sporting event, there often comes a key moment in the game when the outcome hangs in the balance. A baseball player strokes a key hit in the late innings, a football player dives head-long for a crucial catch, a basketball player makes a seemingly impossible shot with the clock winding down. They call these moments game-changers. At the Walt Disney Company, the advent of ...

Fans of Disneyland 's first E-Ticket attraction that ascends an icy slope and throttles through snowy chutes will be without their favorite high-speed thrill ride as Matterhorn Bobsleds undergoes an extensive overhaul over the next few weeks. The Matterhorn Bobsled attraction at Disneyland will return in the fall after a seasonal refurbishment, according to signage in the park. 1) ...

Fans of Disneyland 's first E-Ticket attraction that ascends an icy slope and throttles through snowy chutes will be without their favorite high-speed thrill ride as Matterhorn Bobsleds undergoes an extensive overhaul over the next few weeks. The Matterhorn Bobsleds attraction at Disneyland will return in the fall after a seasonal refurbishment, according to signs in the park. ...

The Disneyland magic seems to stand the test of time even though the park has undergone several renovations since its opening on July 17, 1955. Since then, a few fan-favorite rides and attractions got a facelift or were cut by the big mouse himself. However, the internet and Disney 's ever-growing fanbase won 't let the rides ' memories fade, even if the park has tried to. Here ...