Disney is developing an adventure movie project inspired by the Matterhorn ride and has set Jason Dean Hall to pen the script. Justin Springer (Tron Legacy, Prom) is producing the project, which has a working title of The Hill. The Matterhorn, also known as the Matterhorn Bobsleds, is part of Disneyland's Fantasyland section. Opened June 1959, the elaborate ride was inspired by Walt Disney's desire ...

This month I shall continue my comparison of California's Tomorrowland with Paris's Discoveryland, by looking at their versions of Nautilus and Star Tours, as well as the two Lands' arcades, shows, theatres and eateries Les Mysteres du Nautilus at Disneyland Paris is nothing like the submarine attraction in California, either in its present Finding Nemo state or its previous incarnation. Contrary to ...

Spike Jones and his City Slickers open a six-night engagement at Disneyland at 8 p.rn. Tuesday, with three shows nightly in Tomorrowland's 20,000 Leagues area. Songstress Helen Grayco will be featured. Other Disneyland special nighttime activities include the Elliott Brothers Orchestra, the Young Men from New Orleans, the Firehouse Five Plus Two, the Ward Gospel Singers and the Royal Tahitians. ...

There are 999 ghosts inside Disneyland's Haunted Mansion (and always room for one more), but some of them are breakout stars. How well do you know your favorite haunts? Ghost Host: The basso profundo voice of Paul Frees, known as the "Man of a Thousand Voices," guides guests through the tour of the Haunted Mansion. The Ghost Host is not the owner of the mansion, but rather a high-ranking servant. In ...

Picture this You're an artistic designer; You're scheduled to attend a design meeting for a project you drew the design that "greenlighted" the project you're currently working on; Deadlines are rapidly approaching; And in walks your boss He looks concerned -- something between worried and extremely serious; He opens the meeting and begins talking about a specific part of ...

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 ...

Although Disney had a dislike for the typical carnivals of the time, it wasn't so much the content, but the environment and the lack of attention to detail. Long before the park was built, after one of his frequent visits to Griffith Park with his daughters, he stated, "Things could be done better than this. A park should be designed for total family enjoyment. Besides a merry-go-round, there could be ...

Disneyland, the idea, came from the mind of Walt Disney, but Disneyland, the theme park, was a collaborative effort. It took a great many men and women to create it. Since all men are created equal, everyone who contributed should be credited. I've known about C.V. Wood for many years, and although he was not an Imagineer, he was a land developer who made significant contributions in terms of sales and ...

There's Got to be a Morning After When we last left off, Walt Disney had made it through Opening Day. It wasn't all that he had hoped it would be, but he made it. "Black Sunday" was supposed to be a relatively tame press preview. Instead it resembled more of an all out free-for-all -- the park being besieged by triple attendance that was more than expected. From a certain point of view, this was ...

Yes, the magic kingdom of Disneyland abounds in genuine antiques. Some of them dating back to the 1500's, are in Tomorrowland (of all places!) as part of the interior of the "Nautilus," the submarine in "20,000 leagues Under The Sea." Since the Nautilus foretold what we know today as atomic-powered underwater craft, this exhibit is located in Tomorrowland. There are other antiques in Frontierland, the area ...

When I read of the battles being waged by soulless egomaniacs for control of the Disney entertainment empire, my mind instinctively retreats to the pre-Beatles 1960s when there was just kindly old Walt and his Wonderful World of Color enchanting my family on a black-and-white TV screen on Sunday nights in Ashland, Ohio. Walt Disney was a god, conversant in the dialects of ducks and mice, and if ...

1955 Hours: 10 a.m. to 10 p.m. seven days a week in summer; closed Mondays the rest of the year. Size: 60 acres, plus 100 acres for parking. Zones: Fantasyland, Frontierland, Adventureland, Tomorrowland, Main Street USA 18 attarctions Admission: $1 (including tax) for adults. 50 cents for children. Ride tickets, sold separately, priced from 10 to 35 cents. Employees: About 1,000 ...

Part of the magic of the Magic Kingdom, of course, is that despite the slings and arrows peppering the outside world, it somehow remains as seemingly immutable as one of Aristotle's First Causes, or Walt's immortal mouse, whose 60th birthday the park-itself pushing a healthy 33-is celebrating this year from March 19 through September 8 with a new Mickey at the Movies Parade. However, as any Disneycologist ...

Some years ago, we took our two young boys to Disneyworld in Florida. They are grown up and my wife and I are going to California next year. Should we visit Disneyland, or is it a squib after the Florida park? It's true that the Disneyland complex in Anaheim is smaller than the newer Disneyworld in Orlando, even the iconic Disneyland Castle and the peaks of Big Thunder Mountain are a tad teenier. ...

If you experienced a Disney theme park as a child, you might remember the joy of meeting Mickey Mouse, fear at the sight of ghosts in The Haunted Mansion or inevitable end-of-day exhaustion as fireworks burst overhead and Tinkerbell zipped through the sky. But how do these Happiest and Most Magical Places on Earth stack up when you're a single adult searching for theme park thrills? It had been ...

"To all who come to this happy place welcome!" Walt Disney's voice echoed over a loudspeaker when the park first opened. The Magic Kingdom's 18-month-long 50th anniversary celebration is slowly winding down, but the rides that have been refurbished, including the Pirates of the Caribbean, will remain. When entering the park, guests pass under a simple bronze plaque that states, "HERE YOU ENTER THE ...

I had never been to Disneyland. When I was growing up, we watched "The Wonderful World of Disney" TV show and thought it looked like a magical place, but the idea of piling all seven of us into the 1953 Plymouth and heading for California was not something that occurred to us. I didn't even know anyone who lived in California, and in those days our few vacations were generally to see family and friends. ...

The forecast for the Disneyland Resort, Anaheim and even Los Angeles is wet with plenty of more rain to come. Rain is to drop daily until Wednesday and there isn't any doubt this will be an issue if you decide to enjoy Disneyland or Disney's California Adventure right up to Christmas Eve. Some of our Disney sources emailed us to remind us that guests could save a boat load of cash stopping by the ...

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 ...

Wooden soldiers will march, 20-foot tall dolls will glide past, and dozens of other "larger than life same animated toys will be featured is Disneyland's second annual "Parade Of Toys" during the Christmas season. The exciting parade, which widespread acclaim from guests and reviewers alike in 1960, will be premiered on Sunday, December 17 at Disneyland. It will then be held twice daily ...

More than 50,000 visitors were attracted to Disneyland on Monday, July 18, when the Park officially opened its gates to the general public. Reactions were mixed but highly enthusiastic, ranging from exclamations of "fantastic" to "unbelievable" and "too terrific for words to describe. Governor Goodwin J.. Knight of the State of California assisted Walt Disney and some 25,000 invited guests at the official ...

Ten years ago, Disney 's “The Lone Ranger” galloped into theaters everywhere. An updated and deconstructed version of the character known primarily for his black mask and white horse (named Silver), the movie was a big-budget, high-concept adventure film from the same team behind Disney 's lucrative “Pirates of the Caribbean” franchise - director Gore Verbinski, producer Jerry Bruckheimer and ...