Great Moments With Mr. Lincoln
Guests are treated to a multi-media presentation before a life-sized audio-animatronic recreation of Abraham Lincoln appears and delivers excerpts from many of his speeches.
Great Moments With Mr. Lincoln Photos:
The Great Big Beautiful History And Legacy Of Walt Disneys Carousel Of Progress 50 Years After It Left
Dateline: September 10, 2023
Status: Current
Source: cinemablend.com
As a West Coast resident, I have been to Disneyland far more times than I have been to Walt Disney World. As such, when I find myself in Magic Kingdom, while there are a lot of subtle differences between the two similar parks, I always find myself veering towards Tomorrowland first. The reasons are two special attractions you can find there that were once residents of
It Will Not Be Easy For Disneyland To Transcend The Rigid Hierarchies Of Its Founding
Dateline: September 24, 2021
Status: Current
Source: Washington Post
Disney theme parks have made recent headlines because officials have moved to update the content and imagery of attractions, while relaxing restrictions on employees ' appearances. This is all part of the company 's broader push toward diversity and inclusion.
Right-wing fans of Disney entertainment have pushed back, saying that Disney theme parks are being
Blinkin Lincoln Animatronic Used To Go Crazy And Smash His Chair In A Robotic Fit
Dateline: July 31, 2021
Status: Current
Source: Orange County Register
The Great Emancipator who has starred as an audio-animatronic historic figure in Great Moments with Mr. Lincoln for a half century at Disneyland got off to a rough start in 1964 when he would go crazy from power surges and smash his chair in a robotic fit.
“Mr. Lincoln would sit in this chair and he would start to get up and all of a sudden he would go into
Jungle Cruise Lacks One Thing Walt Disney Really Wanted Live Animals
Dateline: July 21, 2021
Status: Current
Source: sbsun.com
The original Jungle Cruise attraction that mixed together ideas from Oscar-winning wildlife documentaries, a Humphrey Bogart-Katherine Hepburn film and “20,000 Leagues Under the Sea” lacked one thing Walt Disney really wanted: Live lions, tigers and giraffes.
“Walt did originally want to have real animals in the Jungle Cruise,” Imagineer Vanessa Hunt said in
How Star Tours Saved Disneyland At A Low Point In The Park History
Dateline: July 20, 2021
Status: Current
Source: sbsun.com
Disneyland was struggling for new ride ideas in the 1980s after a slate of mediocre Disney films when Walt Disney Imagineering turned to Star Wars creator George Lucas for a boost of creative inspiration that would eventually lead to Star Tours coming to Tomorrowland.
“I wanted to have an involvement in Tomorrowland,” Lucas said in a new Disney+ series. “I
Pirates Of The Caribbean Ride Once Had Real Human Bones And Maybe Still Does
Dateline: March 28, 2021
Status: Current
Source: SFGate
Yo ho, yo ho, a pirate 's afterlife for me.
That 's probably not what the people who willed their remains to UCLA 's Medical Center imagined would be their final repose, but for some, it actually was. Maybe even still is - the jury is out on that. But one thing is absolutely certain: When Pirates of the Caribbean opened at Disneyland in 1967, all of the
Should There Be An Audio Animatronic Walt Disney
Dateline: September 25, 2020
Status: Current
Source: attractionsmagazine.com
The Walt Disney Company has honored their founder, Walt Disney, in many different ways throughout the years. His name and image still bears an important role in all things Disney. But there has never been an Audio-Animatronic figure of Walt Disney. Why not? Perhaps there should be.
Audio-Animatronics are a popular technology used in many of our favorite theme
Disneyland Cancels Candlelight Ceremony As Coronavirus Threatens Christmas Events
Dateline: September 10, 2020
Status: Current
Source: PressTelegram.com
Disneyland has been forced to cancel the annual Candlelight Ceremony that fills the Anaheim theme park each December with seasonal songs as the coronavirus pandemic that has already spoiled summer and wrecked Halloween is now taking aim at Christmas.
The Candlelight Ceremony and Processional will not take place this year at Disneyland, according to Disney
Disney Legend Bob Gurr The Man Behind The Motion
Dateline: June 21, 2020
Status: Current
Source: wglt.org
Disneyland, “The happiest place on Earth,” is known for its attractions, which transport people of all ages into a world of imagination. Park guests can voyage under the sea or even slide down a snow-covered mountain. One man to thank for this is Bob Gurr.
Gurr often quips, “If it moves on wheels at Disneyland, I probably designed it.” He is responsible for
Can You Name All 15 Eticket Rides Still At Disneyland It Is Not As Easy As You Think
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Dateline: August 5, 2019
Status: Archive
Source: Orange County Register
As Disneyland celebrates the 60th anniversary of the E-ticket, it seems like a good time to look back at the rides that earned that distinction at the Anaheim theme park.
But what are the E-ticket rides of Disneyland? Naming them all is not as simple as you might think.
There were 23 E-ticket attractions during the ticket book era that stretched
TV Shows Walts Plans For Small World Carousel Of Progress
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Dateline: April 26, 2019
Status: Archive
Source: Orlando Sentinel
A 1964 episode of "Wonderful World of Color," a television show hosted by Walt Disney, gives old-school insights into the making of what would become classic theme park rides. The show, now available via the website of the D23 fan club, goes behind the scenes of Disney's involvement in the 1964/1965 World's Fair in New York.
The footage shows preparation for "it's a
24 Surprising Things About Disneyland We Did Not Know But Should
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Dateline: December 2, 2018
Status: Archive
Source: thetravel.com
Disneyland is said to be the "Happiest Place on Earth." For one day (or several depending on your trip schedule) people of all ages from toddlers to seniors can have fun, let loose and become a kid again. It's a place filled with magic, music, your favourite characters and rides to fit whatever you're in the mood for.
It opened its doors on July 17, 1955, and was the
New Monorail Fleet For Disney World Original Designer Backs Up Rumor
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Dateline: May 8, 2018
Status: Archive
Source: palmbeachpost.com
Walt Disney World should soon be getting replacements for its aging fleet of monorails, according to the retired imagineer who designed the original iconic trains for Disneyland as well as the Orlando resort.
Bob Gurr, an 86-year-old Disney legend who was hired by Walt Disney in the 1950s, appeared to confirm recent rumors during a question-and-answer session at the
Know It All
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Dateline: March 31, 2018
Status: Archive
Source: smdailyjournal.com
Walt Disney (1901-1966) got the idea for Disneyland when kids started asking where Mickey Mouse and Snow White lived. He envisioned a place where "parents and children could have fun together."
It took a little more than a year to convert 160 acres of orange groves in Anaheim into Disneyland. Construction began on May 1, 1954, and the opening day was July 17, 1955.
12 Fun Things You May Not Know About Disneyland
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Dateline: December 26, 2017
Status: Archive
Source: Mercury News
Test your Disney trivia mojo here. How many of these items do you already know?
1. King Arthur Carousel. The lead horse on the iconic Fantasyland carousel is named Jingles. Walt Disney wanted all horses on the carousel, and he wanted them all to be leaping, so when a classic carousel was purchased, it was supplemented with other horses and those that had straight
Every Town USA
Dateline: August 14, 2017
Status: Current
Source: MickeyMousePark.com
The final stop on my lovely tour of Disneyland, at least until "Star Wars Land" is completed, is the entrance to the entire park.
Said to be inspired by Walt's hometown of Marceline, Missouri, "Main Street, U.S.A" is designed to look like the idealized center of a town at around 1910. One of the designers, Harper Goff, showed Walt some pictures of his childhood home
Disney Parks Want Us To Escape Reality But Real-World Conflicts Are Sometimes Unavoidable
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Dateline: July 13, 2017
Status: Archive
Source: americamagazine.org
On June 29, Disney announced that as part of its ongoing renovation of old attractions, it would be removing the "wench auction" scene from its popular Pirates of the Caribbean ride.
Many people online have expressed outrage. "Never have any of these wonderful scenes ever made me think of negative things!" wrote one fan on the Disney Parks Blog. Another posted, "I
This Is How Disneyland Looked In The 1970s
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Dateline: July 14, 2016
Status: Archive
Source: Orange County Register
The seventies at Disneyland started with an invasion, then went into space, and ended with a wild ride in the frontier.
Unfortunately for Disneyland, the riots that had been happening in cities across America during the latter half of the sixties and some of the protesters turned their attention to Walt Disney's Magic Kingdom. On Aug. 6, 1970, the Yippies (an
This Is How Disneyland Looked And Changed In The 1960s
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Dateline: July 12, 2016
Status: Archive
Source: Orange County Register
It was the '60s, a decade of change. And just like society, Disneyland would change too - in dramatic fashion.
1960
Just like previous years, Walt Disney was constantly tinkering with Disneyland as the decade started. The first year of the decade, he added more scenes to the Rainbow Ridge Mine Train, and changed its name to the Mine Train Through Nature's
Disneyland And Imagineering Part 6
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Dateline: March 18, 2016
Status: Archive
Source: MickeyMousePark.com
Did you know that although Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs is largely considered the first color animated feature length film by most, when in fact it isn't ?
It's true.
Because of Walt Disney's reputation and his ambitious efforts in both film, television and finally amusement parks, it is conceivable to see this recorded improperly. In the early 1900s,
Disney Voice Over Actors Bring Theme Park Rides To Life
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Dateline: July 28, 2015
Status: Archive
Source: Los Angeles Times
Voice-over actors are the hidden artists who provide the audio atmosphere and essential back stories that bring theme parks to life..
From the parking lot tram spiel to park-wide announcements to ride narrations, the best work of voice-over actors often goes unnoticed simply because it blends so seamlessly into the overall theme park experience.
During the
Blaine Gibson Disney Legend Behind Pirates And Haunted Mansion Dies At 97
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Dateline: July 6, 2015
Status: Archive
Source: Huffington Post
Legendary Disney animator and sculptor Blaine Gibson, who designed some of the most iconic images in the company's theme parks around the world, died on Sunday, according to the Orange County Register.
He was 97.
Gibson worked alongside Walt Disney during the development of Disneyland, and his sculptures were used to create the faces on characters in rides
How Futurist Bob Gurr Shaped Disneyland Past
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Dateline: May 18, 2015
Status: Archive
Source: Los Angeles Magazine
In his 27 years as a Disney Imagineer, Bob Gurr was known for doing the impossible: He designed a submarine fleet, the cars of Autopia, and the Monorail that soars above the park on a single beam. With the opening of Tomorrowland in 1955, Gurr shaped a vision of the future (1986 to be exact) that still feels out of reach. Six decades after Gurr began creating ride
How Walt Disney Obsession With Futurism Inspired Tomorrowland
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Dateline: May 16, 2015
Status: Archive
Source: New York Post
Back in 1972, when New York City was a post-apocalyptic hell hole overrun by crime and on the verge of bankruptcy, architect Peter Blake opined that to save it, the government should be banished and Manhattan should instead be turned over to an unlikely savior.
"The only new towns of any significance built in this country since World War II are Disneyland . . . and
A Visit With Uncle Walt
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Dateline: April 4, 2015
Status: Archive
Source: Winnipeg Free Press
Walt Disney was a virtual family member for many of us growing up in the 1950s and early '60s. Jimmie and his Mouseketeer friends provided us with entertainment each afternoon on The Mickey Mouse Club, and our families gathered in front of the television each Sunday evening to watch Disneyland (an always entertaining hour, the title of which changed several times after
50 Year Old Memories Of Worlds Fair
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Dateline: November 11, 2014
Status: Archive
Source: dailypilot.com
It was half a century ago.
This native son of Newport-Mesa was on the East Coast visiting the 1964 New York World's Fair.
That fair turned out to be one of the highlights of my young life. I was 19 and stationed with the U.S. Army at Fort Slocum, N.Y., north of New York City. The fair was spread over 650 acres of Flushing Meadows territory, in Queens.
The
Can The Average Person Visit Disneyland These Days
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Dateline: April 8, 2014
Status: Archive
Source: Elk Grove Citizen
I remember the times when my mom took my brother and me to Disneyland during summer vacation.
We didn't go every summer, but I can probably count a good five times in my lifetime that we'd attended the theme park as kids.
I remember looking forward to the "It's A Small World" ride, the mock President Abraham Lincoln production, Michael Jackson's "Captain EO" 3D
Disney Top 10 Innovations Of All Time
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Dateline: August 1, 2012
Status: Archive
Source: silive.com
The Walt Disney Company is known for its creativity, innovative thinking and technological advances.
Who, but Walt Disney, could have given us a motion picture like "Snow White," the first full-length animated feature film which was a movie industry first?
Who, but the Walt Disney Company, could have given us Epcot, perhaps the most unique theme park experience
Court Tells Disneyland To Study Segway Use
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Dateline: July 19, 2012
Status: Archive
Source: Associated Press
A California appeals court told Disneyland it must consider allowing use of two-wheel Segways by disabled people.
Disneyland currently allows disabled visitors to use wheelchairs and scooters at the Anaheim theme park, but the justices of the 9th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals in San Francisco said it's time for "The Happiest Place on Earth" to study the idea of
Mystery Of Mr Lincoln
Dateline: April 17, 2012
Status: Current
Source: MickeyMousePark.com
Fellow Disneyland Historians and Fans,
I have a mystery that hopefully someone reading will be able to solve or provide further insights or clues to aid in this endeavor.
Great Moments with Mr. Lincoln has been a wonderful mainstay at Disneyland blending the old Disneyland with the current day Disneyland. The show reveals the passion of Walt Disney for his
Scariest Place On Earth Just Got Scarier
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Dateline: October 4, 2011
Status: Archive
Source: sbsun.com
Disneyland is advertising its annual Halloween fright fest and, as usual, I'm confused. The theme park is scary year-round as far as I'm concerned. So, what happens in October? It gets even scarier?
Oh, my.
Halloween Time, which continues at the park through the end of the month, features a specially decorated Main Street, retooled rides like "Haunted Mansion
Disney Know It All's
Dateline: May 1, 2011
Status: Current
Source: MickeyMousePark.com
As a Disney "know it all" and contributing writer here at DLDHistory.com I have to admit there are times when I am quite annoyed when listening to another fan talk about material concerning the history of Walt, his Family and the Disney Theme parks. I often have examined (in my head) my rational for having such feelings and why I get so bothered about. They usually range
Bill Justice, Walt Disney Studios Animator Worked On Fantasia And Bambi
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Dateline: February 10, 2011
Status: Archive
Source: allaboutjazz.com
Bill Justice, a former Walt Disney Studios animator who worked on classics such as "Fantasia," "Bambi" and "Alice in Wonderland" and later joined Walt Disney Imagineering where he helped program Audio-Animatronics figures for attractions at Disneyland and Walt Disney World, died Thursday, a day after he turned 97.
Justice died of natural causes in a nursing home in
A Great Destination For All Generations
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Dateline: March 8, 2010
Status: Archive
Source: Wired News
I had been pretty neutral on all things Disney while I was growing up, and as a young adult I didn't seek out any Disney entertainment. I had been to Disney World once when I was eight or nine, but that was pre-Epcot and all I remembered was loving Peter Pan and hating Space Mountain. But in 2006 when my kids were five and two, I had the chance to go to Disney World
An Exclusive Look Inside Disneyland's Mr. Lincoln
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Dateline: December 4, 2009
Status: Archive
Source: Orange County Register
Disneyofficials say the Mr. Lincoln animatronic figure will star in a new show, "The Disneyland Story Featuring Great Moments with Mr. Lincoln," as early as Dec. 18.
Disney spokesman John McClintock said Imagineers - the Disney technical pros - are still tinkering with the classic attraction, which has been on hiatus for several years.
The Mr. Lincoln robotic
When The Mouse Roared Back Part 3
Dateline: October 7, 2009
Status: Current
Source: MickeyMousePark.com
So while things were heating up at Disneyland, what was going on over at a relatively secret location in Glendale where all the shows and rides found at Disneyland were created? The newly christened Walt Disney Imagineering (WDI) was rapidly expanding staff to handle the massive project load that was building courtesy of the new management structure. WDI is unique in many
Disneyland's New Mr. Lincoln Mixes Technology With Emotion
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Dateline: September 12, 2009
Status: Archive
Source: Orange County Register
After a long hiatus, Great Moments with Mr. Lincoln is set to return to its home on Main Street, U.S.A. in Disneyland. Imagineers plan to bring back the attraction with the same charm and nostalgia, but with new technology and more emotion, creators said today.
"In bringing the Lincoln show back, one of the things I remember about the first show is it made you
5 Disneyland Secrets That Nobody Knows
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Dateline: June 30, 2009
Status: Archive
Source: Examiner
If you're heading to Disneyland this summer, you can increase your knowledge and impress your traveling companions by sharing these 5 little-known secrets from the park. So without further ado:
1. The Disneyland "Test Bricks"
If you are heading down Main Street toward Sleeping Beauty Castle, take a quick right toward the locker rentals. There, just to the right
Politics Hit Disneyland
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Dateline: February 27, 2008
Status: Archive
Source: Dixie Sun
Over Presidents' Day weekend a group of friends and I embarked on a trip to the happiest place on earth in an effort to honor famous presidents of the United States, of course. Right to honor past presidents that is why we went right. Disneyland, contrary to popular belief, has played a very significant role in the history of American presidents. The life of every
The Pirates of the Caribbean's 40th Anniversary at Disneyland
Dateline: March 18, 2007
Status: Current
Source: MickeyMousePark.com
March 18, 1967 Disneyland, Anaheim California -
The day dawned gray and drizzly, and the passing of Walt Disney was still felt sharply, yet the Press, tourist and locals turned out for Disneyland's newest Attraction - the long awaited and much anticipated "Pirates of the Caribbean". This was the first big event at Disneyland since it's founders death, and was marked
Eustace Lycett, 91; Oscar-Winning Special Effects Expert For Disney
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Dateline: March 15, 2007
Status: Archive
Source: Los Angeles Times
When Eustace Lycett was studying mechanical engineering at Caltech in Pasadena in the 1930s, he figured he'd wind up in the oil or aircraft industries when he graduated. He never considered a career in the movies.
But three days after graduating in 1937, he went to work in the engineering department at the Walt Disney studio on Los Angeles' Hyperion Avenue, where he
Disneyland Intros Roving Animatronic Muppets; Mickey And Friends Fear Pink Slips
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Dateline: March 2, 2007
Status: Archive
Source: engadget.com
The happiest place on Earth (Disneyland, not Las Vegas during CES) just got a little happier this week, thanks to a new exhibit called the Muppet Mobile Laboratory that roams the park and delights visitors with inane banter and sprays of water. Probably having nothing to do with the fact that the human costumed characters like to videotape themselves in suggestive poses
Oakland Museum's Disneyland Exhibition
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Dateline: May 4, 2006
Status: Archive
Source: CBS
Walter Disney's daughter and a longtime collaborator were in Oakland Wednesday to launch the Oakland Museum of California's new exhibition "Behind the Magic -- 50 Years of Disneyland.''
Diane Disney Miller and Martin (Marty) Sklar, vice chairman and principal creative executive at Walt Disney Imagineering, were on hand to talk about the exhibit and the idea behind
Thanks For The Magic Memories
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Dateline: April 30, 2006
Status: Archive
Source: Contra Costa Times
Some people preserve family memories in scrapbooks and dresser drawers, filling them with vintage photographs of mom and dad, mementos of wartime service, souvenirs of that first trip to Disneyland.
Diane Disney Miller has all that, too -- and she's planning a museum to share it with us.
It will be a lot more than a scrapbook, but it won't look like a monument,
50 Years Of Disneyland
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Dateline: January 31, 2006
Status: Archive
Source: boxofficemojo.com
Disneyland spokesman Tim O'Day, hired as a parade performer in 1976 and knowledgeable about virtually every Disneyland detail, is practically the grand marshal of the theme park's rich history, including its integration to motion pictures. The co-author of Disneyland: Then, Now and Forever talked with Box Office Mojo about the Happiest Place on Earth.
Box Office
50 Things You Didn't Know About Disneyland
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Dateline: November 23, 2005
Status: Archive
Source: San Francisco Chronicle
In honor of Disneyland's 50th anniversary, we present 50 cool, obscure and simply odd things you probably didn't know about the self-proclaimed Happiest Place on Earth. Many were culled from Mouse Tales by David Koenig (Bonaventure, $19.95). Some were provided by Disney archivist Dave Smith, and others came from 101 Things You Never Knew About Disneyland by former park
The Kingdom Was His Glory
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Dateline: July 31, 2005
Status: Archive
Source: Los Angeles Times
To build his dream theme park in Anaheim a half-century ago, Walt Disney borrowed against his life insurance policy and cashed in property, including a vacation home in Palm Springs, to pay the $17 million construction bill.
When the park opened July 17, 1955, toilets clogged, the food ran out and women's high heels sank into wet asphalt. Disney officials still refer
A Park With A Powerful Spell
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Dateline: July 17, 2005
Status: Archive
Source: Los Angeles Times
Disneyland opened on this day in 1955. For five decades, the Anaheim attraction has worked its magic on our culture and transformed the entertainment industry.
To build his dream theme park in Anaheim a half-century ago, Walt Disney borrowed against his life insurance policy and cashed in property, including a vacation home in Palm Springs, to pay the $17-million
The Big Ooh
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Dateline: July 15, 2005
Status: Archive
Source: Orange County Register
Craftsmen must use their hands, heads and hearts to create the rides and inventions that make the park distinctly Disney.
Walt Disney dreamed the idea for Disneyland, but it took an army of innovators to build a place where people could step inside a story.
Disney tapped the best artists and risk-takers in his film studio to transform their two-dimensional
Mouse Memories
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Dateline: May 10, 2005
Status: Archive
Source: Modesto Bee
Disneyland's golden anniversary party began Thursday and will run through Thanksgiving 2006. We asked Bee readers to share memories of the park's early days. Here's what they recalled. Pop on your golden mouse ears and take a trip back in time ...
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
My wife and I were married Sept.
A Restless Dreamer And A Prolific Creator
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Dateline: May 6, 2005
Status: Archive
Source: Orange County Register
As Disneyland launches its 50th birthday celebration, it seems appropriate to consider the founding father who turned his last name into an enduring brand and created a media giant that bestrides the planet. Walt Disney, as many have noted with varying degrees of accuracy, was not always the kindly, genial Uncle Walt who cared only about making children laugh. He was much
Discovering Disneyland
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Dateline: May 1, 2005
Status: Archive
Source: San Francisco Chronicle
You have to look quickly, and you have to know exactly where to look. But if you do, you'll catch a pretty cool inside joke at Disneyland.
On the Star Tours ride, just before your runaway Starspeeder exits the space station, keep your eye on the lower right side of the screen: You flash past what looks like a giant electron microscope. Old-timers will recognize it
Dinosaur Will Roam Free In Disney Park
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Dateline: December 21, 2002
Status: Archive
Source: Orange County Register
Walt Disney Imagineering has brought us birds that sing, pirates that wink and presidents that stand to greet us. Now, it plans to introduce the first walking Audio-Animatronic figure in a theme park.
An as-yet unnamed dinosaur will begin roaming through a designated area of either California Adventure or Disneyland this spring, said Marty Sklar, vice chairman of
One Score and 17 Years Ago
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Dateline: September 1, 2001
Status: Archive
Source: Disney Magazine
You'd expect the term "renovation" to denote a polish and a shine. In the case of Mr. Lincoln at Disneyland, though, the renovation had a bit of a reverse effect. Imagineers refashioning Great Moments with Mr. Lincoln realized that the perfect hair and wrinkle-free finery of the Audio-Animatronics president didn't jibe with portraits of the time. Honest Abe needed a more
Disneyland After Dark
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Dateline: June 1, 1999
Status: Archive
Source: Disney Magazine
It's a typical scene in Anaheim: 18-wheelers shake up Fantasyland, the boats of the Jungle Cruise run the river backwards, and the Main Street sound system blares tunes by the Wallflowers. Disneyland in a parallel universe?
Not exactly. More like the overnight flip side of the theme park when crews tweak, polish, paint, scrub, and fine-tune the place to perfection.
A Little Night Light
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Dateline: May 23, 1997
Status: Archive
Source: Orange County Register
Here's some advice for those Disneyland purists who have been howling over "Light Magic," the new show unveiled this month as a replacement for the venerable Main Street Electrical Parade: It's different from its predecessor, and entertaining in its own unique way. Deal with it!
Life is about change. Hey, Walt embraced it. Even Disneyland needs to make an occasional
It's A Cool World After All
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Dateline: January 1, 1997
Status: Archive
Source: Austin Newsletter
A major upgrade to chilled-water systems at Disneyland is improving cooling capacity, increasing flexibility and reducing energy costs at the world-famous Southern California theme park. The project included updating equipment in the 85-acre park's two 30-year old chiller plants and drawing together the two formerly separate plants to allow load sharing.
Because the
Your Best Day Ever At Disneyland
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Dateline: June 1, 1992
Status: Archive
Source: Sunset
Enjoy a Mickey Mouse flapjack for breakfast, then hit Splash Mountain early. Eat lunch at the Big Thunder Ranch. Top off your day at Disneyland by watching fireworks from a little know vantage point. Those are some of the tips we picked up after visiting Disneyland five times last season. We learned how to tackle the park during its busiest time-summer. We discovered how
Kermit May Depose Lincoln
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Dateline: August 1, 1990
Status: Archive
Source: Vallejo Newspaper
Abe Lincoln, a fixture at Disneyland for 25 years, may be deposed by Kermit the Frog and the Muppet gang.
"Great Moments with Mr. Lincoln" which features a robot replica of the 16th U.S. president will be closed Aug. 26, with no reopening date set. Disneyland spokesman Bob Roth said Friday.
Roth said he could not comment on employee contentions that a 3-D movie
Abe Gets To Stay At Disneyland
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Dateline: August 1, 1990
Status: Archive
Source: Vallejo Newspaper
Honest, Abe, Disneyland says you haven't worn out your welcome. At least for now. The amusement park has revised its decision to close the "Great Moments with Mr. Lincoln" exhibit Sunday, park spokesman Bob Roth said Friday.
The park told the Associated Press last week that the exhibit, set in the Main Street Opera House and featuring a robot replica of the 16th
Disneyland Through The Years
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Dateline: January 1, 1990
Status: Archive
Source: Disney Channel Magazine
1954-Summer Construction gets under way and Disneyland begins to emerge from the surrounding bean fields and orange groves of Anaheim.
1955-July 17 The opening day ceremonies are beamed coast-to-coast in a TV special. One of the hosts: actor Ronald Wilson Reagan.
1956-October Attendance hits the five million mark; the Skyway, Tom Sawyer Island, Storybook Land
Disney Coast To Coast
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Dateline: February 1, 1987
Status: Archive
Source: American Heritage
When I was ten years old, my parents entrusted me to TWA for a rumbling eternity in a prop-driven plane that pulled me across the continent to California. I was going to visit my aunt and uncle, but they were merely the agents of my real goal: Disneyland. The park had opened two years before, in 1955, and its effect on me was every bit as magical as the publicists had
New Wonder In Disneyland; Strike
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Dateline: September 21, 1970
Status: Archive
Source: Newsweek
What is going on, anyway, in the magic kingdom of Disneyland? As if it weren't bad enough that a band of hippies invaded the park last month, some of its own inhabitants chose to walk out last week in a potentially crippling strike-the first in the fifteen-year picture-book history of the Anaheim, Calif., multimillion-dollar wonderland.
The strike started as a demand
New Fun For The Whole Family At Disneyland
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Dateline: January 1, 1969
Status: Archive
Source: Better Homes & Gardens
Imagine it's 200 years ago and you're a passenger on a small boat picking its way carefully along a dark and treacherous stretch of coastline on the Spanish Main. Suddenly pandemonium breaks loose. The air resounds with the roar of cannons and the crack of muskets. A band of pirates is attacking a town and you're right in the middle! The rogues are everywhere-taunting the
Disney Version
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Dateline: January 1, 1969
Status: Archive
Source: American West
For all the natural grandeur of the west, its greatest tourist attraction is a synthetic creation: Disneyland-the subject, along with Disney's films and Disney himself, of Richard Schickel's The Disney Version (Simon and Schuster, $6.50). Those who remember Disney fondly may find this book discomforting or worse. Schickel's view is critical and frequently provocative,
Disneyland's Big New Pirate Ride
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Dateline: September 15, 1967
Status: Archive
Source: Life
Cutlasses to all hands and prepare to take the town! In the costliest and most technologically sophisticated amusement park ever built, California's Disneyland has evoked the blood-curdling buccaneering past of the Spanish Main. Called The Pirates of the Caribbean, it is a 15-minute boat ride through the sacking of a town, marked by as harrowing a series of misadventures
Disney's Fantasy Empire
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Dateline: March 6, 1967
Status: Archive
Source: Nation
This article was conceived as a critique of a man, his works and organization. The recent death of Walt Disney necessitated not only changes in tense but a look at the Fantasy Empire's future. No other revisions of fact, opinion or judgment are deemed imperative. -The Author
Walt Disney, grand vizer of fantasy, possessed the world's largest collection of personal
Pirates, Puppets And Pterodactyls
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Dateline: January 1, 1967
Status: Archive
Source: Motorland
Disneyland, Walt Disney's 70-acre "Magic Kingdom" at Anaheim, California, probably draws more visitors each year than any other attraction in the world-6.5 million annually, 58 million to date. Each season new visitors come, and others return for repeat visits.
Disneyland is worth returning to again and again because something new is always being added. During its
Disneyland Capital Investment Grows
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Dateline: February 6, 1966
Status: Archive
Source: Independent Press Telegram
During its first 10 years, Disneyland's capital investment grew from $17 million on opening day to more than $53 million.
In the next five months, the figure will jump another $20 million with the completion of four new gigantic attractions.
"What we will do by this summertime," Walt Disney said after announcing the new attractions last week, "is to raise our
Machine Tooled Happyland
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Dateline: October 1, 1965
Status: Archive
Source: Holiday
The wondrous devices of Disneyland take on startling importance in the mind of a science fiction seer
Two thousand years back, people entering Grecian temples dropped coins into machinery that then clanked forth holy water.
It is a long way from that first slot machine to the "miracles of rare device" created by Walt Disney for his kingdom, Disneyland. When
Tinker Bell, Mary Poppins, Cold Cash
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Dateline: July 12, 1965
Status: Archive
Source: Newsweek
It is a place of improbable dreams, a 65-acre world drifted over with pixie dust. It is a place where Tinker Bell and Mary Poppins soar matter-of-factly through the evening sky, where Tom Sawyer plies his raft on the muddy Mississippi and the Lost Continent of Atlantis is cheek by jowl with the moon.
It is, of course, Disneyland-Walt Disney's incredible pearl in the
Walt Disney King Of Fantasy
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Dateline: July 1, 1965
Status: Archive
Source: Palm Springs Life
Walt Disney and friends.
Walt Disney, whose Mickey Mouse and Donald Duck brought laughter to the world and whose Disneyland is a playground for the world's people, calls his home at Smoke Tree Ranch, "my laughing place."
Whimsical, as always, he refers to the Uncle Remus story where Brer Rabbit oh-so-casually mentions his "laughing place" and makes it sound so
Disneyland Jumping During Tencennial
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Dateline: May 23, 1965
Status: Archive
Source: Independent Press Telegram
Opening of "Great Moments With Mr. Lincoln" plus a new Victorian restaurant and spectacular nighttime entertainment will make Disneyland's Tencennial Summer the most exciting in its 10-year history.
"Mr. Lincoln" will provide a new three-dimensional "experience with history" for guests of the "Magic Kingdom."
Its West Coast premiere is set for about July 1 at
A Fantasy That Paid Off
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Dateline: June 27, 1964
Status: Archive
Source: New York Times Magazine
The place is surrounded by a berm, a high barrow of earth, that insulates it from the external world. There is a single gateway where admission is charged. This, the land of Disney, is more secure than ancient Troy. No Trojan horse will get into Disneyland. Guards at the main gate closely scrutinize all who enter. Not even an unseemly teenager will get past them, much
Magic Worlds Of Walt Disney
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Dateline: August 1, 1963
Status: Archive
Source: National Geographic
Disneyland really started more than 20 years ago, when Walt got the idea for an amusement park that grownups as well as children would enjoy.
"I had all my drawing things laid out at home, and I'd work on plans for the park, as a hobby, at night."
At the time, amusement parks were dying all over the country, "I talked Disneyland but no one could see it," Walt
Wide World of Walt Disney
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Dateline: December 31, 1962
Status: Archive
Source: Newsweek
In the world of children. he is the rich uncle-the casual, ordinary-looking man with the graying mustache and the baggy eyes who shows up from time to time, does funny tricks and gives wonderful presents, and then goes away until the next time. He makes everybody laugh, and everybody wonders about him-because like any proper rich uncle, he presents a fascinating mystery.
Disneyland A New Wonder Of The Amusement World Nears Completion
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Dateline: May 29, 1955
Status: Archive
Source: Sunday News Journal
A wonderland of delights such as the World may never have seen before is rising out of the orange groves in this sunny suburb of Los Angeles.
It is Disneyland, a 17 million dollar paradise for children. When the gates are opened on July 19, customers will see an amusement built on the scale of a World's Fair. The fantastic world of Disney films will be transformed
First introduced to guests at the 1964 New York World's Fair. This incredibly lifelike show stunned audiences with its realism, and marked the first time Audio-Animatronics -- an electronic animation and synchronization process -- was used to animate a human form.
Great Moments with Mr. Lincoln was inspired by Liberty Street which was to be located between Main Street and Tomorrowland but was never built.
This was the first Disney attraction to show on both coasts simultaneously: New York Worlds Fair and Disneyland
Buddy Baker composed the original music for this attraction.
The narrator's name is the late Paul Frees. His distinctive voice can also be heard in several other Disney attractions such as "Haunted Mansion" (narrator), and "Adventure thru Inner Space" (narrator).
Voices:
Pre-show narrator - Pete Renoudet
Narrator - Paul Frees
Abraham Lincoln - Royal Dano
The Lincoln figures that have compliance were actually developed at the University of Utah and SARCOS Research Corp.
The First Lincoln figure built (1964) was shown at the Worlds Fair
The Second Lincoln figure built was a spare never shown to the public
The Third Lincoln figure built (1965) was a revised design and shown in the Worlds Fair second year
The Fourth Lincoln figure built (1965) was shown at Disneyland: Great Moments With Mr. Lincoln
In 1965, the figure constantly went into spasms in mid-performance. After thoroughly checking the robot's electrical system, maintenance realized that the show's power supply was fed by the same sub station that fed 600 volts to the Monorail. Whenever the Monorail, ran in these sections, there would be a power surge, causing Lincoln to spasm. Surge suppressors didn't work, so Lincoln's power line was run under Town Square and linked to another sub station behind City Hall.
From Great Moments With Mr. Lincoln Cast Member Guide: 1965
Located in the Opera House on the Town Square near the entrance to the Magic Kingdom, "Great Moments With Mr. Lincoln" now has its permanent home in Disneyland.
Highlight of the show are excerpts from Abraham Lincoln's famous speeches and writings, delivered from the stage by Walt Disney's lifelike Lincoln figure.
The show opens with the Preamble to the Constitution being recited through the use of stereophonic sound, making it seem as if the audience itself was participating.
As the narrator begins his introduction, Lincoln first appears seated in thoughtful dignity. As the narrator introduces his address he "comes'to life." Apparently immobile moments before, he rises to his feet and speaks, delivering his address with complete coordination of movements and speech -- and many mannerisms of the sixteenth President.
An emotion-stirring finale finds Lincoln again seated, now silhouetted against the imposing dome of the Capitol building in the early light of dawn.
As singing voices, joined in harmony, seem to move through the audience like an invisible procession, viewers are en-compassed in a stereophonic choral presentation of the "Battle Hymn of the Republic."
At the same time, the crimson and white sky behind Lincoln dissolves into a symbolic representation of the American flag, the clouds billowing into the stripes, the stars twink-ling in a field of blue. With the curtains fully open, this "flag" spreads across the background of the entire stage.
The shows will be presented on a 12-minute cycle, or five complete performances each hour.
The text of Lincoln's speech is excerpts from the following six addresses:
1. Address at Sanitary Fair Baltimore, Md., April 18, 1864
2. Speech at Edwardsville, Ill. September 11, 1858
3. Address before the Young Men's Lyceum Springfield, Ill., January 27, 1838
4. Same
5. Eulogy to Henry Clay Springfield, III., July 6, 1852
6. Address at Cooper Institute New York City, February 27, 1860
Royal Dano, lean, lanky, unassuming New Yorker, is the voice of Abraham Lincoln.
The authentic, sincere, almost homespun quality of Dano's voice has caused several Lincoln scholars to say, ''This is Abraham Lincoln to the life." This was part of the thorough-going research that went into the Disney production, for Walt Disney demanded "not an actor's voice, but the real voice."
The following is the complete script for "Great Moments With Mr. Lincoln."
CHORUS WE, THE PEOPLE OF THE UNITED STATES IN ORDER TO FORM A MORE PERFECT UNION,
ESTABLISH JUSTICE... INSURE DOMESTIC TRANQUILITY,
PROVIDE FOR THE COMMON DEFENSE, PROMOTE THE GENERAL WELFARE,
AND SECURE THE BLESSINGS OF LIBERTY TO OURSELVES AND OUR POSTERITY ,
DO ORDAIN AND ESTABLISH THIS CONSTITUTION FOR THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA.
NARRATOR These immortal words, when first they, were written, pro-claimed to the world on idea new among men.
This was the American dream, the prayer for the future. But that golden goal, was not to be had without cost. The American way was not gained in a day. It was born in adversity, forged out of conflict, perfected and proven only after long experience and trial.
Our nation's greatest crisis occurred when Abraham Lincoln was our President...and our protector ...for Abraham Lincoln gave all to save the Union.
We pay tribute here, not to a man who lived a century ago -- but to an individual who lives today in the hearts of all freedom-loving people.
His prophetic words are as valid for our time as they were for his...
And now the skills of the sculptor and the talents of the artist will let us relive great moments with Mr. Lincoln...
ABRAHAM LiNCOLN
The world has never had a good definition of the word liberty,and the American people, just now, are much in want of one.
We all declare for liberty; but in using the same word we do not all mean the same thing.
"What constitutes the bulwark of our...liberty and independence?
"It is not our frowning battlements and bristling seacoasts...
"These are not our reliance against...tyranny...
Our reliance is in the love of liberty which God has planted in our bosoms.
"Our defense is in the preservation of the spirit which prizes liberty as the heritage of all men, in all lands, everywhere.
"Destroy this spirit, and you have planted the seeds of despotism around your own doors.
"At what point shall we expect the approach of danger?
"By what means shall we fortify against it?
"Shall we expect some transatlantic military giant to step the ocean and crush us at a blow?
"Never!
"All the armies of Europe, Asia and Africa combined...could not by force, take a drink from the Ohio, or make a track on the Blue Ridge in a trial of a thousand years.
"At what point then is the approach of danger to be expected?
"I answer, that if it ever reach us, it must spring from amongst us. It cannot come from abroad. If destruction be our lot, we ourselves must be the authors and finishers.
As a nation of free men, we must live through all times or die by suicide.
"Let reverence for the law be breathed by every American mother to the lisping babe that prattles on her lap -- let it be taught in the schools, in the seminaries, and in the colleges -- let it be written in primers, in spelling books, and almanacs; let it be preached from the pulpit, proclaimed in legislative halls, and enforced in courts of justice.
"And, in short, let it become the political religion of the nation; and let the old and the young, the rich and the poor, the grave and the gay of all sexes and tongues, and colors and conditions, sacrifice unceasingly at its altars.
And let us strive to deserve, as far as mortals may, the continued care of Divine Providence, trusting that, in future national emergencies, He will not fail to provide us the instruments of safety and security.
"Neither let us be slandered from our duty by false accusations against us, or frightened from it by menaces of destruction to the Government nor of dungeons to ourselves.
"Let us have faith that right makes might, and in that faith, let us, to the end, dare to do our duty as we understand it."
CHORUS ("BATTLE HYMN OF THE REPUBLIC")
MINE EYES HAVE SEEN THE GLORY OF THE COMING OF THE LORD;
HE IS TRAMPLING OUT THE VINTAGE WHERE THE GRAPES OF WRATH ARE STORED;
HE HATH LOOSED THE FATEFUL LIGHTNING OF HIS TERRIBLE SWIFT SWORD;
HIS TRUTH IS MARCHING ON.
GLORY! GLORY! HALLELUJAH!
GLORY! GLORY! HALLELUJAH!
GLORY! GLORY! HALLELUJAH!
HIS TRUTH IS MARCHING ON!
GLORY! GLORY! HALLELUJAH!
GLORY! GLORY! HALLELUJAH!
THE LINCOLN THEATRE
The Lincoln Theatre, a new indoor amphitheatre located in the old Opera House, is divided into three areas.
The first serves as an entrance or gathering area for the guests and offers a panoramic view of the White House which is done in miniature, and a background scene of Washington, D.C. The White House miniature is 11 1/2 feet long and 4 1/2 feet high.
From here, the group moves into the second area which is the pre-show theatre. Here, while waiting to see "Great Moments With Mr. Lincoln" they will be presented a slide show on a 28 foot screen called The Lincoln Story," told in Lincoln's own words.
The entire pre-show room is decorated with 900 yards of Rovanna-Verel blue draperies.
Upon completion of the pre-show, which acts as an introduction to "Great Moments With Mr. Lincoln," the audience moves into the main theatre which seats 500 people in Stellar series theatre seats. The seats are red in color, matching 150 yards of red draperies on stage.
All drapery materials in the entire theatre are fireproof and especially woven for this show.
Everything modern fire-prevention engineering can do has been installed in the Lincoln exhibit to provide maximum guest protection. All areas are completely sprinklered and the exhibit contains 750 sprinkler heads, carrying from 85 to 100 pounds of pressure.
In the electronics room there are ten cylinders of carbox which are automatically and manually controlled, and throughout the area are chemical extinguishers.
In addition to fire-resistant draperies, even the steel girders are glass coated.
The entire Lincoln exhibit contains 1,294 yards of carpeting with sponge rubber backing, cemented to the floor.
There are 118 spotlights used for lighting effects during the show, and 14 projectors used to create the stars and stripes sky background at the closing of the show.
The dome of the Capitol is three-dimensional and was hand-constructed in the Staff Shop at Disneyland.
There are 56 speakers used to create the stereophonic sound throughout the theatre.
The exhibit is set up to accommodate 500 people in the entrance room, 500 in the pre-show theatre, and 500 in the Lincoln Theatre.
SPECIFIC INFORMATION ON LINCOLN
The prototype Lincoln figure was first developed about six years ago and has been used since for experimentation, refinement and improvement. Further research and development resulted in additional sophistication of techniques. The devices used in the new figure are featured during the second season of the World's Fair.
WED "imagineers" -- artists, model-makers, sculptors, engineers and mechanics --spent a total of more than five months in research alone to assure exact likeness and measurements.
Dimensions of the face were taken from an actual life-mask of Lincoln. The eyes were created from an intensive study of many photographs, paintings and written descriptions, including one in Mrs. Lincoln's diary. Other dimensions came from biographical works, although not all historians agree on Lincoln's height and weight.
Work on the new figure began with the creation of the head. A detailed model was first sculptured in plastiline (plastic clay) using Lincoln's life-mask. From this, a flexible skin was then fabricated over a rigid plastic structure. The features from the original model were maintained to the most minute detail.
The hair and beard were created by o professional wig maker. Hands were cast from actual hands of a man of comparable size. Eyes were created by WED artists, using techniques similar to those employed by prosthetic eye manufacturers, and dental techniques were used to design the gums and teeth.
The new figure is capable of 48 separate body actions, as well as 17 head motions and facial expressions, all performed in life-like movements and mannerisms. This flexibility permits a total of nearly 275,000 possible combinations of action.
Costuming includes a black suit; white, high-collar shirt; black string bow tie; vest; watch chain; and black high-top shoes.
OPERATIONS PROCEDURES
The Lincoln Theatre will operate with five hostesses and a foreman. The positions will be:
1. Ticket Receptionist
2. Pre-show Entrance Hostess
3. Theatre Entrance Hostess
4. Theatre Exit Hostess.
Ticket Receptionist
The operator at the turnstile is the official hostess for "Great Moments With Mr. Lincoln." It is her job to receive the guests and collect their tickets. Tickets will be required from adults only as the show is free to children under 18.
As official hostess, she must learn the techniques of audience control, and never turn her back to the guests. It is her job to help make the waiting time mare pleasant.
And, of course, she will be expected to be a walking, talking information expert.
Pre-show Entrance Hostess
She will hove to watch the automatic turnstiles and be sure the right number of guests are admitted to the pre-show theatre.
And, as in all positions, she will be expected to answer any and all questions.
Theatre Entrance Hostess
After the guests have viewed "The Lincoln Story," instruct them on entering the theatre. Request that they please
stand behind the designated area until after the automatic doors have opened. Also, explain to each group the policy on photography. The suggested way to do this is by saying, "In order to preserve the dignity of this presentation, the producers respectfully request that there be no photography in the theatre."
Theatre Exit Hostess
Immediately before the show begins, ask the guests again not to take any pictures.
Upon completion of the show, thank the guests and instruct them on exiting.
As we said in the beginning, since this is a new attraction, operations procedures will change as new experience is gained.
The above positions and duties are general breakdowns de-signed to start you off on the right foot.
Since you're new here, it won't hurt to remind you of our Disneyland motto..."Safety, Show, Courtesy, Capacity, and Cleanliness."
1. FIRST...SAFETY
At all times and under all circumstances, Safety IS first.
We guarantee our guests a safe day when they come to Disneyland, and we must fulfill this promise.
Safety is engineered into every attraction. The rest is up to you as a guardian of this safety. At no time, under any circumstances, shall you sacrifice safety for any reason.
And the same applies to you. Your health and safety are vitally important. This is no place for horseplay...practical jokes...absent-mindedness. Don't you take any chances with your own health either. Safety is foremost in your work.
2. SECOND...COURTESY
If our policy of courtesy has not yet been explained to you, then let's take care of it right now. Our reputation for that extra personal touch distinguishes Disneyland friendliness from ordinary courtesy. It is something we insist on, and the extra courtesy for which we are world famed is a built-in part of your job.
3. THIRD...CAPACITY
Seconds are of vital importance and split second control of the departure interval must be maintained. We must stick to the trip cycle and use every seat...save every second. In this way we reduce "wait time," which our guests do not enjoy.
CONCLUSION
It is especially appropriate that "Great Moments With Mr. Lincoln" is being introduced at Disneyland in 1965... just 100 years after President Lincoln left his indelible impression on our American culture.
This show, created by Walt Disney and designed by WED Enterprises, Inc., is the culmination of many years of planning, research and engineering...a show that Disneyland is proud and honored to be able to present. "Great Moments With Mr. Lincoln" is a tribute to the President who saved our code of laws, the Constitution, in its greatest hour of crisis a century ago.
This great tradition of Mr. Lincoln is now yours to represent and preserve in this new Walt Disney production.
From Attractions Report 1965
Placed as a "D" or 50¢ attraction to distribute capacity of this category. This change will be subject to reevaluation based on this Summer's experience.
From New Attraction Profiles: 1966
An actual life-mask of Lincoln was used to capture the famous countenance.
Special Disney approaches to theatrical staging and stereophonic sound have been combined to create this awe-inspiring Lincoln show. Through the use of sound speakers located throughout the auditorium, the audience itself seems to be a part of the proceedings.
The Lincoln figure rises and speaks, delivering his address with complete coordination of speech and movements, including many mannerisms of the 16th President. The "Audio-Animatronic" show ends with a dramatic finale in which Lincoln is seated against a backdrop of the Capitol dome bathed in dawn light while a large but unseen choir sings the majestic "Battle Hymn of the Republic" as Its voices move through the theatre toward the stage.
From WED Disneyland Dictionary 1968
Is one of Disneyland's most dramatic and awe-inspiring presentations. This personal experience with history is Walt Disney's tribute to a man who still lives today in the hearts of all freedom-loving people everywhere. Featuring the lifelike, life-size "Audio-Animatronics"* figure of the Sixteenth President, Great Moments with Mr. Lincoln presents a message as applicable today as it was a hundred years ago. Located in the Opera House on Town Square, this presentation includes the nation's capital in "capsulized realism," Lincoln memorabilia, a narrative of Lincoln's life illustrated with full-color art murals, and a 499-seat theatre where "Mr. Lincoln" delivers his inspiring address. Originally presented at the New York World's Fair 1964-1965, Great Moments with Mr. Lincoln is sponsored at Disneyland by Lincoln Savings and Loan Association.
The Fifth Lincoln figure built (1971) was shown at Walt Disney World
The Sixth Lincoln figure built (1975) was shown at Disneyland: The Walt Disney Story Featuring Great Moments With Mr. Lincoln
I believe there was one built around 1977 that traveled around the U.S. for shows. I am having trouble confirming that though.
The Seventh Lincoln figure built (1984) was shown at Disneyland: The Walt Disney Story Featuring Great Moments With Mr. Lincoln
The Eighth Lincoln figure built (1993) was shown at Walt Disney World
The Ninth Lincoln figure built (2009) is currently being shown at Disneyland: The Disneyland Story Featuring Great Moments With Mr. Lincoln
Once seated in the theater, the show begins with a slide presentation offering an introduction to the tumultuous times when Abraham Lincoln became President. A realistic figure of Abraham Lincoln then rises from his chair to deliver an inspiring and prophetic address to the audience, with words derived from Lincoln's own speeches from more than 100 years ago
People:We, the people of the United States, in order to form a more perfect union, establish justice, insure domestic tranquility, provide for the common defense, promote the general welfare, and secure the blessings of liberty to ourselves and our posterity do ordain and establish this Constitution for the United States of America.
Narrator:These immortal words, when first they were written, proclaimed to the world an idea new among men. This was the American dream, the prayer for the future. But that golden goal was not to be had without cost. The American way was not gained in a day. It was born in adversity, forged out of conflict, perfected and proven only after long experience and trial. Our nation's greatest crisis occurred when Abraham Lincoln was our President, and our protector. For Abraham Lincoln gave all to save the Union
Lincoln: My countrymen, if you have been taught doctrines conflicting with those great landmarks of the Declaration of Independence, if you have listened to suggestion that would take away it's grandeur, if
you are inclined to believe that all men are not created equal, let me entreat you to come back. Come back to the truths that are in the Declaration of Independence. Do not destroy that immortal
emblem of humanity. If that Declaration is not the truth, let us get the statute book in which we find it and tear it out. Then let us stick to it then, and let us stand firmly by it.
Narrator:Abraham Lincoln became President faced with the terrible threat of Civil War, a thing he dreaded, yet a calamity he was prepared to meet if he must.
Lincoln:Without union, the Constitution is only a piece of paper. I know there is a God and that He hates injustice and slavery. I see the storm coming. I know His hand is in it. If He has a place and work for me, and I think He has, I believe I'm ready. I am nothing. But truth is everything. And with God's help, I shall not fail.
Narrator:April 12th, 1861, Fort Sumpter. The cannons spoke for war, Civil War. Violent. Devastating. Now had come the reckoning, the supreme test that would decide whether a republic founded on liberty could survive the terrible strife of men's passions.
Soloist:Two brothers on their way
Two brothers on their way
Two brothers on their way
One wore blue and one wore gray
One wore blue and one wore gray
As they marched along their way
The fife and drum began to play
All on a beautiful morning
One was gentle, one was kind
One was gentle, one was kind
One came home, one stayed behind
A cannon ball don't pay no mind
A cannon ball don't pay no mind
If you're gentle or if you're kind
It don't think of the folks behind
All on a beautiful morning
All on a beautiful morning
Lincoln:Fondly do we hope, fervently do we pray, that this mighty scourge of war may speedily pass away, with malice toward none, with charity for all, with firmness in the right as God gives us to see the right. Let us strive on to finish the work we are in, to care for him who shall have borne the battle and for his widow and his orphan, to do all which may achieve and cherish a just and lasting peace among ourselves and with all nations.
Narrator:Abraham Lincoln, man of the people, man for the ages. His spirit is with us still, for he is one with us, and we are one with him.
We pay tribute here not to a man who lived a century ago, but to an individual who lives today in the hearts of all freedom-loving people. His prophetic words are as valid for our time as they were for his. And now the skills of the sculptor and the talents of the artist will let us relive great moments with Mr. Lincoln.
AUDIO-ANIMATRONIC PRESENTATION
Lincoln:The world has never had a good definition of the word liberty, and the American people, just now, are much in want of one. We all declare for liberty; but in using the same word we do not all mean the same thing.
What constitutes the bulwark of our liberty and independence? It is not our frowning battlements, our bristling sea coasts. These are not our reliance against tyranny. Our reliance is in the love of liberty which God has planted in our bosoms. Our defense is in the preservation of the spirit which prizes liberty as the heritage of all men, in all lands, everywhere. Destroy this spirit, and you have planted the seeds of despotism around your own doors.
At what point shall we expect the approach of danger? By what means shall we fortify against is? Shall we expect some trans-Atlantic military giant to step the ocean and crush us in a blow? Never! All the armies of Europe, Asia and Africa combined could not by force take a drink from the Ohio or make a track on the Blue Ridge in a trial of a thousand years. At what point then is the approach of danger to be expected? I answer, if it ever reach us, it must spring up from amongst us. It cannot come from abroad. If destruction be our lot, we ourselves must be its author and finisher. As a nation of free men, we must live through all times, or die by suicide.
Neither let us be slandered from our duty by false accusations against us, nor frightened from it by the menaces of destruction to the Government nor of dungeons to ourselves. Let us have faith that right makes might, and in that faith, let us, to the end, dare to do our duty as we understand it.
Choir:America, you must be dreaming now
Dreaming of promised lands
Of your pioneers
America
Keep on flying now
Keep your spirit free
Facing new frontiers
America
Spread your golden wings
Sail on freedom's wind
Across the sky
Great bird
With your golden wings
Flying high
Flying high
Flying high
America
Keep on flying high
