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Disney Cicerone

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There are 40 different routes to scale Disneyland’s Matterhorn Mountain though only 15 are preferred a map resides inside the icy slopes communicating to all climbers a difficulty rating letting them choose their method of ascent and for years people did just that. It started with the Sierra Club whose members Walt hired to put on a show when the mountain premiered in 1959. (Though they put the wrong flag on the top, confusing Switzerland 🇨🇭 with Sweden 🇸🇪 as some Americans tend to do.) “Hans” and “Otto” scaled Furggen Ridge that day names given them by Disney, sometimes joined by “Fritz” they climbed steadily navigating around the overhang at the top exaggerated from its real-life counterpart a choice WED made to create a shadow effect and add to the drama. Once in a while they even added in a fake fall to make the crowd below gasp in shock as they waited in 4-hour lines. But other climbers before these ones made the route possible like Chuck Wilks who placed all the pitons for future climbers to attach their ropes and summit the 1/100 scale Matterhorn. Over the years many have summited this first Disney mountain including Mickey in the 1990s many performing the climb 10 times per day at a rate of $1.75 per hour until they didn’t anymore. There are 40 different routes to scale Matterhorn Mountain a feat that seems impossible from below and yet done a thousand times over by those who see it as an adventure rather than an insurmountable task. Perhaps the mountains that we face the peaks that seem daunting are just waiting for us to choose a route pitons in place beckoning us forward onward up. The climb may not be easy but every step you take every muscle straining in exertion every doubt you have that it’s worth it will fade away when you’re standing on the top looking down at how far you’ve come and realizing you never needed 40 routes. You just needed the courage to choose one. - #matterhorn #disney #disneyparks #disneyland #disneyhistory #fantasyland #disneyrides #disneyattractions #nostalgicdisney #vintagedisney #mountainclimbers #disneylandpark #disneygram #disneytrivia #disneyfacts #disneysecrets #disneyinsta
It’s possible that there was a version of that d It’s possible that there was a version of that devil in Disneyland’s 1955 Mr. Toad, as photos/footage of that scene are extremely hard to come by. But from everything I’ve seen, they only used Bruce Bushman’s “Jaws of Hell” concept for that version and didn’t use many of his other ideas for that finale. The only figures I’ve seen in the 1955 version are the little wiggly cow devils. The big green coughing dragon and the pan-styled judge didn’t appear until the 1983 version. The Tree of Life wasn’t the only ideas pulled from Equatorial Africa for Animal Kingdom. Many of the structures you see in the Africa area today have nods back to that original concept art. So while it’s sad that pavilion never made it into Epcot’s World Showcase, we eventually got what I would consider to be a much grander version in Animal Kingdom. Still would have been interesting to go up in that treehouse and look down on animals in a watering hole, though. As for Mickey and Minnie’s Runaway Railway, there was another Mickey ride they considered making even before Mickey’s Magical Studio Tour in the 80s. When the Imagineers were developing an area of Fantasyland called Dumbo Circus Land, they were going to make a roller coaster through 1930s era black and white Mickey Mouse cartoons in a dark environment (kind of like space Mountain). That project was canceled, but they resurrected the idea of a Mickey Mouse ride for the Entertainment Pavilion that was going to be in Epcot. When that pavilion grew too big of an idea for Epcot, it became MGM Studios (what we know today as Hollywood Studios) and that’s when Mickey‘s Magical Studio Tour came about. - #disneyworld #disneyland #epcot #animalkingdom #disneylandpark #toontown #hollywoodstudios #disneyparks #wdw #waltdisneyworld #imagineering #disneysecrets #disneytrivia #disneyfacts #disneyfan #disneyrides #winniethepooh #mrtoadswildride #treeoflife #worldshowcase #disneyattractions#disneyconceptart #mickeyandminniesrunawayrailway #mmrr #disneygram #disneyinstagram #disneyinsta #disneyreel #disneyreels
It’s surprising how much of a difference it make It’s surprising how much of a difference it makes in making them appear lifelike. You can see an example of what it was supposed to look like in that one clip with the woman chasing the man from earlier in 1967 👀 which was before Alice took these notes on August 26th of the same year. The chase scene & the auction with the redhead were both significantly changed in 2018. But the characters are still running around in circles, even if the storyline of who is chasing who/what is different now. Alice emphasized that this was a huge error to not have this effect working in her notes, saying, “There were a number of figures not animating. Other figures animated, but less than 50% of planned animation. These figures I shall not list, because I know reports are sent to WED what is and isn’t working. I am most interested in curious why the animated bosoms, in the chase scene have never been placed on the check sheet as not animating. I understand, after checking with many people, the bosoms haven’t been animating for weeks!” Alice really was looking out for the good of the show, however, and noted at the end of her report, “The show is a wonderful show. I know the upkeep isn’t easy. The public will come to see the show as long as it runs and looks well, and love it!” - #piratesofthecaribbean #disney #disneyland #pirates #potc #alicedavis #disney #disneyparks #imagineering #waltdisneyimagineering #imagineers #retrodisney #vintagedisney #disneylandpark #disneyhistory #wdw #magickingdom #disneysecrets #disneyfacts #disneytrivia #disneyfan #1960s #disneynostalgia #disneyreels #disneyreel #disneyinsta #disneynerd #disneyworld #disneygram #audioanimatronics
Honestly I thought we just crash landed for the lo Honestly I thought we just crash landed for the longest time until I learned this 😂 Regarding the upper “fake” tracks, Marty Sklar explained: “We were worried at the time that an invisible ride system–one that could not be seen, except by entering the building–could be a problem for people who should not really take this ride. So, making the vehicles and passengers–even dummy ones– visible was an early goal. Both ideas were abandoned, however, the lower exterior track for weather reasons, and the upper track vehicles and dummy passengers because they were concerned about a scale issue.” They did put some fake passengers in a rocket outside the attraction under the RCA sign when it opened in 1975 to try to achieve the same goal of a “preview” of the intensity and excitement of the attraction. And regarding that peoplemover cocept from 1965, I have ALL the questions about why there are so many people just walking around at the bottom 🤔 Walt Disney wanted it to be dark with projections… those people looked like they were wandering an expo 😂 Note: That interior ride footage of Disney World’s Space Mountain was filmed before Disney changed their policy about device usage on that particular ride. Please follow all current signage and cast member instructions when on Disney attractions. - #disney #spacemountain #disneyland #disneyworld #waltdisneyworld #wdw #retrodisney #vintagedisney #tomorrowland #disneyparks #disneylandcalifornia #peoplemover #disneyrides #disneyattractions #disneyconceptart #cosmicrewind #imagineering #gotg #disneynerd #magickingdom #disneytrivia #disneysecrets #disneyfacts #disneyhistory #disneyreel #disneyreels #disneygram #disneyinsta #disneyinstagram #disneyfan
For all of you who have been asking about Mr. Toad For all of you who have been asking about Mr. Toad’s Sherlock Holmes… this one is for you 🕵️‍♂️ Edited to add: Ratty is dressed that way after Basil Rathbone but he is the narrator, not the voice of Ratty. Roddy McDowall was the voice actor for that character. Totally my error, I was making this post quickly so I could spend some more time with my kids for Spring Break and just mixed that up 🙈 The dart board in the pub shouldn’t be there because that configuration of scoring wasn’t designed until the mid 1900s and Mr. Toad is set around the turn of the century 🎯 This is something my Distory with Kate & Kirk p0dcast cohost discovered during our episode exploring Winky’s pub… and it’s not the only thing that is historically inaccurate in that scene. The Walt Disney tribute is the splashdown at the end of Big Thunder Mountain (which is admittedly hit or miss these days as to whether or not it’s working). Tony Baxter added it to Big Thunder as a way to honor Walt’s original Matterhorn mountain which also features a splashdown at the end. The use of linear induction motors to pull you in and out of the station was the very first time that technology was ever used on a roller coaster (in 1979). It is not used for the lift hills, that came much later in roller coaster history, but Big Thunder was the first to use it in general. It’s (kinda sorta) like magnets that pull/push you along, and that is what you’re hearing with the humming sound as you are entering and exiting the station. And I don’t even know why that woman was looking at me, I swear I was completely silent while I was filming 😂 - #disney #disneyland #disneyvlog #disneyvlogger #disneyparks #disneytrivia #fantasyland #frontierland #bigthundermountain #disneyrides #californiaadventure #dca #disneyscaliforniaadventure #dapperdans #disneylandcalifornia #disneylandpark #disneysecrets #disneyfacts #disneyhistory #storybooklandcanalboats #disneycreator #disneyfun #retrodisney #vintagedisney #disneyinsta #disneygram #disneyinstagram #disneyreel #disneyreels
I long to be as unbothered as the stretching room I long to be as unbothered as the stretching room occupants the ones we see when we first step into the chamber with no windows and no doors  before the danger is revealed. I remember what it felt like to be that way  before I knew what I know now blissfully unaware of what was to come.  I wonder when Marc Davis sketched these characters meant to make us laugh  what he thought of them, really If they resembled real life  how we pretend and present a version of ourselves we wish we were but underneath the surface we are sinking standing on shaky ground and powder kegs holding onto thorny reminders of our past that we’d rather keep buried  and walking tightropes trying to please people too late discovering that the danger of doing so is far worse than we imagined. We stretch and stretch and stretch ourselves till we no longer resemble who we once were  and that’s when the true peril is revealed not alligators and axes but the shadow versions of ourselves that are the greatest threat of all. Perhaps, though, the stretching room portraits are not unbothered  but quite the opposite.  Haunted by their mistakes pained by their past.  Yet we don’t have to be like them we don’t have to let the ghosts of our former selves follow us home forever  because sometimes being stretched is what reveals something we needed to see all along and once we’ve seen it we can finally rest in peace. - kg - #hauntedmansion #disney #disneyparks #marcdavis #conceptart #disneyconceptart #stretchingroom #hm #disneyshauntedmansion #disneyland #disneyworld #wdw #disneyland_anaheim #disneylandcalifornia #waltdisneyworld #magickingdom #grimgrinningghosts #disneyhistory #wdi #disneynerd #disneyfan #disneyfans #disneyinsta #disneyinstagram #disneygram
Do you think they made the right decision? It’ Do you think they made the right decision? It’s fascinating to see how little boundaries guests had in those early years of the park, but it makes sense if you consider Walt’s inspiration for Disneyland of Denmark’s Tivoli Gardens. People there treat the grass like a picnic area and while there are some fences, in general the landscaping seems to be relatively left alone by the public. The idea that Disneyland would be partially a recreational park is likely what kept them from fencing it in for the first few decades. The iconic green fences were finally added in the early 1970s at Disneyland to keep guests out of the landscaping (and often for safety purposes as well). Fences (boundaries) keep us safe, but can also keep out good things/people if we aren’t careful how we build them. The balance for how high and what kind of fence to construct… these are still questions I wrestle with myself, and I don’t know if there are any easy answers. - #disneyland #disneylandhistory #disney #disneyparks #disneylandresort #disneyvintage #disneyretro #disneynostalgia #fences #boundaries #relationships #waltdisney #disneyhistory #disneyfacts #disneysecrets #disneytrivia #disneyfan #disneyfans #healing #imagineering #disneygram #disneyinsta #disneyinstagram #disneyreel #disneyreels
If that baby wasn’t named Ursa something, it was If that baby wasn’t named Ursa something, it was a missed opportunity 😂 Elements of 1994’s New Tomorrowland still exist today, though the storytelling is not as obvious outside of the Peoplemover’s spiel. Some pieces of it include the map of the Galaxy on the Kugel ball fountain, the palm trees from Tomorrowland Light & Power Co., Sonny Eclipse, and the “starport” signage inside Space Mountain (Kevin called it a spaceport). Kevin Rafferty explained it as “a playful version of the ‘future that never was.’ In this whimsical machine-age-meets-early-sci-fi, -comics-future, robots cut your hair and walk your dog, and citizens live out in the hoverburbs.” The Imagineers were inspired by what people in the 20s and 30s thought the future would look like, and that was their inspiration for much of New Tomorrowland’s design. This story comes from Kevin Rafferty’s 📖 called Magic Journey, something you should never read on an airplane because you will for sure annoy your seat mates by laughing out loud repeatedly. - #disney #disneyworld #wdw #magickingdom #tomorrowland #disneysecrets #disneytrivia #disneyfacts #disneyfun #disneyparks #disneyfan #disneyfans #imagineering #imagineers #kevinrafferty #disneyfactsyoudontknow #peoplemover #tta #disneynostalgia #1990s #90s #waltdisneyworld #retrodisney #vintagedisney #disneyworldflorida #disneyreel #disneyreel #disneygram #disneyinsta #disneyinstagram
Honestly, it makes so much sense though. They had Honestly, it makes so much sense though. They had to do what they could to make Snow White easier to animate, since they were going for more realistic features and movement vs “rubber hose” animation that was common in the 20s and 30s. There’s also evidence that her collar being so large was partially to hide the issues they had with her neck not looking right. If the collar hid a good portion of it, then it was very forgiving as she moved about. Grim Natwick said that they moved her waist up and moved her neckline and “tried to overcome difficulties by making a braceless outer collar.” Disney’s animators managed to get Snow White looking believable as a human, but the prince was another story. No one wanted the job of animating him, because no matter what they did, he still looked too feminine and awkward. 🙈 They cut many of the scenes he was in because of this difficulty, which is why he doesn’t show up much in the 1937 animated film. He also had an error where he “shimmied” in the final scene where he awakes Snow White. Walt Disney hated it and wanted to go fix it, but when his brother Roy learned how much it would cost to fix just that scene, he refused and said, “Let the Prince shimmy.” And so he did, for years. It’s since been digitally repaired, so the shimmy isn’t as obvious, but there is still quite a lot of instability of his character in that particular scene. All of these stories came from interviews with the original artists and performers who worked on the film back in the 1930s, including Grim Natwick, Joe Grant, Adriana Caselotti and Ward Kimball. - #snowwhitemovie #snowwhite #disneyssnowwhite #disneysnowwhite #disney #disneystudios #waltdisneyanimationstudios #disneyparks #disneyland #disneylandcalifornia #disneylandparis #snowwhiteandthesevendwarfs #animationhistory #disneyhistory #disneyfilms #disneyanimation #disneyanimators #disneysecrets #disneycharacters #disneyfacts #disneytrivia #disneymovies #disneyfan #disneyfans #disneyreels #disneyreel #disneygram #disneyinsta #disneyinstagram
That Mowgli costume though 😳 When Disney decid That Mowgli costume though 😳 When Disney decided they wanted to design their own costumes instead of renting the Ice Capades ones (which had leased the rights to the characters for the show), some of the characters were a challenge. As Imagineer John Hench put it, “It is actually astonishing that Mickey held his identity. Making him a real, live character represented a violent shift that violated the head-to-body proportions [of the 2-D character]. They also didn’t have any standardization of the performers at that point in time, so sometimes Mickey was 6 feet tall, with their human limbs more than evident. In 1961, Bill Justice and John Hench helped redesign the characters to make them all more realistic and proportionate at the request of Walters Disney. They also made the costumes more durable, as guests didn’t always go easy on the characters. As Billy Justice put it, “Everything had to be re-designed to more accurately represent the characters and stand up to the rigors of every day use among the guests.” I think it’s interesting that not only did no one think to make these costumes before opening day, but that they didn’t even think they would have the characters long-term. But it was quickly evident that the characters needed to have a presence in Disneyland, as they were the living embodiment of the movies that the public loved so much. As Bill Justice said, “Walt told me ‘Other places can have thrill rides and bands and trains. Only we have our characters.’” - #disney #disneyland #disneycharacters #creepy #mickeymouse #minniemouse #mickey #disneyparks #disneyworld #disneynerd #weirddisney #retrodisney #vintagedisney #disneynostalgia #disneycostumes #disneyhistory #disneylandcalifornia #disneylandresort #disneysecrets #disneytrivia #disneyfacts #obscuredisney #1960s #1950s #disneygram #disneyinsta #disneyinstagram #disneyreel #disneyreels
We also know it’s not just a dark corner because We also know it’s not just a dark corner because the tapestry in the load area shows Mr. Toad busting out of prison 👀 The railroad tunnel sign actually changed from the 1955 version, which said “RR Tunnel No. 13,” and now it says “Danger - do not enter” but it goes by so quickly and it’s so dark, I t’s really hard to see.  Just to clarify… there weren’t actually feral hogs in the sewers in the mid 1800s, it was just a urban legend perpetuated by the “toshers” (sewer hunters looking for scrap metal and valuables). As the story goes a pregnant sow had entered the sewer near Hampstead and then raised her offspring in the pipes below London, feeding on the “offal and garbage.”🐖 The two estate sale signs in London Square are located on the walls outside of Winky’s pub and on the buildings just before the law court (it’s tough to get great footage of them because that scene flies by so fast). We go into MUCH more detail about this attraction in our multi-episode Mr. Toad series in our p0dcast called Distory with Kate & Kirk! 🎙️ - #disney #mrtoad #mrtoadswildride #disneyparks #disneyland #disneylandpark #disneyrides #disneyattractions #imagineering #imagineers #disneylandcalifornia #disneyfan #disneyfans #disneysecrets #disneyfacts #disneytrivia #disneyfun #vintagedisney #disneygram #disneyinsta #disneynerd #distory #disneyinstagram #disneylandresort #disneyreel #disneyreels #disneylandsecrets #fantasyland
I’m not one for making a big deal out of milesto I’m not one for making a big deal out of milestones, as I prefer to care about people and not numbers, but I do believe in celebrating accomplishments. So I thought I would give something to all of YOU to mark the occasion, since this wonderful community of Distory nerds is the only reason why I’m here at all. Hopefully some of these words help you as much as they have helped me over the past 19 years of research, writing, and creation. Thank you for all your encouragement, support, and love that have made my dreams a reality over the past 5 years as I’ve started my career and grown as a creator and author. 💜 There are so many other lessons I’ve learned throughout my study of Disney history that I didn’t have time for. Here are just a few: Director James Algar: “Good narration is like rolling a hoop with a stick. The narrative…you just hit the hoop occasionally with the stick and if it’s a well-edited film it’ll roll on its own for a while.” Former President of WDI Bob Weiss: We have to “aggressively chase our dreams to make them come true.” Filmmaker Frank Oz: “Don’t hide who you are.” Marvel Artist Steve Ditka: “No one is perfect in this life. So one can only do the best one can.” And last but never least, Walt Disney, who gave me permission to access parts of myself I’d lost by saying “all people are children.” He also taught me to be curious & innovative, not be afraid of new paths, and to always keep moving forward. 💜 (Note: I know Martha Blanding technically wasn’t an artist, but her journey was so inspirational I wanted to include it here) - #disney #disneyparks #disneyland #disneyworld #disneylandpark #disneyhistory #disneyfans #disneyfan #lifelessons #disneyquotes #waltdisneyworld #disneystudios #womenofdisney #disneycreator #disneycreators #disneylandcalifornia #imagineering #imagineers #vintagedisney #womensmonth #wdi #healing #waltdisneystudios #disneygram #disneyinstagram #disneyinsta #disneyreel #disneyreels #disneyfacts
Thank you Imagineering for finally fixing that Mar Thank you Imagineering for finally fixing that Marc Davis scene in Disneyland 👏👏👏 It has been working correctiy in the WDW version for a while, but the trumpet was aimed at the floor for a good long time in the Disneyland version until recently 😂 Marc even admitted this scene never worked quite as well as he’d hoped (he was similarly disappointed with the meager flames coming out of the jug of rum near the end of Pirates 🔥). The Ghostess or Ghost Hostess was never called “little Leota” in Disneyland as some like to nickname her. She sometimes was called“female figure with blowing clothes” or Small Girl, but the only time she was “officially” called Little Leota was in WDW’s blueprints and intrusion alert board. Phantom Manor also calls her Petite Leota, but Disneyland never had that label for her anywhere. The Ghost Hostess does look more like a bride now than when she first appeared. Her original role was to look similar to a female mortuary attendant from the movie the Love One, which is why she is talking about death certificates instead of bridal things 😂 Rolly Crump designed the hand sconces (no surprise there). Also note: There were many more changing portraits that never got used, including one featuring rotting fruit and one with withering flowers. You see six slides for the dust bowl concept here because most of these changing portraits had six different slides when they were first created so they could fade one into the other rather than using the lightning effect (like April-December in the queue). Shout out to Long Forgotten HM for a few of the discoveries in this post, thank you for your work preserving the history of the HM 🙌 - #hauntedmansion #disneyland #imagineering #marcdavis #disneysecrets #disneyhistory #disneyparks #disney #disneylandpark #hm #disneylore #disneylandhauntedmansion #disneytrivia #disneyfacts #disneylandresort #disneyrides #disneyattractions #disneyfan #disneyfans #disneyfunfacts #disneygram #disneyinstagram #disneyreel #disneyreels #disneyinsta #disneytiktok #disneyconceptart #vintagedisney
There was a time when no one knew what Disneyland There was a time when no one knew what Disneyland was. Disney’s best writers tried to explain it calling it an “entirely new concept in family entertainment” something of a fair an exhibition a playground a community center a museum of living facts and a showplace of beauty and magic. Bill Walsh, who would later co-write a movie called Mary Poppins, tried to craft words in 1953 to sell the idea of Disneyland to investors when the park was merely a figment in Walt’s imagination and a few marks on paper. He called it a place for people to find happiness and knowledge where for parents and children could share pleasant times in one another’s company and teachers and pupils could discover greater ways of understanding and education. In Disneyland, he explained, the older generation would be able to recapture the nostalgia of days gone by and the younger generation could savor the challenges of the future with wonders of nature and man for all to see and understand. Disneyland would be “dedicated to the ideals the dreams and hard facts that have created America” (words that later found their way into Walt’s opening day speech) and it will be uniquely equipped to dramatize these dreams and facts and send them forth as a source of courage and inspiration to all the world. People didn’t know what Disneyland was. They didn’t even know where it was, located out in the middle of nowhere. But they showed up because of stories on screens that had infiltrated their hearts because of the dream painted in their minds of a place that promised it “held all the joys and hopes of the world” and would show them how to make these wonders part of their own lives. We all know what Disneyland is, now. But we show up for the same reasons that Bill penned all those years ago when none of this existed yet. We show up for hope joy nostalgia wonder courage inspiration beauty magic and, most importantly, each other. - #disneyland #disneygram #disneyinsta #disneyinstagram #disneyparks #vintagedisney #disneylandpark #disneylandcalifornia #disney #disneyhistory #disneyfan
And YES this same soundtrack is in Disneyland’s And YES this same soundtrack is in Disneyland’s version of Winnie the Pooh as well 🥺 These two stories come courtesy of Imagineer Kevin Rafferty in his fantastic 📖 called Magic Journey: My Fantastical Walt Disney Imagineering Career. When Kevin asked Richard Sherman why they needed two kazoos, Richard answered (with a wink) “Because two are funnier than one!” 😂 Richard was of course half of the composing team for the 1977 movie The Many Adventures of Winnie the Pooh, but he had passed before they recorded the version for the ride. No one knew that it was Paul Winchell‘s last time recording Tigger until he came into the studio on the day of recording for the attraction. Even though everyone was so sad to hear the news, Paul was such a happy-go-lucky guy that he made the session fun, adding no sadness in his voice. Also… TTFN was just an adlib Paul Winchell did as he was performing Tigger and it stuck around. It was never part of a script until he made it part of Tigger’s personality 🥰 - #tigger #winniethepooh #disney #disneyparks #disneyland #themanyadventuresofwinniethepooh #pooh #disneycharacters #richardsherman #shermanbrothers #disneymusic #wdw #disneyworld #waltdisneyworld #disneyland #disneyhistory #disneyattractions #imagineering #disneytrivia #disneyfacts #disneysecrets #disneynerd #disneyfan #disneyfans #kevinrafferty #disneyreel #disneyreels #disneygram #disneyinsta #disneyinstagram
A photo would have been so fun, I’m super sad ab A photo would have been so fun, I’m super sad about that one 🥺 And could we PLEASE bring back the Jingle Cruise to Disneyland for the 70th? Pretty please, Imagineering? I miss it so much 🎄😭 Many thanks to the former Imagineers (you know who you are) who shared a few of these stories with me so that they can continue to be told and appreciated by all those who love Disney history. Preserving the stories behind the creative and technical processes of how these places came to be is so important, and I’m so very honored to get to pass these stories on to everyone who loves Disneyland 💜 A small correction… it’s just ONE beam that uses the original foundation from the Tahitian Terrace beam. I didn’t realize I’d made it plural till after I finished this whole thing 😂 They were surprised to find the foundation there (because the site had been cleared after Aladdin’s Oasis closed) but didn’t see any sense in removing a foundation to replace it with a foundation, so they just repurposed it instead. I also think the items “found” from the Jingle Cruise might be new props and not repurposed ones since I’ve never seen evidence of a character wearing that actual sweater in the attraction. - #adventureland #junglecruise #jinglecruise #disneyland #disneylandfacts #disneylandpark #imagineering #disneyrides #disney #disneysecrets #disneyfacts #disneyhistory #disneytrivia #disneylandcalifornia #disneyfan #disneyfans #vintagedisney #disneyparks #tradersam #tikiroom #enchantedtikiroom #disneyreel #disneyreels #disneyinsta #disneyinstagram #disneygram #disneynerd #tropicalhideaway #extinctdisney
Other rejected Doom Buggy names: Ghost Mobile, Gho Other rejected Doom Buggy names: Ghost Mobile, Ghost Coach, Phantom Mobile, Banshee Buggy, and Ghostly Host mobile. The Imagineers went with Doom Buggy because surfing culture was huge in the 1960s and they thought it would be popular with the youths 👻 One story I didn’t have time to tell was how the aluminum they used for the Moonliner didn’t work well with the wooden super structure inside. As the wood expanded and contracted during the heat of day, it created a series of loud bangs that often startled guests 😂 because Kaiser aluminum was a sponsor, they wanted Disney to use aluminum wherever possible. That’s also how aluminum bumpers got added to the Autopia cars, although they didn’t work well because it was such a soft metal. There’s also more to the Indiana Jones buckets… The film’s production crew visited that attraction to study the mining equipment props and get inspiration for the movie. They assumed Disney had done their homework (which they had… mostly). When they told Tony Baxter later, “we especially loved those buckets that you used in the mineshaft,”Tony Baxter admitted that that wasn’t authentic mining equipment at all, he had actually just gotten the idea from the water bucket conveyor belt over on the Swiss Family treehouse in Adventureland. - #disneyland #disneyhistory #disneyparks #disney #disneysecrets #disneyscavengerhunt #disneylandcalifornia #disneytrivia #disneyfacts #disneylandpark #disneyfans #disneyfan #disneynerd #hauntedmansion #fantasyland #retrodisney #disneyconceptart #imagineering #frontierland #disneyreel #disneyreels #disneyinstagram #disneyinsta #disneygram
Bored at work games are the best games 😂 Story Bored at work games are the best games 😂 Storybookland Canal Boat cast member Sheryl Fisher said she was mortified that this happened to her. She said she was sorry and promised to be more considerate. The exchange only lasted a few minutes and was never mentioned again by anyone afterward, but she was worried that her character had been called a question and that she’d earned the “undying distain of Walt Disney, the most important man alive.” Luckily, later she ran into Walt Disney on the pirate ship in fantasyland when she was getting lunch one day and he didn’t seem to remember her at all. She was breathed huge sigh of relief that she wasn’t remembered forever for her taffy shenanigans. Here’s more of Sheryl’s account: “This engineer’s timing was really quite remarkable – slowing the train until just the right moment then successfully targeting the apron of the boat operator seated at the stern. Occasionally, an off-course piece of candy flew into the canal, but to my knowledge, none ever fell into the seating area.” Thank you to Yesterland for preserving this story back in an interview in 2002, and thank you also to all of the amazing Fantasyland CMs that make our Disney days so magical! If I could, I’d give each of you a whole bag of taffy 🍬🥰 - #disneyland #disney #disneyparks #disneystories #disneyfacts #storybooklandcanalboats #fantasyland #disneylandcalifornia #disneylandpark #disneysecrets #disneytrivia #disneyfun #castmember #castmembers #retrodisney #vintagedisney #caseyjr #disneyfan #disneyfans #disneynerd #disneyhistory #disneyinstagram #disneygram #disneyreel #disneyreels #disneyride #disneyrides #workgames #coworkers #disneysecrets
A drinking fountain in that location in Disneyland A drinking fountain in that location in Disneyland seems so odd to us now, but that was mainly what occupied that spot for many years on Main Street 😂 Some points of clarification: The “golden spike” isn’t actually golden, it is made out of brass and the hole in the top is for survey equipment. It’s been a rumor for years that it’s the do you have a graphical center of Disneyland, but it’s not and was never meant to be. The other one on Main Street was removed when they redid the trolley track down the center of the street and added the brick work.  Disney had just four swans when the park opened, two white ones purchased for $550 and two black ones purchased for $750. They were removed around the early 2000s likely because of the pyrotechnics on the castle and also because they kept getting sick from eating pennies guests threw in the water. The spot with the Goofy yodel on Alice in Wonderland used to be the end of the attraction in the original 1958 iteration before they added the additional ending in the 1983 remodel. That scene had a cake, exploding after the tea party, and you’d burst through a series of smaller and smaller doors, so that’s why it looks like you get knocked out. Claude coats just wanted to make people smile and that’s the only reason that that sound effect is there. I love that they kept the sound effect it even though the ride changed significantly in the remodel. (I also wish the door had been operating normally while I was there but alas it was broken every time 🙈) If you want more in-depth information about Alice, Big Thunder, or the Skyway, we’ve covered all these topics on our Distory with Kate & Kirk P0dcast 🎙️ - #disney #disneyland #disneysecrets #disneyhistory #disneytrivia #disneyfacts #disneyfunfacts #disneylandcalifornia #disneylandresort #disneyparks #disneyfun #disneynerd #disneyfans #disneyfan #retrodisney #vintagedisney #disneyrides #fantasyland #mainstreet #frontierland #bigthunder #aliceinwonderland #disneygram #disneyinsta #disneyinstagram #disneyreel #disneyreels
There’s a reason we feel the way we do when we w There’s a reason we feel the way we do when we walk into Disneyland 🥹 Disneyland was not only made to be a place of reassurance and fun for all ages, but, knowing this, I think it’s safe to say that it’s also a place of healing. Walt Disney was betrayed by many many people over the years, and while we could debate the pros and cons of the strike, there’s no doubt that Walt felt utterly betrayed by many people that he trusted in those five weeks in 1941. The animators at Disney studios had the best pay and working conditions in the industry when they chose to strike, their grievances mostly about pay inequality between animators, working hours, and resentment over lack of screen credit. Joe Grant said that he thought Walt was a fair man that would have done most of the stuff the strikers were fighting for, but that they never gave Walt a chance. They never brought their demands (outside of the threat of unionizing) to him first before they went on strike so they could be discussed in a civil manner. Regardless of the politics of it, numerous accounts of people close to Walt expressed that he felt betrayed by many of the animators who chose to strike, as he’d thought of them as close friends. Some who went on strike said they later regretted it only because of how it changed Walt and the entire culture of the studio. It makes sense that not long after this time he started dreaming of a small park, something to take his mind off of what happened and give him a new creative space to heal and process without the shadow of what happened. Disneyland was, at its beginning, a place of healing, and I believe it remains so today. 💜 - #disneyland #disneylandpark #disneyparks #disney #disneystrike #disneystudios #waltdisneystudios #waltdisney #disneylandcalifornia #disneysecrets #disneytrivia #disneyfans #disneyfan #disney #disneynerd #disneyanimation #joegrant #disneylandconstruction #disneyhistory #disneylandhistory #healing #betrayal #disneyreel #disneyreels #disneyinstagram #disneyinsta #disneygram #retrodisney #vintagedisney
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