DisneyShawn: July 2010

Hear Ye! Hear Ye!

The Royal Princess Cinderella and our noble Prince Charming are hosting a ball this evening in honor of you, the loyal subjects of the Magic Kingdom. They humbly request the pleasure of your company at this magical event.

Of course, you can't go to the ball looking like that! So step inside, my dears, to the Bibbidi Bobbidi Boutique and let one of our Fairy Godmothers-in-Training transform you into the perfect picture of princess-dom.

The Boutique, located in chambers just off the main thoroughfare of the Castle, is a beautifully appointed space complete with candle chandeliers, velvet drapes, tapestries and frescoes. These paintings depict scenes of idyllic spots around the Kingdom, from the wishing well to the bench under the weeping willow where Cinderella first met her Fairy Godmother.

The room is bustling with activity, as everyone wants to look their very best for the ball. Some clients have already visited the Royal Dressmaker at Castle Couture (or plan a fitting later), while others come prepared in their finery.

Bibbidi Bobbidi Boutique is also home to the crown jewels of some of the most prominent Royals from Disney Kingdoms around the world. Here, the Fairy Godmother's magic keeps the crowns safe until the lovely ladies need them for a special occasion. Can you guess which crown belongs to which princess?

Click on Comments for the answers...

A Growing Business

I've shared details of the Castle Couture shop in Fantasyland with you previously on the blog. On a recent visit, though, I noticed something I hadn't seen before. I suppose I was so focused on looking up at details in the graphics, I completely passed over this inlaid star pattern in the floor at the threshold of the shop. Castle Couture is the Royal Dressmaker for the Kingdom of Fantasyland, and the story shows that it's clearly run by the three good fairies from Sleeping Beauty. The stars represent them: Red for Flora, Green for Fauna, Blue for Merryweather.

While this detail had likely been there all along (even I discover new things on every visit to a Disney Park), a look inside revealed that there were changes that had occurred. The second half of the shop, once home to Tinker Bell's Fairy Treasures, had been converted into an expansion of Castle Couture.

The original section of Castle Couture is now the Dressmaker's showroom, ornately appointed and including facilities for young princesses to try on their new gowns. This new section represents the Dressmaker's Workshop. Here, the fixtures are made of wood and covered with fabric, thread and the tools of the dressmaker trade.

The walls of the workshop include nods to some of the Dressmaker's more famous clientele. Look for silhouettes of Belle, Ariel, Aurora and the fairest of them all, Snow White. You'll also discover art on the wall representing dress designs (in fact, these are reproductions of concept art for some of the Disney animated features).

The back corner of the workshop is dressed as a fitting room and portrait studio. Here, the gown being made at the moment is for none other than the queen of this kingdom, Cinderella. On an overhead shelf, you'll see her silhouette and a collection of blue fabric (her signature color).

You'll also see the dress Cinderella is having made. It's a new version of the one originally crafted for her by her animal friends, but destroyed by her wicked stepsisters. Looks like it's coming together nicely, following the same pattern book used the first time around.

Glance at the other side of the room, and you may notice a few other things among the notions on these shelves. There are pin cushions in the shape of pumpkins, and peeking out over the top ledge are Gus and Jaq, overseeing the work on the dress (and probably keeping an eye out for Lucifer).

Palm Power

One of the most frequently asked questions I get in Tomorrowland at the Magic Kingdom has to do with the row of mechanical palm trees on the concourse to Space Mountain. Looking down the row, you'll notice that one tree is not like the others. It appears to be in more of a "closed" position.

Urban legend claims that the trees were designed to open and close throughout the day, but never worked properly. Supposedly, one of them is just stuck in the alternate position. This couldn't be further from the truth. In fact, the trees are staged this way on purpose. The one pictured below looks different because it has been "harvested."

The search for alternative energy sources pops up several times in the story of Tomorrowland, from harnessing the power of play at the Tomorrowland Light & Power Co. Arcade to capturing human laughter from the Monsters, Inc. Laugh Floor. These are Power Palms. When extended, their metallic fronds capture the energy of the sun and store it in the globes (like coconuts) around the trunk. When the globes are full, they light up and are ready for harvesting.

Look back again at the odd Power Palm. You'll notice that not only are the fronds closed, but its platform has also been lowered on the trunk and the globes removed to provide energy for the citizens of Tomorrowland.

Hidden Disney... in SPACE!

Space Mountain reopened last fall after an extended refurbishment that brought an interactive queue, updated aesthetic and new special effects to this Magic Kingdom classic. The effort also resulted in the introduction of several examples of Hidden Disney.

Space Mountain's role in the story of Tomorrowland has always been the space port, where passengers and cargo are constantly coming and going. Now, this space port has a name: Starport Seven-Five, a reference to the 1975 opening date of the attraction.

A board just inside the entrance identifies some of the connecting systems and star gates accessible from Starport Seven-Five. Look closely at the Active Earth Stations. They're nods to the five Space Mountains in Disney Parks around the world.

TOMORROWLAND STATION MK-1

Magic Kingdom (the first Space Mountain)

TL SPACE STATION 77

Disneyland (opened in 1977)

DISCOVERY LANDING STATION - PARIS

Disneyland Paris (located in Discoveryland)

ASHITA BASE - TOKYO

Tokyo Disneyland ("ashita" is Japanese for "tomorrow")

HK SPACEPORT E-TKT

Hong Kong Disneyland (with a reference to the "E" Ticket)

Heading deeper into the Starport, you'll pass several images of star charts, maps and constellations. Most of the landmarks identified are genuine, adding to the reality of the experience. Then there's this:

The reference is completely fictional, but fits in its own way. The name Hyperion recalls the address of one of Walt Disney's early studios. It also happens to be the name of one of the moons of Saturn. Of course, if you're hoping for a "Planet View" room, you'll need to give them a ring well in advance. I hear they book up quickly!

After pitching in to help clear the runway of asteroid debris, we pass the airlocks and are on our way to the boarding station for a trip through the stars. Once we touch down, we find ourselves at Tomorrowland Station MK-1.

Just past the Command Center is Baggage Claim. From the looks of things, our fellow travelers have been getting around. Stickers on the luggage mark trips to the dwarf planets of Ceres and Pluto, as well as destinations like Luna Port and Titania.

Some people have apparently also been time traveling back to visit some extinct Disney attractions. Mesa Verde was the desert community featured on Horizons at Epcot (where they were growing those great smelling oranges), and Space Station X-1 was an opening day attraction at Disneyland that offered Guests a satellite view of America (in the form of a painting seen from a rotating viewing platform).

Fantasyland Update

Work has begun in earnest on the Fantasyland Forest expansion project at the Magic Kingdom Park. While much of the activity is behind walls and won't bear (visible) fruit for months or years to come, a few things have already happened in plain sight.

Take Mrs. Potts' Cupboard, for example. This Fantasyland ice cream spot had been scheduled for a refurbishment of its roof. Instead of simply replacing the shingles, though, the Park Maintenance team partnered with Walt Disney Imagineering to install a new thatched roof that will help this structure feel right at home in the more rural setting of the Fantasyland Forest. While the Forest itself may not be here yet, you can see a little part of the project right now in the form of this cottage.

Over by Pinocchio's Village Haus, Ariel's Grotto has been removed in anticipation of all new adventures to come with the Little Mermaid. Much of the area is now behind walls, but the space under the blue tent (originally a seating area for the old Fantasy Faire stage) has been reopened to provide a place for Guests to rest during their visit to the Kingdom.

Big changes are in store at The Many Adventures of Winnie the Pooh. The facade to the attraction, originally designed as part of the festival being held within the castle walls, is undergoing a transformation. Soon, Guests approaching the attraction will find themselves in a corner of the Hundred Acre Wood.

The large tree with Pooh's home, formerly a feature of Pooh's Playful Spot, has been moved across the way to the front of the attraction. In time, it will become part of an all new entrance to this now-classic Fantasyland dark ride.

This is just the beginning. Look for much more to come as we inch ever closer to the 2012/13 opening of Fantasyland Forest.

The Wizard of Bras

On the blog this week, I'm featuring segments from articles on the new DisneyShawn.com, currently showcasing the attractions of early Main Street, U.S.A. at Disneyland. Be sure to follow the link for more.

During Disneyland’s infancy, a majority of the shops along Main Street were operated by participant companies, to add an air of authenticity to the turn-of-the-century town. Some of those early lessees ventured to offer more than merchandise in their locations. They presented exhibits and mini-attractions, designed to entertain Disneyland Guests. The fact that they were thinly disguised commercials probably didn’t hurt, either.

Perhaps the most unusual shop ever to take up residence at Disneyland was the Intimate Apparel Shop, sponsored by the Hollywood Maxwell Company. The location was short-lived, closing by December 1956, but while it was there, Guests were treated to a special attraction of sorts. Through music, narration, and pictures, a “magic mirror” on the wall braved to mention the story of unmentionables – from Grandma’s day to the support enjoyed by “today’s girl.”

The Intimate Apparel Shop may be long gone, but the space it once occupied is still there today. The facade is now blue, as opposed to the original yellow, and the interior houses part of the China Closet. You can have a seat on the porch, though, to watch the people go by and imagine the mystical tape-recorded voice of the Wizard calling from within: "This is how it was... Now, this is how it is!"

Top photo from "Disneyland: The Nickel Tour" - ©Disney

Operetta House

The Opera House, on the east side of Town Square, was the first structure erected at Disneyland. It was initially used as a lumber mill for the construction of the rest of the Park, but it was designed to later be a functioning television studio. Money was tight when Disneyland opened, however, so the Main Street Opera House sat empty for several years. At one point, to promote the new Zorro TV series, Walt Disney had photographs and other publicity materials set up inside, but it wasn’t until 1961 that the Opera House hosted its first true attraction.

For Christmas 1961, the interior of the Main Street Opera House was transformed into the Forest of No Return – plus the Toy Factory and the Village Square – from Disney’s latest musical motion picture Babes in Toyland. The sets were the actual ones used for filming, dismantled and brought to Disneyland for the enjoyment of the Park’s Guests – the few who stumbled in or fumbled in anyway. The movie turned out to be a box office turkey, and its namesake Disneyland attraction didn’t fare much better. For those who did venture inside, there were a few fun surprises to be had, not the least of which were the trees that would unexpectedly spring to life in the Forest of No Return scene (courtesy of strategically placed, costumed Cast Members). The Forest disappeared, never to return, in 1962, and Guests drank their last lemonade for Tom and Mary on September 30, 1963, leaving the door open for other attractions to follow.

Babes in Toyland image ©Disney

They Didn't Need Dialogue, They Had Faces

For the first 30 years or so, Main Street Cinema at Disneyland showcased a selection of silent film classics, set to the (pre-recorded) accompaniment of a piano. Even Norma Desmond herself (Gloria Swanson) once graced the screen. There were William S. Hart westerns, Keystone Kops comedies and even non-Disney animation in the form of Gertie the Dinosaur. The six features changed from time to time and were interspersed with the occasional newsreel (only good news, of course) or hand-tinted period slide ("Ladies over 40 need not remove their hats").

It all changed in 1988, when the Cinema honored Mickey Mouse's 60th anniversary by switching over to the classic Mickey Mouse cartoon shorts seen today.

Photo courtesy of Davelandweb.com, used with permission.

The Site of Future Sights

The plywood fence at the northeast corner of Town Square was really only intended to be a temporary screen to hide construction activity. It hung on for years, though, teasing Disneyland Guests with the promise of all sorts of attractions which would never come to pass. The first sign on the fence advertised “International Street Grand Opening 1956”. There were even holes in the fence, through which you could see realistic 3-D images of the International Street model, with its facades representing Italy, Japan, France, and other romantic places. After a couple years of construction delays (and having to change the date on that sign), the International Street idea was finally retired.

A new sign soon took its place, however, touting “Liberty Street Grand Opening 1959.” Once again there were peep holes revealing artist sketches of the new attractions to come. And once again, the sign was removed and work on the project cancelled. The site may have gone undeveloped, but the ideas lived on. International Street was ultimately realized in the form of World Showcase at Epcot, while Liberty Street moved to Walt Disney World in the form of Liberty Square, along with its marquee show, The Hall of Presidents.

As for that fence? It's still there 55 years later...

Top photo courtesy of Davelandweb.com, used with permission.

Traveling the Berm

Walt Disney once said, “I don’t want the public to see the world they live in while they’re in the Park. I want them to feel they’re in another world.” To that end, Disneyland is surrounded by a 20-foot high earthen berm. The trains of the Disneyland Railroad travel atop that berm, offering passengers prime views of everything inside – and nothing outside – the Park.

Of course, in the early days there wasn’t all that much to see: hills of dirt, scrappy little trees, unpaved service roads, distant power lines. As Disneyland matured and expanded, so did the view, but at first the tour focused almost exclusively on everything you ever wanted to know (and some things you didn’t) about the creation of this newest “Wonder of the World.” How much cement was poured? How much earth was moved? How many cars could you park in that big lot out front? (Oh, in case you’re wondering, the answers were: 32,000 sacks, 300,000 cubic yards, and 12,175. There, don’t you feel better now?)

Something New

In the year and a half that I've been writing this blog, I've had the pleasure of sharing a great deal of information with you about the Disney Parks. Some of it has been mined from the space between my ears. Other bits were culled from research both online and through my own collection of Disney books, magazines, newsletters, files and other items. What I've come to realize is that nowhere does there exist a single, comprehensive resource for information on the Disney Parks and their attractions.

Starting today, I'm setting out to change that. At the new DisneyShawn.com, I'm building a guide to Disney Attractions: Past, Present & Around the World. For starters, I have full articles on all of the original Main Street, U.S.A. attractions at Disneyland. Eventually, you'll be able to not only find out about everything at that park, but also link to similar attractions at the other Disney Parks. Think the Mad Tea Party is the same in every Magic Kingdom? Believe that if you've seen one Big Thunder Mountain, you've seen them all? Guess again.

I hope you enjoy your visits to DisneyShawn.com, and that you'll check back regularly as new articles are added. To paraphrase Walt Disney, "To all who come to this virtual place, Welcome. DisneyShawn is your site." I look forward to your feedback, questions, input, suggestions and even corrections (I'm not perfect, and I certainly don't know everything).

If there's an attraction you're especially curious about, let me know. I'll work on it next! If you have some great old pictures of an extinct attraction, I'd love to include them and give you credit. I already owe a debt of gratitude to Dave DeCaro for generously granting permission for inclusion of some of his vintage Disneyland photos. If you're not familiar with his site, be sure to check it out at Daveland.com.

Thank you all for the support and encouragement you've shown this blog. I look forward to sharing much more with you in future posts, Tweets, site articles and whatever other forums the future might hold.

Happy Birthday to You

Fifty-five years ago today, Walt Disney introduced the world to a completely new concept in family entertainment. Disneyland opened to considerable fanfare, as well as its share of problems. The park and its Cast overcame those early challenges and went on to become a phenomenal success, inspiring ten more Disney Parks and influencing everything from other theme parks to shopping malls.

We wish the happiest of birthdays to the "Happiest Place on Earth." Disneyland has only gotten better with age. May it always continue to be the precious jewel in the crown of the Disney Parks.

Class of '55

The overarching theme for the 50th anniversary of Disneyland was "The Happiest Homecoming on Earth." In keeping with the homecoming concept, each of the park's remaining original attractions was honored with a "Class of '55" plaque.

One vehicle on each attraction was also painted gold for the anniversary celebration. From a golden Dumbo (photo ©Disney) to a glistening teacup, lucky Guests had the opportunity to take a special ride on a classic Disneyland attraction that had been entertaining visitors for five decades.

For those who maybe missed out on landing a golden ride vehicle on the attraction itself, a few were placed out front as photo opportunities.

Several of the Class of '55 attractions are still in the park today:

Disneyland Railroad

Horse-drawn Streetcars

Main Street Cinema

King Arthur Carrousel

Peter Pan Flight

Mad Tea Party

Mr. Toad's Wild Ride

Snow White's Adventures

Casey Jr. Circus Train

Autopia

Mark Twain Steamboat

Jungle Cruise

Others, like Circarama and Space Station X-1, have since been retired. During the 50th Anniversary, though, one of those former attractions was highlighted with a vehicle display in the park. Back on the Big Thunder Trail was an original Disneyland Stagecoach, not far from the path it once shared with a team of Pack Mules on an exploration of the Painted Desert.