Tell our stories with pictures

When you meet at Stanford in 1931, work together for almost fifty years, live with, or next door to, each other almost your entire lives, your mothers were born in the same small town of Tuscola, Illinois, and you first sons are born less than a week apart, some people might call you a multitude of names (among these might be eccentric, strange, creepy, etc.). If this happens to you, and your name happens to be Ollie Johnston or Frank Thomas, they call you Legends. Another thing this pair has in common is that they both retired on this day, January 31st, in the year 1978, just the way it should have been.

Beginning in 1934 and 1935 Frank and Ollie worked on twenty-three animated features, starting with Snow White. From Robin Hood to Bambi, Sword and the Stone to Fox and the Hound, and thousands of drawings in between, this dynamic duo worked endlessly, with well deserved places amongst Walt’s Nine Old Men. As an aside, there is also a poster with the names of Snow White’s Seven Dwarves with the addition of Frank and Ollie, so apparently they were part of two sets of Nine Old Men. Some of the best pairings ever to reach the screen was a result of Ollie and Frank’s relationship. The give and take is evident in the exchanges between the Doorknob and Alice, in Alice in Wonderland, the details in the expansion of Pinocchio’s nose, and the complex relationship of Captain Hook and Mr. Smee, in Peter Pan. If one were to question how they were able to elevate the art form, or why they stayed with it for so many years, you only have to look to the words of Frank himself, “Once you see the film of your drawings, then you’re hooked on animation.”

Though the pair seemed inseparable, they did have their own private hobbies. Like Walt Disney himself, Ollie Johnston has always been a man of the steam rails, and the trains that glide upon them. As for Frank, his place in Disney history, not only for animation, but for his contribution to the band the Firehouse Five + 2, which regularly made appearances at Disneyland.

Still, their animation was their hallmark, and they pairing of Frank and Ollie were second-to-none. Scenes like Bambi and Thumper on the frozen pond, Prince John sucking his thumb and clutching his ear, or Bernard’s apprehension, in The Rescuers showcase what John Canemaker called Frank and Ollie’s exemplary skill at “sincere emotional animation.” This style is almost palpable in the Jungle Book. The Jungle Book was almost, in a way, the first true challenge of the Nine Old Men, as Walt Disney had passed away during its production and, had the feature failed, the doors to Disney Animation surely would have closed. Yet, behind the work of Ollie and Frank, who completed over fifty percent of the animation themselves, the picture was a rampant success and the future of Disney Animation became very bright indeed. Viewing the scenes between Bagheera and Baloo, follwed by Baloo and Mowgli, when his return to the Man Village in imminent, on is left with the thought that this level of emotional attachment, to and for the characters, has never been, and will never again be, seen in feature animation.

So on this, their day of retirement, raise you voices and cheer for two of the finest Nine Old Men to ever place pencil to paper. Thank you Frank Thomas and Ollie Johnston!

Secure the blessings of liberty to ourselves and our posterity

Many presidents and foreign dignitaries have visited the various Disney properties throughout the years. In fact, at the Hall of Presidents, in Walt Disney World’s Magic Kingdom, the entire presidential lineage is available for viewing a multitude of times every day. While Lincoln, in his animatronic form, may have been seen more times at Disneyland and Walt Disney World, former President Richard Nixon has been in both Disneyland and Walt Disney World for poignant moments in Disney, as well as World, History.

On June 14th, 1959 then Vice-President Nixon, along with his family, dedicated the first Alweg Monorail at Disneyland. Though the first trip was a hijacking of sorts, Nixon, Walt Disney, and Nixon’s family were ferried around the .8 mile loop without any Secret Service aboard, and the scissors seemed determine not to cut through the ribbon at the opening ceremony, the future seemed bright for this attraction and Richard Nixon himself.

While in office, as President, Richard Nixon came under severe fire. The now immortal words, “I am not a crook,” offered by Nixon to the nation came from a speech he gave at Walt Disney World’s Contemporary Resort on November 17th, 1973. Though this had little to do with Walt Disney World itself, it did play an important role in the history of our nation.

Then, in May of 1982, a little over four months before EPCOT Center was to open, Nixon visited the property to see the work of tomorrow. This is almost poetic in a way, since he had been there at the dedication of the highway in the sky. After the visit Walt Disney CEO Card Walker received a note from Nixon stating, “I can't find the superlatives adequate to describe Walt Disney World and the upcoming Epcot Center project.”

While his politics, even in this day in age, may be questionable, President Nixon has left an indelible footprint on Disney property. It is enough to make one stop and wonder, no matter where you may be in the park, who else had tread in your very same footsteps, and what might they have to offer the world.

Dis-tionary

There are many terms that Disney uses, but there are also many terms that the Disney Community uses. Over the next few installments of Dis-tionary I am going to turn the reigns over to various friends of the community, allowing them to tell you, in their own words, just what the terms they have created mean. First up, George, from Imaginerding, and their marque lingo: Geek Love. Take it away George!

Disney Geek Love (dĭz'nē gēk lŭv) - The act of providing comments, feedback or general "How do ya do*" on a Disney-related blog. Usually positive in nature, Disney Geek Love is to let the author know that their work is appreciated and that they are loved in the Disney community. DGL Also allows the author to gage their work and create content that will be found interesting.
*Splash Mountain

Let’s get cooking

It’s a Saturday morning, and your weekend seems a little less than exhilarating, so how about whipping up some of my favorite Disney recipes. They’re sure to keep you entertained, one way or the other.


FLUBBER

Of Absent Minded Professor fame, not of, well, Flubber infamy. Who hasn’t wanted a batch of this stuff while sitting in traffic, going nowhere fast, late on a Friday evening. Well, now you can whip up your own and be on your way.

Combine:

Saltwater Taffy
Polyurethane Foam (1 dash)
Baker’s Yeast
Cracked Rice
Molasses

Boil until it lifts lid and says, “Qurlp”

THE DIP

For those of you who are more maniacal in nature, or just can’t bear seeing another Saturday Morning Cartoon running across your television screen, I offer you the diabolical draft of the dastardly Judge Doom, the Dip.

Ingredients:

1 Part Acetone
1 Part Benzene
1 Part Turpentine

Mix Well
Handle with Extreme Caution!

WALT DISNEY WORLD SOIL MIX

Okay, for those of us who are a little more grounded and a little less foul, this may be the recipe for us. True, we are still in the middle of winter, But spring is just around the corner and soon chilled Spring mornings will have many of us outside preparing our flower beds. So for those of you who wish you could make your garden a little more Disney, and a little less drab, see if this works a little magic in your planted patch.

Mixture:

50% Peat Moss
10% Green Bark Chips
40% Sand

For more information on gardening Disney style, I recommend Secrets of Disney's Glorious Gardens, by Kevin Markey.

Shining deep down inside

Sorry for the delay folks, the Main Street Gazette’s computer crashed last weekend, and we still don’t have it up and running yet. So, the articles may be a little more sporadic than I'd like for the time being, but I will strive to keep the quality up to a level that you expect.

It seems like the more I talk about wishes, some of them rather selfish, the more I find out about wishes. Today, I want to make any of my readers who don’t regularly read Grupmy's Hollow aware of a situation I think deserves all of the community’s attention and wish fulfillment. He has a nephew name Collin who is a very happy little boy, but who has a very serious disorder. I could go on, and probably flub a lot of what I have read, but I’d rather you read it from Ray.

While this has very little to do with Walt Disney World, Disneyland, or the Disney Community as a whole, I do believe that spreading magic when and where we can is not only a requirement of the Disney Community, it is also a requirement of the human condition. So, please go and read Ray's article and, even if you are unable to help yourself, pass this along to someone you know who might.

Now things really get going

Every time I see a road sign with ears, preferably purple with some red trim, I know I have arrived. Some people say the first Interstate sign that lists Walt Disney World is the moment for them, while others contend it is the Welcome archway, and there are a few who don’t feel like they have arrived until they see Cinderella Castle across the Seven Seas Lagoon. But for my part, a sign with mouse ears, some of which have arrows on one ear or the other, is the moment that swells my heart.

Not just anything

This community is truly a wonder at times. Ray, over at Grumpy's Hollow, recently discussed books he received from the Nerdy Brothers, as well as prints that his sister-in-laws’ children received from Tim Devine. Everyone has these types of magical stories, and I just received another one.

While taking about the wishes we all have the other day, I used an example of a piece of audio I had recently been scouring the internet for. As it turns out our good friend Doc, of Disney Obsession fame, or infamy, had a copy he had recorded that he was sending my way. Unfortunately, the email servers didn’t like the size of the file, and rejected the transfer. That’s when Doc stepped up to the plate and knocked on out of the park! As we speak a burned copy of the audio is on its way to my door. For those of you who share my pain of the eternal audio quests, you’ll understand just how excited I am.

So, once again, thank you Doc. You rock!

Unlocking the Spark

“The mind holds many secrets, many of these secrets are still a mystery to us,” the line was delivered with no emotion and immediately fell flat. The solemn and slouched man behind the podium brushed his reddish curls away from his eyes, and continued his lecture to a disinterested crowd, “Perhaps one day we will truly understand what our minds our capable of.”

Satisfied that he was preparing his Psychology students for the real world, where the tedious nature of science reigned, Dean Finder trudged back to his office. An eager student squirmed his way through the crowded hallways, trying to catch up to Dean Finder. “Dean Finder, Dean Finder,” he shouted out over the bustling crowds.

With a sluggish turn of his head Finder saw Billy Barty racing down the hall towards him, and he gave a deep sigh. Billy had been a thorn in his side since he had entered his classroom. His insistence that the true secret to the brain was its ability to imagine both practical and impractical ideas gnawed at Dean Finder, who knew that the untapped potential of the mind’s memory was the true riddle worthy of exploration.

“Dean Finder,” Billy gasped when he reached Finder, as he tried to catch his breath. “Dean Finder, I was just reading this article by Dr. McCann, and he says that…,” Billy’s ramblings were his trademark, but Finder was in no mood to humor the young man today, and abruptly cut him short.

“Billy, Dr. McCann is a quack, and his works should be taken as such,” he snapped in his typical dull pronunciation, and he continued his steady retreat to his office, leaving the boy stunned and stationary in the middle of the hall.

That night a terrible storm whipped up, filled with lightning and all the other elements that fill the various tales of fright. But Finder was not concerned and, in fact, went to bed early. But, just as he was beginning to nod off into a dream, his doorbell rang. He ignored it and rolled over. The bell chimed again, and then a third time. Grumbling, he got out of bed and began to stumble towards the door, without turning on a light. As he shuffled across the floor, Finder began to build up static electricity which, as any good man of science would know, has to find a way to discharge. As he reached for the doorknob the static found its release, and created an arc of electricity, shocking the Dean.

“What a spark,” he whispered, truly flabbergasted.

When he opened the door, there was no one there. Logically, he had taken too long to get to the door, and the person had left. But somewhere, deep within the secret places of his mind, the spark was skipping around, causing Finder to wonder if, just perhaps, there had ever been someone there at all, or that perhaps, just perhaps, instead of driving away, they flew away. These ideas, along with many others, continued to fumble through the Dean’s brain all through the night as he slept.

The next morning, Dean Finder decided he had bigger and better things to do than sit inside a stuffy lecture hall, and so he called in sick. His assistant, so shocked that the Dean had called in sick, continued to call his house throughout the day, to make sure he was still alive. Throughout the day, Finder had been reading, everything from Jules Verne to Dr. McCann, and sketching hurriedly. Finally, he could no longer contain his amusement, “Ho he ho, my dear girl, I am fine. I am simply…, I am simply…, well, I am creating creations!”

For the next several days he continued this process, but, not wanting to abandon his students, he sent articles along to his assistant to pass out to his class. There was never a mention of an exam, nor a date for when the students should finish reading these articles. Though these questions were raised, first by the students, then his assistant, and later the school itself, there was never a satisfactory answer, only gibberish about “marvelous new ideas.” The number of students attending class began to dwindle until, one day, only Billy showed up to class. Even Dean Finder’s assistant had stopped coming to class.

Billy decided it was time to check on Dean Finder, and more importantly, find out what had ignited his new view of the mind. He had heard rumblings of strange things going on near Finder’s house, but dismissed the reports, as any parent would dismiss their child’s account of the odd occurrences at the old spooky house on the hill. But, as he approached, he began to believe there was some truth to the reports he had been hearing. There, in the field beside Dean Finder’s house, was an excitable man, dashing about a contraption that was strapped to some sort of hot air balloon, laughing all the while. This man could have been Dean Finder, if not for the beard, purple suit, and all around pleasant nature.

As he drew closer towards the field, the man turned to greet him, “Hello there, Billy. It is so wonderful to see you,” spouted the purple clad man.

“Dean Finder?” question Billy hesitantly.

“Oh, heh ho ho, no no no no no, that name is far too plain! Please, call me the Dreamfinder,” he chuckled.

“Dream, finder,” Billy’s statement hinted at more of a question, as he was becoming more baffled, “What are you doing here?”

“Why, I am creating and searching, using my imagination!” he said with a twinkle in his eye, a twinkle usually reserved for paintings of Santa Claus.

“But Professor, I mean Dreamfinder, you said work on the imagination was garbage. You, you, you…,” Billy was at once, for the first time in his life, speechless.

“Billy, my boy, it was you who gave me the inspiration, that glimmer of something more. And I should thank you for it,” Dreamfinder said as he patted Billy on the shoulder, “Now then, I should be off.”

“Off, but wait! Dean, Dreamfinder, where are you going? What is this thing?” Billy’s uncertainty had been replaced with amazement.

“This is my creation, a dirigible if you will. I call it the Dream Vehicle, and this back here,” he said motioning to the large bulging sack connected to the rear, “is the Idea Bag. It is amazing what you can create with discarded ideas, innovative concepts, and a little digging.” To be honest, Billy thought the ‘Dream Vehicle’ looked more like a collection from the dumpster. He was sure there were pieces of a phonograph, portholes from some sailing vessel, old netting, a propeller, some oars, and a pressure cooker, and all of it seemed to be continually changing colors.

The Dreamfinder climbed up and into a chair mounted at the front of the device and began running his hands over the control panel. Slowly, and with much commotion, the Dream Vehicle began to lift into the sky. Racing towards the hovering craft, and shouting over the noise, Billy called to the Dreamfinder, “But where are you going?”

“Nowhere, everywhere, on a flight of fancy. I am going to search for anything that sparks the imagination and collect those ideas in the Idea Bag,” and with that he began humming a little tune to himself, slowly rising up into the air until he was a speck, and then gone.

Billy stood in the space that the Dream Vehicle had been occupying only minutes before, unable to move. Slowly, a smile filled with child-like wonder crept across his face, and he began to walk home, always looking to the sky and the stars beyond.

Let me serve it on up to you

The Main Street Gazette’s good friend, Eric Hoffman, has done it again! This time, he has updated the background with a real old-fashion tablecloth. Now you can truly sit down, sip on a cup of coffee or tea, and read the paper. Although I wouldn't recommend trying to set your cup down on this tablecloth!

You can’t hoot without an air hose

Fowl have a longstanding history with the Disney Company. One famously feathered friend even makes the cut for the Fab 5. But, of all the brethren of the beak, only one species tops the pecking order, the wise old owl. There have been stuffy teachers and know-it-alls, like Professor Owl from Adventures and Music and Owl from The Many Adventures of Winnie-the-Pooh respectively. We have also had our protectors in Big Mama, from Fox in the Hound, and Friend Owl, in Bambi. There are other owls in the Disney birdhouse, though the distant cousin of these stars, the accordion owl from Alice in Wonderland, is rarely invited to family reunions.

Inside today’s parks, owls are still present. From the true life variety, available for viewing inside of Disney’s Animal Kingdom, to Owl, of Winnie-the-Pooh fame, who has set up his nest in the Magic Kingdom. In fact, Owl has the distinction of possessing the deed to the land The Many Adventures of Winnie the Pooh. The deed was bestowed upon him by the previous resident, Mr. Toad, with photographic evidence of the event hanging upon the wall in Owl’s house. But there is one owl from the park, whose roots go back decades, which has not been seen, or heard from, in years.

Hoot Gibson, named after a silent film cowboy from the 1920s, was to have taken guests on a tour of the West on the permanently shelved attraction, the Western River Expedition (WRE). The Western River Expedition, part of what would have been called Thunder Mesa, in Frontierland, would have showcased rowdy cowboys, bandits, Native American rain dances, and even singing cacti. If this concept sounds vaguely like Pirates of the Caribbean, it should, as both were the brain children of Marc Davis, who set out to one up himself with the creation of Thunder Mesa. Yet, of all the designs for the project, only one ever saw the light of day, the tour guide of the West, Hoot Gibson.

When the Walt Disney Story attraction opened on Main Street U.S.A. in 1973, Hoot was there. He gave audiences who ventured through the post show a glimpse behind the scenes, a glimpse into the future, and a glimpse into his heritage by proclaiming, “My grandpa, for example, had one of the lead roles in Bambi.” Near the end of his dialogue he told guests to come back and visit him at the Western River Expedition, an expedition that never got underway. Hoot continued to proclaim the future of the western frontier until 1981, when the exhibit was covered over to make way for a preview of another coming attraction, EPCOT Center.

Hoot, along with the rest of Thunder Mesa, would have been a hoot. But though the feathered friends lost one of their own, I can’t imagine that we are too many years away from seeing another astute owl take wing.

For more information on Thunder Mesa, and the Western River Expedition, check out The Disney Mountains, by Jason Surrell, and Widen Your World.

Grant me my wish as well

We all have wishes. Dreams that we hold in our heart, heave towards the first star, and believe that they will come true. Some wishes are practical, wishing for a better job, some our romantic, wishing that your one true love will say yes when you propose, and some can only be classified as magical. These, more often than not, are Disney wishes, grand dreams, filled with exciting adventures, which are generally improbable. Wishes for a trip to Walt Disney World, to stay in the Cinderella Suite, to fly to Neverland, to see the future, to be a movie star, all of these fall under the guise of Disney Magic. Since magical is defined as created by, or as if by, magic we are given a wide brush with which to paint these wishes.

However, some of these wishes are created with the finest one-hair brushes. Wishes of this caliber are left to folks like you and me, the Disney geeks, experts, nerds, and gurus. They include yearnings like a piece of audio, a rare book, the search for a single rarely seen character, or a long lost cartoon or movie. Undoubtedly, we each have a list complied full of such rarities. And, like all wishes, once a wish comes true, we are shocked and excited. But then, just like that, we find a new wish on our list to dream about. I know that I, myself, searched for months for a single copy of Horizons’ full audio, wishing on many a star, and I almost passed out when I finally found it. Yet, today, as much as I loved finding that one piece of music, the one piece I wanted so very badly, I now wish I could find the entire soundtrack, with narration, for Impressions de France.

It’s a vicious cycle that lives in each of us, but finding new dreams to wish about is what life is all about. After all, according to the Jiminy Cricket, who presides over Wishes, “You’ll never run out of wishes. They’re shining deep down inside of you, because that, my friends, is where the magic lives.”

So, tonight, I want each of you to find one those dreams shining down in the depths that is you. If you haven’t examined it in a while, you may have to dust it off a little before it shines. Then, hold it close to your heart, find the first star that catches your eye, and fling your wish straight at your star. Who knows what magic you may find!

Looking back at tomorrow

Clearly, as the Beyond Today segment continues, we are fast approaching Horizons. For this article I not only wanted to show the technologies that were created, and the story designed, that made this attraction possible, but I also want to really focus on the human element. For this, I need your help. We all have our stories about this ‘Heart of Epcot’ attraction, and I would like to share your story, if you’ll allow me, with the rest of the readers. If you have a story you would like to share, by all means, please email it to me.

This article is still a few weeks away, so you have time to gather your thoughts, but please don’t think your story isn’t intriguing enough, because it is. I am interested to see just how, and in what way, Horizons has touched each of you, and I am sure there are others who are just as interested.

So, turning the tables a bit, I can’t wait to see what you all have in store for me!

They’re quick, and slick, and insincere

During this time of political unrest, with candidates jostling for position, and flipping their stance on issues, wouldn’t it be nice to have a candidate who is truly hungry? A candidate who isn’t afraid of their softer side? A candidate who really thinks? A candidate who readily admits he’s stuffed with fluff? Well my friends, then look no further, I give you Winnie-the-Pooh for President!

This would not be his first battle for the White House. This resident of the Hundred Acre Woods (by way of Anaheim which makes him an eligible candidate), who loves kissing babies I might add, has run several times before. Pooh first ran for president as part of On Stage U.S.A. in 1968. Again he ran in 1972, complete with Winnie the Pooh for President Day(s) at Disneyland during October. In 1976 Pooh even had a running mate, Eeyore, whose ingenuity and calm nature would have been a fine addition. Sadly, Pooh’s runs always came up short, due mostly to the smear campaigns claiming he was addicted to Hunny.

With rival publications jumping on candidates’ band wagons with their editorial endorsements, the Main Street Gazette has chosen its candidate. Winnie-the-Pooh is our man, or bear, in 2008!

You will see many familiar inhabitants

Disneyland’s Tomorrowland was just the beginning for George McGinnis. When the East Coast called, he answered, giving us attractions that are, even today, considered unique experiences and second to none. New technologies were implemented, familiar attractions were revitalized, and new boundaries were breached.

After work had been completed on the EPCOT Film, George McGinnis found his plate very full with the Walt Disney World Project beginning to take shape. Three projects stand out among the rest, the WEDway Peoplemover, 20,000 Leagues Under the Sea, and, an attraction created for both coasts simultaneously, Space Mountain.

At Walt Disney’s prompting, George McGinnis designed a model of the WEDway that could be used in the city of EPCOT. Unfortunately, the city would never be built as Walt had envisioned, but the dream of the PeopleMover lived on. Disneyland’s PeopleMover, with its rubber wheels, was able to make grade changes. That is, it could climb small hills and descend from them as well. The linear induction motor, used in Walt Disney World’s WEDway PeopleMover, had no such luxury. Though it was a marvel of engineering, the track was required to maintain the same grade throughout the entirety of the attraction, due to the close gap that had to be preserved. Yet, when the dust had settled from both Disneyland’s and the Magic Kingdom’s revamping of Tomorrowland, only one PeopleMover, under the guise of the Tomorrowland Transit Authority, remained.

Along with the development of the PeopleMovers George McGinnis also worked on the design of the Magic Kingdom’s 20,000 Leagues Under the Seas. Though the attraction would again be similar to its California counterpart, the design of the submarines used could not have been more different. Taking inspiration from the film starring Kirk Douglas and James Mason, George McGinnis crafted the designs of what the subs should look like and sent them on to Bob Gurr in Tampa, Florida, where the subs were being constructed.

Skipping ahead a few years, for the moment, another marquee attraction became the focus of McGinnis’ work, Space Mountain. Alongside legends like Marty Sklar, John Hench, Claude Coats, and Bill Watkins, George McGinnis became part of a team that dusted off the plans for a darkened space roller coaster, original planned for Disneyland in the 1960s, and gave the project a new star to follow in Florida. George McGinnis, the project’s concept designer, worked on the pre, and post shows, as well as other effects, such as the strobe tunnel.

Bill Watkins, who had worked on the track design for the Magic Kingdom, and George McGinnis were given the keys to Disneyland’s Space Mountain. McGinnis’ designs caused headaches for the actually engineers who had to implement his designs. These designs included a few effects that did not see the light of day, or rather the darkness of space, until the refurbishment of Disneyland’s Space Mountain in 2005. During the refurbishment McGinnis’ rotating tunnel finally got spinning, creating the effect that guests, and their vehicles, were actually turning over. Additionally, during the 2005 refurbishment, the ride vehicles were also redesigned, George McGinnis was again at the helm of these design changes. If the Disney Mountains are the Legends of attractions, then assisting in the creation of both Space Mountains surely warrants one man the status of Legend.

To work on Space Mountain George had had to move from Engineering to Show Design. But, his days of designing transportation were not yet over. Next time, with one foot in the past and one foot in the future, much like most of McGinnis’ designs, we’ll take a look at all the ways George McGinnis moved people. Until then, for those of us endeavoring for Disney to acknowledge George McGinnis as a Legend, let me share this little fact with you. Lillian and Edna Disney, Walt and Roy’s wives, respectfully, were not inducted as Disney Legends until 2003.

Beyond Today Bibliography

My original plan called for the Beyond Today articles to have a bibliography at the end of the series. However, after much demand, I have decided to update this bibliography with each installment. I will include a link to the updated bibliography with each new article. Happy reading and researching!

Part II – Your Mind Will Expand
George McGinnis on MousePlanet
WDW Radio Show - Episode 27
The Mighty Microscope
Adventures Thru Inner Space
Rocket Jets

Part III – You Will See Many Familiar Inhabitants
George McGinnis on MousePlanet
WDW Radio Show - Episode 27
20,000 Leagues Under the Sea
The Disney Mountains – Jason Surrell
Today in History: Disney – Eve Zibart

Part IV – In, through... and beyond
George McGinnis
The Black Hole Pre-Production/Concept Art
WDW Radio Show - Episode 27

Part V - Please hold onto the handrails
George McGinnis
George McGinnis on MousePlanet: Disneyland Mark V Monorails
George McGinnis on MousePlanet: Walt Disney World’s Mark VI Monorails
Realityland - David Koenig
Walt Disney Treasures - Disneyland: Secrets, Stories & Magic

Part VI - Challenges of the future
George McGinnis
Walt Disney's EPCOT - Richard R. Beard

Tale as old as time

Carly, a.k.a. that Disney girl, is getting married in a little less than a year. On top of that, her wedding will be held in Walt Disney World. For those of you who love watching those various wedding programs on the Style Network and We (I only know of these because my wife subjected me to them for the past year and a half), or Samantha Brown’s Travel Channel Disney exposes, may I offer to you a blog with smattering of both, the $20,000 (Disney) Wedding. It is definitely worth a look, even if you only wish her congratulations!

Looks like we got...

It’s a Friday night, let’s hope you haven’t spent too much time playing the Around the World game in Epcot before stumbling over to Studio 1 at Disney's Hollywood Studios. If that’s the case, you may just find yourself staring up here for a while, very confused, more than a little annoyed, and wondering when it will be your turn to win Simon Says.

Sir Edmund Hillary 1919 - 2008

Sir Edmund Hillary, a name may not ring a bell to you, passed away today (11 January 2008 in his part of the world). He wasn’t an Imagineer, or animator, or even an actor. So far as I was able research, he had no ties, whatsoever, to anything remotely Disney. Except this:Animal Kingdom’s Expedition Everest, to be more specific the mountain from which this adventure takes its name, Mount Everest. Sir Edmund Hillary was the first man to ever scale Mount Everest. He reached the summit on 29 May 1953. Even with such a tremendous task under his belt, he didn’t regard himself as a phenomenal climber, “I don’t regard myself as a cracking good climber. I’m just strong in the back. I have a lot of enthusiasm and I’m good on ice.”

A true explorer and legend, living true life adventures, what more could you really ask for out of any life.

Source

Freedom to move from one place to another

Imagine, if you will, that you are walking down a path in your local park (the parks with playgrounds and bike trails, not the parks with roller coaster mountains and Segways). As you are walking down this trail, probably trying to exercise a bit to keep yourself in good health, or preparing for your next grueling gauntlet of Walt Disney World walking, when suddenly a tree you have just passed comes to life and begins stalking behind you. I dare say you would need medical attention, at the very least you would need a new change of clothes.
Well, with all things possible in the World of magic, you can in fact be walking down a tree lined path and abruptly find yourself being tailed by an ardent arbor. Her name is DiVine, and she has put her roots down in Animal Kingdom. When I spotted this beauty back in October, she was making her way along the trail between Harambe and Anandapur. She had been wrapped around, like any good vine, a tall tree, and passerbys had paid her no real attention. That is until a teenage boy started screaming like a little girl when she began to unwind and move out onto the trail.

She moved gracefully, carefully minding the guests that surrounded her as she made her pilgrimage to another resting spot. I’d like to think of this as a metaphor in reverse for Animal Kingdom’s message of conservation. Rather than us being mindful of our environment, here was our environment protecting us from the damage her vines could have caused us.

Great, Big, Beautiful

I am not a fan of Fantasyland 2.0, I mean the current version of Tomorrowland. Some people go as far as to use the words hate and despise, but I’m not willing to head down that route just yet. The main argument against the current state of the future is that there are too many Disney, or Disney/Pixar, film characters infesting the land. Taking a look at Tomorrowland’s attractions give you an idea of just what percentage of the land has characters in it.

Tomorrowland Indy Speedway (No Characters)
Space Mountain (No Characters)
Astro Orbiters (No Characters)
Tomorrowland Transit Authority (No Characters)
Carrousel of Progress (No Characters)
Buzz Lightyear’s Space Ranger Spin (Characters: Disney/Pixar)
Stitch’s Great Escape (Characters: Disney)
Monsters, Inc. Laugh Floor (Characters: Disney Pixar)

Just based on number of attractions alone, not to mention the time spent in those attractions, and their queues, you have a character rate of 37.5 percent. Disney/Pixar characters hold a whopping quarter of Tomorrowland alone.

The arguments have been made that Fantasyland is, and has always been, the home to characters and their stories. Not to mention, the question has been raised of what these three attractions (Monsters, Inc., Stitch, and Buzz Lightyear) have in common with the future. To further understand the dispute, let us examine these questions further.


TO THE FUTURE

What, exactly, do a toy, monsters, and a furry alien have to do with the future?

Okay, well, the furry blue alien gets a pass on this point. Clearly life in space, our lives as well as extraterrestrial life, has always been a tale of the future. The main anxiety with Stitch is that he is a Disney film character inside of Tomorrowland, which we will discuss a little later. The other concern Stitch raises, which is of no concern here, is that there are people who believe the original incarnation of this attraction, Alien Encounter, was a far better story. This is a debate best saved for another day.

Buzz Lightyear and his Space Ranger Corp., however, do pose a threat to the status quo of Tomorrowland. No matter how you dress it up, all of the characters portrayed here are toys. Plastic action figures have been around longer than I have; there is no news from the future here. The saving grace this attraction has is that you are hurtling through space into battle against Zurg with lasers. Space travel, and lasers, are other hopes, or fears depending on your view, for the future. While not as strong of a tie to the future as a furry blue alien, space travel does have more of a stake in Tomorrowland than say a ride examine the pleasures of jetting off to exotic locales in a jumbo jet.

Monsters, Inc., and their Laugh Floor, seems totally out of place in Tomorrowland. Aside for the fact that the Monsters (and Imagineers) are showing off their new technology, there is not one thing to persuade me to believe this attraction belongs in Tomorrowland.


TO SHARE THE STORY

Characters are not the future, putting aside Nemo and his friends and Simba and his friends, who have taken up residence in Future World at Epcot. But taking a step back, and peering deep at just the Magic Kingdom, the home for characters and their beloved stories has always been Fantasyland. From Dumbo to Peter Pan, Snow White to Mickey Mouse, and even a Pooh or two, no character has ever been discouraged to tell their tale here.

So why then did Stitch, Buzz, and Mike and Sully choose to disregard this time honored tradition and pull a fast one to the future? Well, perhaps it is because they felt more at home among the stars and speedways, or perhaps they thought Fantasyland was a little overcrowded and they wanted room to spread out, or perhaps, and this appears to be the most likely, is was that this time honored tradition had not been so time honored before. That’s right, the tradition of characters staying put in Fantasyland had been broken before, on one occasion with true success.

Excluding Mickey’s Toontown Fair for obvious reasons, characters have secretly been out and about in other lands for years. In Adventureland, The Magic Carpets of Aladdin, have been circling the bazaar since 2001. Though this sly move by the street rat is actually predated by both Stitch and Buzz Lightyear’s moves, it is not discussed with as near the amount of venom as the attractions of Tomorrowland are.

But the first, and most successful, character to jump from Fantasyland was Br’er Rabbit and his felonious associates. When the critters of Splash Mountain popped up in Frontierland in 1992 it was not to boos, hisses, and calls to ‘go home,’ no, it was to thunderous applause, screams of joy, and enough laughin’ to fill up the Laughin’ Place. To this day one of the most frequented attractions is Splash Mountain. Whether that has to do with the fact that it is a Disney Mountain, a flume ride, a thrill ride, or a tremendous example of Imagineering storytelling is beside the point here. This is a much beloved attraction, and no one goes around complaining that it does not belong in Frontierland because of the characters involved.


So we are clear, I would, and did, visit a Tomorrowland with The Timekeeper, Alien Encounter, and Dreamflight a hundred times before I stepped foot in the current embodiment of Tomorrowland. I would even stake out a spot in line to see Mr. Johnson and his spaceflight again, before I would say I thoroughly enjoy Monsters, Inc. Laugh Floor. Just so we’re clear, I do not love what the characters on Tomorrowland’s main thoroughfare have done to my dreams of the future. But, there is no reason that the characters should not be allowed to stay. They are family friendly, and child recognizable, and the Magic Kingdom was never created to cater to adults, not even those who spent their lives growing up in the parks. The characters, and their stories, can all make claims to embodying a piece of the future, even if it is a stretch for some of them. And, the characters themselves, clearly have a right to be there, and should never be relegated to Fantasyland, just because the majority of characters have always heralded Fantasyland as home.

To those of you, like me, who wish for a better tomorrow, or Tomorrowland, as the case may be, just wait. Remember all those families that were extremely displeased with the sheer terror Alien Encounter caused their children? Walt Disney World listened, and soon enough there was a change in Tomorrowland. And, if that idea isn’t enough for you, just remember Walt Disney. How many times has he been quoted on Disneyland as a piece of clay, or how the parks will never be finished because they will always be changing? These words, instilled in those who build the dreams, have become their mantra. Which means, sooner or later, Tomorrowland will go through another renaissance. And I cannot wait to see what that future has in store for us.