2 Fantastic Disneyland Scale Models
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There are not many scale models of Disneyland so when I come across one I'm like a kid at... Disneyland. The two shown here are particularly exciting.
OPENING DAY MODEL
The one on the left is on display in the Opera House on Main Street. If you remember the old lobby outside of Great Moments With Mr. Lincoln, there was an animatronic owl that used to talk to us as we waited, the model is now in his place. It shows us what the park looked like on Opening Day in 1955, to the best of anyone's knowledge. The model was created to commemorate the 50th anniversary of Disneyland and remains on display today for our enjoyment. The park was underdeveloped by today's standards but it was still oh so wonderful. It's fun to study and imagine was was (and wasn't) around when the gates first opened.
WALT DISNEY FAMILY MUSEUM DISNEYLAND MODEL - photo courtesy of MiceChat
A brand new model was recently unveiled to the Disneyland-loving world. It is the centerpiece of the new $100 million (family-funded) museum in San Francisco. This highly-detailed 12' model represents "the Disneyland of walt's Imagination". Translation: Disneyland as is was when Walt Died (1966) plus things he had in planning stages before his death which were later installed- Pirates, Mansion, Space Mountain, PeopleMover, etc. Check out Space Mountain. Just like the early concept art.
Related Links:
Walt Disney Family Museum on CBS Sunday Morning News
Inside Walt's World- Wall Street Journal report
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Disneyland, Scale Models, Walt Disney Family
Reader Comments (11)
Too bad we can't see these side by side in real life. I have not seen the second model but would love to have a couple of hours to study and photograph it. I love parts of it move.
Also, they went the extra mile by showing the insides of a lot of the buildings. Rock on!
A couple of exciting observations:
Check out the view of Rainbow Caverns. I like how they open up closed interiors, like you said Mitch.
Tomorrowland is in it's perfect perfect state, according to me.
Great Moments with Mr Lincoln- is that stage backwards? I know that's how it appears in some old souvenir maps, but why in the model? Either way, the model is fantastic.
Can I say this is some sort of PERFECT Disneyland? Can't think of any reason it's not.
Carousel of Progress, Mine Train Through Natures Wonderland, the Best Tomorrowland ever, Adventures Thru Inner Space, Skyway, etc etc.
If I could (and I wish I could) direct the formation of this perfect park in real life... this version we see in the model would be it- maybe with the addition of say... Splash Mountain, Country Bear Jamboree, maybe Pinnochio's Daring Journey.
The Mr. Lincoln stage is facing the other way. Wonder why. Either way you get the idea. Boy do I miss that experience, if for nothing else to be in the air conditioning and sit down for a while and feel patriotic. Not to mention you can look at a cool animatronic do it's thing.
I remember many years ago when working on Main Street, I'd sneak in the theater after hours to play with the Lincoln figure. I'd try to get other co workers to join in the fun. Some would, most refused. I think that was the first of many animatronics that I photographed and observed up close and the first face I touched. What a great moment. Of course this was followed by many many nights doing the same thing with pirates and ghosts and country bears and other creatures. Miss the good old days of walking wherever I felt like through a park of unlocked doors and lack of supervision.
I think it's neat that the museum is in San Francisco- many hours drive north of Disneyland and Burbank Disney headquarters. It seams a little less-touristy. I can imagine so-cal tourists comparing the museum to the parks and feeling it is therefor 'boring'. Losers.
I also am happy it is Disney family owned. Let's hope The Walt Disney Company never gets a hold of it. Who knows what stupid things they'll do to it. They'd probably triple prices every two years and have Stitch and Pocahontas or Aladdin outside signing autographs.
I'm loving the TOMORROWLANDS of both models. I'd take either one of those for either MK or DL. Please. Especially the second model with that cool space mountain and the '67 tomorrowland. If only!
.....and THIS should be the blueprint for an entire upgrade to Disneyland! It should be a museum! I think the one thing Walt Didn't get right was the idea that his staff could carry on his work after his death. Didn't happen. Disneyland should be the Walt Disney Family Museum!
The slackers who run the company now have plenty of other parks to screw up so why not?
California Adventure is a great dumping ground for Muppets and Pixar stuff and new-fangled ideas like Soarin' and Toy Story Mania. Disneyland would still have the ticket sales. People that appreciate a 'perfect park' can spend time at this version of Disneyland and everyone else can enjoy the experimental, unoriginal, and low-budget stuff at DCA. You can have new parades Disneyland. What the heck. That's where you'll experience Nemo and Pumba and stuff. Wait.. not sure I would even go for that. Then again, it's still a decent trade-off.
Went to the museum last Friday. it was an absolutely wonderful. I stood transfixed at this model for about a half an hour. it was one of the many highlights of the trip, along with Bill Tytla's Drawings from fantasia. The museum is a must see.
i've seen that model, and it is an ideal disneyland, but let me say that i prefer modern Tomorrowland, though i would like the Moonliner, Peoplemover, and house of the future, not to mention adventure thru inner space (relocated to where Buzz Lightyear is.) 70's space mountain exterior would be cool, but spruced up with some blues. The rest is fine.
The Disneyland model at the Disney family museum actually features all rides ever at Disneyland up to 1966, and all rides Disney had in planning. Don't believe me? Look. They've got the Moonliner.