Bloghttp://www.imagineeringdisney.com/blog/en-US2010-03-11T01:31:24ZSquarespace Site Server v5.9.2 (http://www.squarespace.com/)The Era of Big and Tackyhttp://www.imagineeringdisney.com/blog/2010/3/5/the-era-of-big-and-tacky.htmlAdmin2010-03-06T03:03:53ZIs the era of oversized fiberglass objects over?  I think so.

I can appreciate a well-sculpted, well-painted, larger-than-life object used as a design element as much as the next guy… but where is the line drawn?  It started in the mid 90’s.  I’m not quite sure what started the trend, I only remember these things started to pop up everywhere.  We've seen very few of these recently.  Think about it.  The American Idol show would have had an 80 foot microphone stuck to the building if it opened in 2002.  I, for one, am happy to close this chapter in theme park history.


Top Ten List of Big and Tacky.


10)  Carousel of Progress Sign

A big gear to go along with the 1994 redesigned Magic Kingdom Tomorrowland.  In an attempt to make the land a little more industrial (for some reason), these huge gear shapes were implemented, including the pastel-colored shapes on the Carousel building itself.

 

9)  California Adventure’s Big Orange

Something about bees flying around the inside of an orange and you are the bees, sitting in revolving swings?  If you didn’t get a chance to hang out in this thing, I’m not sorry to announce it’s no longer there.  The rendering on the right depicts "The Silly Symphonies Swings", to replace the orange.

 

8)  Sorcerer’s Hat

No, it’s not “Sorcerer Mickey’s hat”.  The hat in the famous Fantasia short belonged to the actual sorcerer, not to Mickey Mouse.  Mickey was the lowly apprentice who stole the hat.  Ok.  This is one of the biggest of history’s big and tacky pieces.  Big enough to intentionally cover the view of the Chinese Theater (for some reason) and big enough to house a pin gift shop.

 

7)  Aerosmith Guitar

Well-crafted and hideous at the same time.  At least it’s at Hollywood Studios, right?  Probably part of the attempt to “reach the younger crowd.”  Awesome.

 

6) Astro Orbitor

A terrible entrance to a once beautiful land and a destroyer of the aesthetics of a once beautiful Hub.  But it's shiny.

 

5)  Pink Cinderella Castle Cake

I love this one.  Even the most mindless lover of anything Disney can agree that this is a big pink nightmare.  Ok, there are people who actually miss it.  I must say there is one redeeming quality to this big, partially inflatable, fake candy-covered, cake castle-  it was always intended to be temporary.

 

4)  All-Star Resorts

Wow.  This is the Holy Land for lovers of big and tacky messes.  And for high school groups needing on-property rooms for $79 a night.

 

3)  POP Century Resort

This is higher on my list than the All-Stars for one reason-  large wording on the side of the hotel buildings such as “Far Out!”, “Cool Dude”, “Awesome”, "Radical", “Groovy”, and other classy terms written 40 feet long.  It really is “awesome”.

 

2)  California Adventure’s Post Card Entrance

This is number 2 on the list because it involves AN ENTIRE ENTRANCE TO A THEME PARK.  And no one really notices what it is- it’s suppose to look like a thousand foot post card.  It’s being removed soon as part of the DCA revamp, and thank you for that.

 

1)  Mickey Hand on Spaceship Earth

A big giant joke.  “It will make kids like Epcot more.  Uhh huh.  Yeah.  This makes the top of the list because it desecrated one of the greatest theme park icons of all time.  I remember everyone saying “They can’t take it down 'cause it will affect the structural integrity of the big ball.”  WHAT?  The “big ball” had no problem standing on it’s own for 2 decades before Mickey’s hand came along.  Oh and take a look… it only looks like it’s connected but it doesn’t even touch SSE.  Thank you for taking this Disney World landfill.

 

Note:  The reason DHS's Toy Story Mania (with all the big toys everywhere) did not make the list is for the fact that the story is about small objects surrounded by seemingly large objects..

]]>After All It's a Step in the Right Directionhttp://www.imagineeringdisney.com/blog/2010/3/2/after-all-its-a-step-in-the-right-direction.htmlLilly Belle2010-03-03T06:52:50ZAnimation Glen Keane John Lasseter Princess and the Frog RapunzelThoughts on "The Princess and the Frog", "Tangled", and the future of Disney Feature Animation.

By Lilly

After letting it sink in for a few weeks, I went and saw Disneyʼs The Princess and the Frog for the second time. This time I tried my darnedest to watch with less critical eyes.  After all, it is in 2D. After 5 years, I think I join many Disney fans in saying thank you (itʼs about time).

Now I have to admit, even after the second viewing, Disneyʼs The Princess and the Frog isnʼt my favorite movie of all time, it seemed a bit formulated to me (African American + Princess + a Prince with a personality + songs by Randy Newman = demographics and ratings–and was it just me or was Tiana a black version of Belle?), but Iʼll take it. The animation looked great and I thought the talent was excellent particularly Anika Noni Rose and Keith David–they sound great. And despite my petty thoughts on the plot, Iʼve read reviews, reviews and more reviews that rave about the plot, the characters and the whole experience. Well, I donʼt think weʼre quite there yet, but I guess I wonʼt complain too much.

I hope Disney also wonʼt complain too much. A $25 million opening weekend  may not have been a complete blow out, but it wasnʼt a crash either and I suspect so many positive reviews (itʼs rated 84% on Rotten Tomatoes) will give Disney plenty of continuing revenue, proving 2D animation still has its place in the world. I just wish this news would have reached them before they decided these beautiful concept drawings of Rapunzel, or should I say Tangled as it is now called, should be taken to the computer instead of the drawing board.

However, the filmʼs previous director, Glen Keane, has said although Rapunzel/Tangled will be in 3D, it is being designed to feel more like a traditional hand-drawn Disney Classic. Animators for this film will use a non-photorealistic rendering technique which will make the surface look like it is painted but still contain depth and dimensions. Well, I guess weʼll see. I can only hope the reason the filmʼs release date continues to be delayed is because they are making marvelous changes. Iʼll wish a star tonight that that is the case. At least theyʼve bagged the idea of intermingling it with the modern world back when it was entitled Rapunzel Unbraided. Whew, that would have been a catastrophe.

Overall, my greatest desire is that Disney will continue to take steps in the right direction. Hopefully we can put the days of The Wild, Chicken Little, Home on the Range, Brother Bear and Treasure Planet behind us. As Princess Tiana said, “Weʼre Almost There!”

 

]]>Comparing Disney Parks From the Airhttp://www.imagineeringdisney.com/blog/2010/2/22/comparing-disney-parks-from-the-air.htmlAdmin2010-02-23T05:51:46ZClick to Enlarge

I always hear how Disneyland is SOOO much smaller than the Magic Kingdom.  I always felt that it was not THAT much smaller geographically.  Some say the World Showcase Lagoon can fit another park within it's shores.  Either way, here is a look at the domestic Disney parks from high up in the air.  

These are all shown at the same scale, according to bing.com/maps, which I imagine is not one hundred percent accurate, but close enough.

]]>Why the Decline in Park Maintenance?http://www.imagineeringdisney.com/blog/2010/2/20/why-the-decline-in-park-maintenance.htmlLilly Belle2010-02-20T21:05:17Z
Article and photos by Lilly

Words cannot describe the passion I feel about how important the upkeep of all Disney Parks is to me. I write specifically about Disneyland and Walt Disney World.

Then

When I was young I used to walk around the Disney parks in complete amazement at how incredibly spotless the parks always were. No chipping paint, no gum on the ground, not even a candy wrapper could remain on the ground for more than a few seconds before it was whisked away by a smiling custodian.
When I went to high school my friends used to challenge me on this. They didnʼt believe the parks were as spick-and-span as I made them out to be. Finally, Disneyʼs Magic Music Days allowed me the chance to prove all of my friends wrong. I invited them to find chipping paint or trash anywhere. To their astonishment, I was right and I gloated about it the rest of the trip. I felt such a sense of pride, as if the parks were kind of mine
in way.
The most impressive instance I experienced was at Disneyland over the millennium. I remember looking around the parks on New Years Eve in astonishment and horror. The park was at capacity, tens of thousands of people were crammed into every corner of the park and they had trashed the place. After the countdown and fireworks, I saw that in order to get a closer spot to see the fireworks, the crowds had trampled every flower bed in the hub area. Garbage was everywhere: party hats, confetti, popcorn. Not only were the queues destroyed, but the rides themselves had trash and crap thrown everywhere. The mummy chamber in the Temple of the Forbidden Eye had confetti all over, I remember someone had thrown a box of popcorn all over a scene in one of the dark rides. Not only was the park trashed, but it was open until 3am that morning, leaving cast members a mere 6 hours to attempt to get that park looking half way decent before the park reopened at 9:00am the next morning.
 
I was one of the first to enter the park that day, January 1, 2000. Bright and early at 9:00am, cast members walked us to our favorite attractions. I was overwhelmed when I realized the park not only looked decent, it was sparkling as if the millennium had never happened. The floors were swept and mopped, the flower beds had been completely replanted, and not a kernel of popcorn or spec of confetti could be found anywhere. I
was literally in awe.
That was the last time I had that experience.

Now

Here are a few shots of what the parks look like now. These shots are from Disneyland, but I can assure you I have plenty from Walt Disney World as well.
You may wonder, what happened? How could a company go from being completely meticulous to seemingly careless? Well, the problem really isnʼt a terrible secret. The fact is, it all comes down to money, management and a change of culture.

 
Money

A well-tenured cast member once told me that they used to completely renovate each park every few years. The last time they did this several years ago, it costed them upwards of 5 million dollars to renovate the Magic Kingdom alone to the extent they had in previous years. Simply put, people high up in the ranks decided it was no longer cost effective to put that much money into the upkeep of the parks.

Management

This is a big one for me. The complete lack of a competent management staff has lead to more problems than just the lack of upkeep. I cannot count the amount of times I have seen cast members assigned to cleaning or maintenance lounging around, taking ridiculously long breaks, or even sleeping on the clock. Not only does management not seem to understand or teach structure and work ethic, but they lack positive reinforcement and encouragement as well. This can easily be seen in the faces of todays cast members.

Change of Culture

More than lack of management or the desire to fund renovation, the lack of culture is what truly prevails as the leading cause of this problem in my mind. I remember speaking with a maintenance cast member I held in high regard one day while walking around the parks before hours. He had been working for Disney 20 plus years and was heavily involved in several park openings around the world. He now worked Fantasyland and Tomorrowland. I had gotten comfortable enough with him that I felt I could truly share my disappointments along with my passion and drive to want to change things. He loved my passion about the parks and the company and had spent many hours explaining to me what features and abilities the attractions used to have
versus what they have now, how things worked, and what maintenance was required for all the attractions he worked on.
On this particular day I was feeling gutsy. I told him I had noticed that he and his coworkers spent so much time taking long brakes and slowly tinkering with things when they knew very well that the park wasnʼt running even close to the maintenance level it should be and I wondered what it would take to get this group of cast members to care again. His answer saddened me deeply. He told me there was a time when he felt as
passionately about the subject as I did. He said he used to come to work with excitement, joy and enthusiasm to work on these amazing attractions. He felt respected and knew how important his job was. However, the past few years had changed him. He told me there are only so many times you can turn to your superiors and tell them what needs to happen and where money needs to go before you realize your thoughts, opinions and years of experience are falling on deaf ears. Itʼs hard to care about something your superiors couldnʼt care less about. It hurt to care and after a while he couldnʼt care anymore. Few of his coworkers had worked there as long as he and the new ones picked up on the apathy quickly. So, it continues downward without anyone to stop this dismal cycle or the deterioration of my beloved parks.
]]>Love, Hate, and John Lasseterhttp://www.imagineeringdisney.com/blog/2010/2/15/love-hate-and-john-lasseter.htmlMitch2010-02-15T18:36:58ZThe theme park savior we've been waiting for?
Or is that impossible... even for Lasseter?


“The Next Walt Disney,” a title attached to John Lasseter a few years ago, admittedly had me excited. No, I never for ten seconds thought he’d hold a candle to Uncle Walt, but compared to the other clowns trying to run Walt’s company, Lasseter appeared to be the theme park savior we geeks had been waiting for.

Among the many differences between Walt and John, one is more important than all others. Lasseter is a creative genius who is trying to fix what has already been done with the Disney parks. Walt Disney was a creative genius who did what had never been done. “Hold on. JL pioneered CG animation, something that had never been done.” Yes. He sure did. And he did a bang-up job. In the world of CG animation, he is king. Allow me to be clear on one thing: Two thumbs up for the accomplishments of Pixar and their brilliant leaders, including JL. We are talking about theme parks though.

Lasseter has, with help from Jobs, Catmull, and others, built what is quite possibly the only existing near-perfect creative environment… no thanks to the Eisner Disney Company. Can a similarly creative and successful environment be established at WDI? I have spent time at the Pixar Animation Studio. I walked the halls, seen their creative process, and mingled with talent. I was delightfully overwhelmed at the amount of talent oozing out of the place. I worked off-site on a few small Pixar marketing projects. I met with Lasseter both at Pixar and at the parks. We spoke of animatronics, animation, and even about his and my careers. His face lights up when you talk about Disneyland . He enjoys talking about the time he worked as a Disneyland custodian and Jungle Cruise Skipper. He couldn’t be more genuine and passionate about so many of these things.

The Pixar studio itself radiates a sense of passion. In the animation wing of the Pixar building, Disneyland memorabilia artfully clutter every hallway (along with other cool memorabilia). The big “D” from the old Disneyland sign on Harbor Blvd. is there. Props and themed offices are everywhere, including at least two offices with secret passages. A set of actual Chuck E. Cheese animatronic figures greet you around one corner. It is a wonderland second only to W.E.D of the 1960’s. One thing is for sure. The appreciation for Walt Disney’s legacy does not go unnoticed.

Photo from the Los Angeles Times


Lasseter’s office (next to Steve Jobs’ simple-as-can-be office with one desk, two chairs, an iMac and notheing else) is a perfect reflection of everything he is passionate about. Looney Toons animation cells, stuffed Miyazaki animated characters, an original Sunday Peanuts comic strip signed and gifted to him by Schulz himself, original Lucas Films artwork, toys galore, Pixar stuff of course, and an impressive collection of old and new ViewMasters and slides. A collection of model trains on one wall and on another wall, a photo of JL with “Nine Old Men” famed animator, Ollie Johnston at the Disneyland Railroad tracks next to the full-sized train Ollie sold to JL. One thing really caught my eye. A stack of “Extinct Attractions” DVD documentaries. Hmmm. Clearly, no lack of love for what I consider the right way to run a Disney theme park.

A return to the old-school? Jim Hill Media reported a couple years ago that Lasseter wanted to fix Journey Into Imagination. Journey was one of the documentaries in his office. He was reported to have wanted Western River Expedition to be built at Hong Kong Disneyland, DCA or elsewhere. After reading this I mentioned it to Marty Sklar. Marty hadn’t a clue that Lasseter ever mentioned such a thing. He said “I highly doubt that would ever happen. That thing is too expensive.” That thing? I got the impression that Marty wasn’t on-board for any more glorious animatronic-filled attractions. He also mentioned, “Mickey Mouse Review was boring.” Oh and he too threw in the “they say John Lasseter is the next Walt Disney” line while we were conversing.

I lose no sleep at night pondering the future of Pixar Animation. It’s exactly where it should be and I love it. I do however fear the path Disney theme parks are on.

Questions. Are the Sklars of the Disney Company the ones who are holding Lasseter back? Is it the notion that today people won’t respond to how things used to be done? Is the (false) doctrine of “Pixar is the only thing that sells” the only thing driving new development? Has Lasseter bought into the idea that more and more Pixar attractions need to fill the parks because no other Disney-related entertainment has been successful lately? Are Lasseter’s theme park tastes influenced too heavily by his involvement with Pixar animation? Are we to settle for Pixar-based attractions that slightly resemble classic rides?

One concept pitched and green-lit was the idea of a hub-cap flying saucer attraction for the new DCA Cars Land. The Imagineers said they were excited to see what JL had to say about a ride inspired by an old-school Tomorrowland attraction. He was impressed.

To be fair, a lot of the ($1.1 billion+) DCA improvements are not Pixar-based. JL is championing the effort to bring more heart, soul, and emotional impact to the life-lacking park. Thank you for that.

Answers (according to me): In a nut shell, the current philosophies of Disney management prevent Lasseter from doing certain things he’d love to do. When two ideas are presented- one that completely appeals to nerds like you and me (fixing Journey, Western River Expedition, etc.), and one based on something that recently made $800,000,000 at the box office- you can guess which will win.

So here we have it. John Lasseter loves good-quality Disney. He also likes Pixar stuff in the parks. He also has bosses who like to say “no”. He also is spread like too little butter over too much toast. He also has a wreck of an animation studio (Walt Disney Animation) to fix and a thriving animation studio (Pixar) to help maintain.

So love, hate, and John Lasseter… Love his passion. Love his successes in the CG animated industry. Love his potential to positively influence what I hope can be a new generation of Imagineering. But by golly, I hate singing fish and joke-cracking monsters in Tomorrowland. Hate Woody dancin’ around the Diamond Horseshoe Saloon, or even worse, Woody and pals (and any other character for that matter) in “it’s a small world”. And I will hate to be an old man at a Disneyland that doesn’t resemble the Disneyland I knew as a young child.

]]>Fantasyland Expansion Model.http://www.imagineeringdisney.com/blog/2010/2/9/fantasyland-expansion-model.htmlFritz2010-02-10T03:59:08ZCLICK TO ENLARGE 
I love to look at scale models, especially ones of theme parks.  I made scale models for a living for a couple years and ever since I can't pass up a chance to study a good model.

What do I think of the new Magic Kingdom Fantasyland expansion, you ask?  Mixed feelings.  

In a nutshell:  I'd rather have 20,000 Leagues Under the Sea still in this space, no doubt about it.  I am thrilled they are ripping out Mickey's Toontown Fair (a pathetic excuse for a land). I am not thrilled with the emphasis on character meet-and-greets.  I do like the idea of an omni-mover Little Mermaid ride (believe it or not).  I do not like the idea of a Dumbo interactive area, simply for the fact that Disney has not a great job with anything interactive since Communicore (opened in 1982) -and- it doesn't seem to fit Fantasyland well.  Two Dumbos... that's pretty cool.  I do like the extensive 'theming' as most people would call it.  The design is pretty.  The stories are separated.  Anyone who reads this blog knows that character cross-overs the bain of my existence.  Thank you, Imagineering/Entertainment for not making a "Princess House" or some junk like that where they all hang out together.  Thank you for that.

More thoughts to come, but for now, a cool-looking scale model to look at.  A couple of other (even greater) models to look at here.

What are your thoughts?

]]>ABANDONED DISNEY: MK Fantasyland Skyway Towerhttp://www.imagineeringdisney.com/blog/2010/2/6/abandoned-disney-mk-fantasyland-skyway-tower.htmlAdmin2010-02-06T20:24:22Z

Ahhh the Skyway.  There was something about seeing the Magic Kingdom (or Disneyland) from the air.  There is something magical about spitting on the heads of tourists below.  There was something about large industrial-looking metal poles in the middle of a charming European storybook village.  But like many things we grew up loving, Disney pulled the plug on this exciting attraction/mode of transportation.  You'll often hear, "It's because someone died.  That's why they closed it."  Sorry, but death is not enough for Disney to shut something down.  (Doesn't Mission:Space kill someone once a week?).  Attractions that "don't affect attendance" and ones that give guests a view of dirty rooftops that cost money to clean... that's a different story.

 

Hi there, Dopey.  Don't you just love when a cool ride gets turned into a character meet-and-greet?  (20.000 Leagues Under the Sea queue).  Or stroller parking? The Skyway to Tomorrowland ended up being both.  Only thing left, a gift shop.  There's got to be a way to take iconic, world-changing, multimillion dollar, works-of-art attractions and turn them each into an all-in-one  toddler playground/character meet/gift shop/stroller parking lot/boring touch screen exhibit/cement walkway.  Just a thought.

 






What's with all the cables?  The lower right photo has a power box with "SNOW" written on it.  Snow, as in Snow White?  Snow White's Scary Adventure is a hundred yards away.  I have no clue.

 

NOTE:  Do not attempt to enter the Skyway tower without permission.  These images and video were taken 2-3 years ago with permission.   I do not know the current state of the tower, nor have I been back since.

]]>ABANDONED DISNEY: River Country [Part 3]http://www.imagineeringdisney.com/blog/2010/2/1/abandoned-disney-river-country-part-3.htmlFritz2010-02-02T03:36:48Z

 

This excellent map is from 1993.  I love the woodcut style.  I always love designs with choice, limited color palettes.  Even the Goofy artwork matches the rest of the design.  Thank you, Mr. Gibson for the scans!

 

 




I suppose the canoes are from Fort Wilderness recreation.  The basketball hoop, for cast members.  Reminds me a little of the run-down basketball rim bolted to a wooden staircase in top portion of the Matterhorn.  That too has been quite abandoned.  The cage-like wooden boxes (seen in the last two photos) made me wonder if they came from Discovery Island.  Who knows.

[Part 1]  [Part 2]

]]>Videos. Vintage WDW and Disneyland Videos.http://www.imagineeringdisney.com/blog/2010/1/27/videos-vintage-wdw-and-disneyland-videos.htmlAdmin2010-01-27T05:08:00ZLet's thank our lucky stars for the unassuming fathers and mothers who had undying desires to film their families at Disney parks in decades past.  Let's be even more grateful to those who filmed less of their kids and more of the parks themselves.  
 

I stumbled upon this collection on Vimeo a while back and rather enjoy what this man has put together.  Martin started filming WDW in 1978 with no knowledge of how valuable that footage would become.  He provides a number of 'Ultimate Tributes' to things that catch my attention such as The Rivers of America WDW , Kitchen Kabaret, If You Had Wings and Dreamflight,  Carousel of Progress 75-94, American Adventure 82, and so much more.


Another great collection that I've loved for even longer is that of Widen Your World with their collection found on their YouTube Channel.  I can't imagine Martin and every other Walt Disney World history nut not depending on Widen Your World as the ultimate source of early WDW information.  Spending countless hours in WDW archives I've witnessed first-hand that the Disney Company itself depends on WYW as it's ultimate source of early WDW.  Celebrated director of the Walt Disney Archives in Burbank, Dave Smith, has referred me to the WYW site more than once.


Among my many favorite videos on this channel are Mickey Mouse Review Show Segments 1977, Mr. Toad's Wild Ride Track A and Track B, Space Mountain Movies Circa 1978 and 1981, 20,000 Leagues Under the Sea Port Ride Through 1990, and Disneyland Walt Disney Story Pre Show Owl.  (Yes there is great Disneyland stuff on this channel too.)

And as we've mentioned a number of times, Mesa Verde Times has an excellent collection of videos of guys sneaking around Horizons sets while the ride is in operation... if you are into that (I am!).

]]>Jungle Cruise Commercialshttp://www.imagineeringdisney.com/blog/2010/1/16/jungle-cruise-commercials.htmlAdmin2010-01-16T18:29:48ZAnimatronics Commercial Jungle Cruise Talking Jungle Cruise AnimalsFun.  I'm kinda surprised they went with an old-school attraction for this spot.  Not gonna complain.  At first I thought Donald Duck would jump out of the river water and Snow White would be skippering the boat, but it turns out to be pretty tasteful.  Check out the superimposed castle behind the elephant pool.


Florida


California

]]>ABANDONED DISNEY Serieshttp://www.imagineeringdisney.com/blog/2010/1/9/abandoned-disney-series.htmlAdmin2010-01-09T19:52:34ZAbandoned Disney Animatronics Carousel of Progress HorizonsUPDATED 1-10-10 (with additional photos and text)


Announcing:  A new ongoing series featuring the parts of Disney theme parks we grew up loving, left to rot and decay.
 

We already featured ABANDONED DISNEY: River Country [Part 1] and [Part 2] and look forward to Part 3.

We welcome any photos you may have that fall into this category.  We are looking for photos of abandoned rides, ride vehicles props, animatronics, etc.

Don't worry- there will always be a never-ending supply of the 'abandoned'.   We all know about the ever more powerful attractions chopping block with a line-up of classic, world-changing, fantastic rides just waiting their turn on this theme park death row.  It really warms the heart.

-----------------------------------------

To officially get this series going, we present to you some abandoned animatronic figures from our favorite futuristic adventure, Horizons (a ride abandoned only long enough to pull up the wrecking ball).

 

 
 

Where are they now?  These naked animatronics are piled up under The Carousel of Progress.  Yep, in the basement of the C.O.P building directly under one of the stages.  The Carousel of Progress in it's round building is divided into 6 pie-shaped pieces- one for each of the 4 acts plus 2 small stages for load and unload.  Under these stages are pie-shaped maintenance and storage rooms.  Remember, the center portion of the building is stationary.  Only the outer portion with seating rotates.

One (somewhat) redeeming part of this story is the fact that these figures are not completely abandoned.  Their parts are used for the C.O.P family.  I imagine some of these pieces are from other attractions.  If you think you recognize any of the parts, let us know!

Photo of Horizons dad decorating cake courtesy of Mesa Verde Times.  Thank you Hoot and Massimo for identifying some of the above animatronics!


Look for more 'Abandoned Disney' post coming soon.

]]>Painting Animatronicshttp://www.imagineeringdisney.com/blog/2010/1/5/painting-animatronics.htmlAdmin2010-01-05T05:15:56ZAnimatronics Chicken Hall of Presidents PaintingThis looks like fun.  Once upon a time I (not pictured) painted animatronics.  I used paint on my brushes because I was not as good as these ladies who could paint without paint.  And you've gotta paint a president's face from over his shoulder- remember that.

(Scanned from the book, One Day at Disney)

]]>ABANDONED DISNEY: River Country [Part 2]http://www.imagineeringdisney.com/blog/2010/1/3/abandoned-disney-river-country-part-2.htmlFritz2010-01-03T21:01:26ZAbandoned Disney River CountryThanks for a great response to Part 1.  Here are a few more photos of abandoned River Country.  

River Country sure was “the kersplashingest, kid-laughingest, rope-swingingest spot imaginable for the wet set” as shown below in this 1976 WORLD Magazine article, Today the World has a New Country- sent to us by my pal, Hoot.  If you have any great River Country photos, send them our way!

 

  

 

 

 

More to come.

Abandoned Disney:  River Country [Part 1]

http://www.imagineeringdisney.com/blog/2009/12/19/abandoned-disney-river-country.html
]]>Decades in Reviewhttp://www.imagineeringdisney.com/blog/2009/12/31/decades-in-review.htmlMitch2009-12-31T18:45:31ZDisneyland One Man's Opinion Walt Disney WorldClick to enlarge

As we enter a new decade, and in a spirit of reflection, I find myself comparing the things I love about Disneyland and Walt Disney World to the things I love much less.  Although I have a fascination with ‘vintage’ I do love the occasional new attraction that knocks my socks off.  Notice I use the word occasional.  Sadly I find myself less and less impressed as time goes by.

Let’s look at this 55-year progression (or digression).  The above timeline is a visual representation of my opinions.  It’s very simple.  Blue = I like.  Red = Sub-par.

Shocking?  To most of the readers of this blog, this may not be.  To most theme park-goers, probably a bit of a shocker.  The argument arises that Disney’s audiences are ever-changing.  The classic Walt quote inevitably gets thrown at guys like me, “Disneyland will never be completed.  It will continue to grow as long as there is imagination left in the world.”  Well-said, Uncle Walt.  We do not disagree.  Remember, he used the words imagination and grow.  It seems to me that he’s saying, “Let’s improve and push ourselves to new levels.”  Not: “Let’s ruin things that people already love in an attempt to sell more merchandise.”   Ok ok.  Getting a little bitter, I know. 

“But isn’t park attendance always increasing?  Aren’t lines at Test Track still an hour long?  Does that not tell you something?  We need to give the guests what they want.” 

People generally like what is placed in front of them-- especially if they don’t know that something far greater was there a few years before.  Before we know it, Future World will represent a whole lot of non-futuristic nothingness.  Magic Kingdom will be covered in ill-placed, random characters where they should never be.  The latest Disney popcorn flicks will continue to encourage management to pull up the bull-dozers to things we’ve cherished since childhood.  Disneyland and DCA will look like a Disney Channel version of Six Flags. 

Look at the timeline.  Is that where we are headed? Let’s pray this ain’t so.

Happy New Year!

 

[Timeline PDF]

]]>Layers of Imagineeringhttp://www.imagineeringdisney.com/blog/2009/12/29/layers-of-imagineering.htmlAdmin2009-12-30T01:12:48Z

[ ARTICLES ]

A reader of the blog submits this optimistic look at early roots of Imagineering that still exist at Disneyland today.  Literal and symbolic layers have been added to Disneyland over the decades.  It’s nice to be reminded that a lot of these early “layers” still play a part in Disney park experience.   I only hope that future layers can reflect the wonder and marvel of these first layers and not be layers of pure tackiness that we’ve seen in recent years.  Just sayin’.   -Admin

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Whenever I think about Disneyland, and how it grew, literally, from an Orange grove in Anaheim, California, I am continually amazed at how its roots were planted, and even after all these years since its groundbreaking, those roots still exist; the roots of imagineering.

 Walt Disney has been quoted as saying that Disneyland will always evolve and change - never to be static. It was designed from the beginning to set sights on the future and pay homage to the past.

But, even as time moves on, and new 'layers' are added onto the existing structure of the park itself, I hold on to the memories of those that first set in stone, the 1st layers of Imagineering. When visiting Disneyland, one feels a sense of the original Imagineers there in the park as though they are always present, watching over the park and guiding its visions for today’s Imagineering and the art of Illusioneering.

"X" Atencio, Marc Davis, Claude Coats, "Rolly" Crump, Harriet Burns, Blaine Gibson, just to mention a few, these men and women were, in a sense, tasked by Walt Disney, to move imagineering from the 2D world into the 3D world. They began what really became a science in creating illusions;    Read more

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