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We’ve written a lot about Disneyland, but for those long-term, die-hard fans, you can help imagineer Rolly Crump with his memoirs. Obviously he has all the actually memories he needs, but vintage pictures of the park are another story. Sure he could get them from the company itself, but if you know a lot about the corporation, you know they aren’t the easiest to work with when it comes to copyrighted images.
“We need your help, oh great citizens of the Internet! I’m writing a book with former Disney Imagineer Rolly Crump, and we’re looking for some old photos for it that you may have in your collection. We’re looking for stuff from his time at Disney (such as Adventureland Bazaar in 1963, Tower of Four Winds, The Enchanted Tiki Room in the 60s, It’s A Small World at World’s Fair, The Land in 1980s) and his outside work (like Bear-y Tales at Knott’s Berry Farm, Circus World, and Busch Gardens). Anything that Rolly has brought to life, we’d love to see your photos of it. We will gladly give you credit AND a signed copy of the book if we use your images!”
I know some of you Neatorama readers have been visiting the park for decades, so here’s a good opportunity to take advantage of those old family vacation photos.
Link Via BoingBoing
If you absolutely adore Disney’s Haunted Mansion, then why not incorporate your own version of the ride’s classic Grim Grinning Ghosts for your Halloween decor this year? Instructables has all the directions you need to get your ghosts socializing.
Link Via Laughing Squid
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Disneyland
may be the happiest place on Earth, but it's no walk in the park for its
hundreds of laundry workers.
Steve Lopez of The Los Angeles Times wrote about the "electronic whip" that hotels at Disneyland installed to spur productivity:
In the basements of the Disneyland and Paradise Pier hotels in Anaheim, big flat-screen monitors hang from the walls in rooms where uniformed crews do laundry. The monitors are like scoreboards, with employees' work speeds compared to one another. Workers are listed by name, so their colleagues can see who is quickest at loading pillow cases, sheets and other items into a laundry machine.
It should come as no surprise that at the happiest place on Earth, not all the employees are smiling.
Isabel Barrera, a Disneyland Hotel laundry worker for eight years, began calling the new system the "electronic whip" when it was installed last year. The name has stuck.
"I was nervous," said Barerra, who makes $11.94 an hour, "and felt that I was being controlled even more."
Previously on Neatorama: Neatorama Facts: Closed Disney Rides | The Early Days of Mickey and Minnie Mouse | The Dark Side of Disney
I know I post a lot of Disneyland stories, but that’s because the park is just so darn fun. BuzzFeed’s collection of staged Splash Mountain pics are definitely worth a look for those of you who also dig Disneyland -and those of you who just like silly pictures.
This maquette of the Hatbox Ghost, a mysterious figure that appeared briefly in Disneyland’s Haunted Mansion before seemingly disappearing off the face of the earth, was made by Kevin and Jody Kidney in celebration of Walt Disney World’s 40th Anniversary.
He features real hair fibers and a base made out of weathered barn wood, with a wavy glass bell jar on top so the sculpt looks a bit strange when viewed through the glass. Let’s hope this sculpture doesn’t mysteriously vanish like the original animatronic figure!
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If you’ve been to Disneyland in the last twenty years, then you’re almost certainly familiar with Splash Mountain. Even if you refuse to ride the massive log ride, you probably at least rode the train through the tunnel that shows the happy ending of the ride. But did you know the ride is based on a movie that has never been released on home video because it’s considered too offensive? Or that the reason there are so many familiar faces inside is because the imagineers salvaged the characters for another attraction? There’s plenty more fun trivia like this inside this edition of our Neatorama Facts series.
Image Via OpenThreads [Flickr]
The Zip-a-Dee River Run was originally conceived of as a way to start attracting more people over to the often empty Bear Country area of the park, which was renamed Critter Country after Splash Mountain was opened. Unfortunately, the project quickly ballooned over budget, becoming one of the most expensive projects the Imagineering team had worked on up until that point. To help reduce the cost as much as possible, the team decided to use previously existing animatronic animals from the recently closed America Sings attraction. Even then, the ride still ended up costing $75 million to complete.
Although CEO Michael Eisner kept pushing for the ride to be based on the film Splash, imagineers had long planned to base the ride on the live action/animation film Song of the South and they refused to be moved on that point. In honor of Eisner’s ignored contributions, they did decide to change the name of the ride from the Zip-a-Dee River Run to Splash Mountain.
Strangely, despite the fact that one of the most popular Disney rides was based on Song of the South, the company has still refused to release the title to American home video or DVD because their executives believe the content is offensive to black people. While Uncle Remus is the character believed to be the most offensive and was left out of the ride as well, his presence can be felt in the queue area; a variety of his quotes can be found throughout the barn-themed line area, all the way up to the loading area.
Images Via Express Monorail and PrincessAshley [Flickr]
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To promote the newly-opened Star Tours at Disneyland, Darth Vader himself came to check it out. The problem? It wasn’t quiiiiite ready. What’s a Sith Lord to do? Explore the park, obviously.
You can also see lots of sweet extended cuts:
Darth at the Sword in the Stone
Darth watches a parade
Darth on the tea cups
Darth walks through Sleeping Beauty Castle
Darth at a dance party
When you talk about Star Tours nowadays, you have to distinguish between the new and improved version that just opened this year and the classic incarnation, which was first launched in 1987. Personally, I haven’t been on the new version and I’m sure many of you haven’t yet either, which is why it’s so exciting to read about. Of course, the classic ride was something all Disneyland lovers recall with fondness, so I’ll be sure to include plenty of info on that one as well, including the history of the ride itself.
Image via inturnaround [Flickr]
While Star Tours eventually became the first Disney ride based on a film the company had nothing to do with, it didn’t start out that way. Originally the ride was conceived to go along with the 1979 Disney film The Black Hole. The ride was intended to be an interactive simulator that allowed guests the opportunity to choose the car’s route, but because the project was going to be so expensive (ringing in at an estimated $50 million) and the film wasn’t a big success, the idea was quickly shelved.
Fortunately, rather than trashing the idea altogether, the company decided to partner with George Lucas, who was already working with them to produce Captain EO. Once everyone agreed to the idea, the Imagineers started work on the project by buying four military-grade flight simulators that cost $500,000 each and then they started designing the building and ride around their new toys.
While the Imagineers worked on the technical side of the project, Lucas and his team at Industrial Light & Magic worked on the film that would be played inside the simulators. Once the simulators and film were up to speed, a programmer then had to sit inside with a joystick to manually synchronize the vehicle’s movements to the action on screen.
By the time the project was completed in 1987, the ride cost a total of $32 million, which was almost twice the cost Disney paid to build the entire park back in 1955. To celebrate the official opening, and to help promote the new ride, the grand opening of Star Tours coincided with the park being left open for 60 straight hours starting on January 9, 1987 at 10 am.
Image via popculturegeek.com [Flickr]
Have you ever wondered what Disneyland had to offer before it began getting massive, modernizing facelifts? Then take a look at this old map of the magical kingdom from 1962, scanned and uploaded in full size by Wishbook, with lots of classic Disney character heads surrounding a detailed, Imagineer drawn map! Look for the view all sizes button on Flickr and choose original size if you want to read the tiny text, and see all the pretty little drawings up close.
Link via Boing Boing.
Disneyphiles already know that yesterday marked the anniversary of the day Disneyland opened in 1955. What you might not know is that one of the kids who ran through Sleeping Beauty castle for the first time ever is now a Security Officer at the park and has worked there since 1972. In addition to capturing Robb Fischle’s memories, the video has some cool shots of Disneyland construction and opening day.
Comments Off The hatbox ghost was included in the original haunted mansion and marketing materials for the attraction, but almost no one actually saw the ghost in the park. For years, debates raged on about whether or not the ghost ever really existed, but for the first time ever, someone has video evidence of him.
Link Via BoingBoing
Disney fans rejoice, it’s time for yet another set of Neatorama Facts featuring the Happiest Place on Earth. This time, we’re taking a detailed look at “the wildest ride in the wilderness,” Big Thunder Mountain Railroad.
Image via Mastery of Maps [Flickr]
Most of the definitive “Disney” rides seem to have been created specifically for Disneyland long before they were added to Disney World and the other parks, but Big Thunder Mountain started out in exactly the opposite way. This time, the ride was originally conceived as part of a new Magic Kingdom area called the Western River Expedition, a Western-themed area similar to Frontierland. The area would look like a big plateau and contain a number of rides, including a runaway mine train roller coaster. Unfortunately, because the park just opened Pirates of the Caribbean, the area was considered too expensive to install, so Imaginer Tony Baxter proposed building just the coaster as a separate attraction, which would instead be added to Disneyland park first. While that idea was approved, the project way put on hold so the team could focus on Space Mountain.
The delay in the project actually turned out to be a good thing though, as it meant the developers were allowed to use computers to design the coaster, allowing for a smoother ride than one designed by hand. Big Thunder Mountain was actually the first ride to use a computer to design the track, but because it was a brand new technology, the creation process was actually anything but smooth.
While ride designers knew what would look good, the computer wanted the ride to be as simple and smooth as possible. So the imagineers had to submit nine different designs before the computer finally accepted one without automatically making changes that would make it less attractive.
Eventually the design was accepted upon by all parties and construction started. The ride opened first in Disneyland in 1979 and a larger version opened in the Magic Kingdom a year later.
Image via Sally Ann French [Flickr]
Walt Disney Imagineering is updating the features of the Haunted Mansion. Here’s a look at how they are changing the beloved “hitchhiking ghosts.” -via Boing Boing
Sarah Gallejo knows a winner when she sees one. This young girl was chosen out of the audience at Disneyland’s Jedi Academy to participate in a stage show. She went off script and, rather than fighting Darth Vader, joined him.
via Super Punch
Love it or hate it, It’s A Small World is undoubtedly a catchy song and an iconic Disney attraction. But did you know the ride was actually made on the fly as a last minute World’s Fair attraction or that it was originally slated to feature a variety of national anthems instead of its title track? Here are some fascinating facts you might not know about one of the park’s most popular rides.
Image via Thomas Hawk [Flickr]
One of Disney’s most iconic attractions actually started out as a last minute attraction to the 1964 New York World’s Fair. The team was already working on a number of exhibits for the fair, including the Magic Skyway, Great Moments with Mr. Lincoln and The Carousel of Progress, when the program manager for the fair reached out to Disney and asked him to creat a tribute to UNICEF.
Always up to a challenge, Disney agreed and asked Mary Blair, Marc Davis, Alice Davis and Gregory S. Marinello for help. Mary gave the ride its overall feel and whimsy and inspired the general character design. Marc designed the scenes and the specific characters, while his wife, Alice, designed the costumes. Gregory designed the clock face on the exterior. Walt oversaw the design of the doll’s faces, which were all made to be exactly the same in order to promote the concept that all around the world children are all the same deep down.
Image via Andy Castro [Flickr]
The original nickname of the ride was “the happiest cruise that ever sailed” and the ride was intended to showcase the national anthem for each country portrayed. Unfortunately, this ended up sounding like a terrible mess in practice, so he hired the Sherman Brothers, the same gents who wrote the theme song for the Tiki Room, to create a song that would unify the ride’s characters together. It was only after the boys came back with their masterpiece that the ride got its name.
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The Enchanted Tiki Room is kind of like It’s A Small World –people either love it or hate it and no matter how you actually feel about it, you’re guaranteed to have the songs stuck in your head after you leave. Personally, I’m one of those people who loves the show–not least of all because it means getting to sit in a nice air conditioned room while eating pineapple soft serve while the temperature outside exceeds 90 degrees.
Image via CarterHawk [Wikipedia]
When Walt originally started work on the Tiki Room, he envisioned it as a restaurant where guests would be entertained by animatronic birds performing for the diners. It was intended to share a kitchen with the Plaza Pavilion and Tahitian Terrace. Interestingly, now none of these locations operates as a restaurant, the Plaza Pavilion is now used as an Annual Passport processing center and the Tahitian Terrace is now Aladdin’s Oasis, which mostly serves as a meet and greet area for those looking to take pictures with Aladdin and Jasmine.
Image via Loren Javier [Flickr]
There are still aspects of the building that give away its original nature. For one, it is the only attraction to include its own restrooms. Another mark of the planned restaurant, the magic fountain in the center of the room was originally planned to be a coffee station –which is why there is a storage compartment build into the base.
Of course, Walt and his crew soon realized the property would be too popular and was too small to seat all of the people who would want to see the show. Rather than scrapping the idea, the design was altered to accommodate rows of benches for guests to sit and watch the show.
The Tiki Room was the first Disney attraction to feature Audio-Animatronics and since it required the use of computers (the operations room is located under the attraction), this also meant that it was the first ride to offer air conditioning –a factor that has continued to add to its popularity during hot Southern California summers.
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So far, I’ve focused all of the Neatorama Disney Parks articles on Disneyland, mostly because it was the first of all the parks and most of the classic rides originated at the Anaheim park. But, when I decided to write about Space Mountain, I soon learned that it was one of only two classic Disney Parks attractions to debut at Disney World (the other was the Country Bear Jamboree), so to do it justice, it was only right to focus on the Disney World version of the ride.
Image via KWDW [Wikipedia]
The idea for Space Mountain originated from the success of the Matterhorn Bobsleds at Disneyland. The popularity of the ride showed Disney that thrilling rides would do well in his park and he started to work with Arrow Development Company (the same firm that designed the Matterhorn) on a concept for a new Tomorrowland attraction called the Space Port. The concept was similar to the Bobsleds, but it would be inside with special lighting and other effects. Originally, the group wanted to use four separate tracks, but when that proved to be too space consuming, the plans were cut down to two tracks. In 1966, the ride was renamed “Space Mountain.” Unfortunately, Walt’s death that year and the new focus on opening the new Disney World park put the plans for Space Mountain on hold indefinitely.
After a few years, it was obvious that The Magic Kingdom was a major success, but also that their customer base was older than originally expected, comprising of a lot of teens and young adults. To keep up their popularity with this age group, the corporation decided they needed to install more thrill rides. There wasn’t enough space in Fantasyland to add another Matterhorn and the weather of Florida made outdoor rollercoasters somewhat impractical. That’s when designers returned to the idea of Space Mountain. There was enough space in Tomorrowland and the technology improvements in the last few years made many of the outlandish concepts for the ride practical.
Because the ride would be kind of expensive to create, Disney approached RCA to sponsor the new attraction –many rides at the park were sponsored at the time. RCA provided communications hardware and money and, in exchange, their name was plastered all over the ride and the moving sidewalk that took guests out of the attraction was accompanied by a “house of the future” exhibit that prominently featured RCA products. RCA’s sponsorship stopped in 1993 and FedEx took over between 1995 and 2005, but the ride no longer has any sponsors.
When the ride was added to the Anaheim park, it had to fit in a smaller dome, so it was reduced to only hold one track. The other Disney parks also have only one track in their Space Mountains.
Image via William M [Wikipedia]
Space Mountain opened in January 1975 and was the world’s first completely dark indoor rollercoaster. It is now the oldest operating coaster in Florida. It is enclosed in a dome that is 300 feet wide, 183 feet above ground (it also sits 15 feet below the ground, making it a total of 198 feet tall). All together, the dome has a total area of more than 4.5 million feet. The wall is made from 72 massive concrete beams that are each 117 feet long. Because it’s so big, the Tomorrowland Transit Authority PeopleMover passes through it. Fortunately, the PeopleMover features a glass viewing area so guests can look at the ride and see many of the effects used in it.
The Magic Kingdom version of the ride is the only one to offer two tracks and they are almost identical except the Omega track –the one on the right- is ten feet longer so it can cross the tracks to return to its platform.
When the ride is warming up in the morning or after a temporary shutdown, the grease on the track is cold, so the coaster goes slower, up to 25 mph, and the ride lasts longer. Once it’s warmed up, the ride goes up to 32 mph.
Image via WillMcC [Wikipedia]
The ride starts out at the Space Port where guests are loaded into rockets that look similar to the Bobsled carts only there is only one person per seat. Each of the 30 rockets carries six people in a single file line. Guests then travel down a small slope where they enter a circular tunnel featuring shooting lights and repeating sound to signify the building of energy. At the end, it suddenly makes a 180 degree turn and, thanks to the use of mirrors, looks like it will crash into the rocket on the other track. That’s when the real fun starts and guests start seeing the projection of Earth, asteroids, comets and other astral bodies on the ceiling. The ride then goes through a number of twists and turns before it enters a swirling wormhole that brings it to the braking area and pulls back into the station.
Image via WillMcC [Wikipedia]
All of the park’s Space Mountains are different and while many people prefer the original for its place in history, polls of Disney fans that have gone to all the parks have shown that the one in Paris is considered the best. Have you been on more than one Space Mountain? If so, which is your favorite?
Sources: Disney World, Ultimate Orlando, All Ears, Wikipedia
Disneyland fans! See more Neatorama Facts:
Neatorama Facts: Haunted Mansion
Neatorama Facts: Sleeping Beauty Castle
Neatorama Facts: Pirates of the Caribbean
Neatorama Facts: The Jungle Cruise
Neatorama Facts: The Enchanted Tiki Room
Living in Southern California tends to mean that any dreams of a white Christmas will pretty much stay that way unless you head out of town. There is one magical area though where tourists and locals alike can gather to enjoy the snow while still feeling comfortable in their shorts. Every year, Disneyland transforms into a holiday wonderland, complete with snow, reindeer, carols, and festivities.
In many ways though, the creation of this holiday magic is even more amazing than the actual displays. Here’s the details that go into transforming a park from a Halloween harvest theme to a Christmas wonderland.
Image via Armidillo444 [Flickr]
Every year since its opening, Disneyland features a sixty foot tall Christmas tree that towers over Main Street. Up until 2008, live trees were driven in all the way from Mount Shasta, but since then the park has opted to go green and use an artificial pine that was specially designed by Disney’s Imagineering team. The tree is 65 feet tall, as 5 feet of it sits underground for support. It has over 1,200 branches with a total of 280,000 pine needles which are decorated with 2000 ornaments and 75,000 lights. The electrical cable needed to light all of the lights weighs an astonishing 5,000 pounds.
During the majority of the year, the tree is kept in a warehouse away from the park, but in October, they transport all six pieces of it to the park in the middle of the night. The tree is then put together in the back area of the park, the lights are applied and technicians test the light show. Once they are sure it’s ready to go, they take it apart into two sections. In early November, the 12 ton tree is then moved into place in Main Street using 15 cast members and two cranes.
The tree isn’t the only decorative touch in Main Street though. Throughout Disneyland, the park uses more than 1.5 miles of garland and over 2,000 feet of this is used on Main Street alone. Main Street also features 812 bows, which require 1.4 miles worth of ribbon to create.
Image via Andy Castro [Flickr]
The iconic castle is redone for wintertime, with a fresh layer of artificial snow and 50,000 lights, including hanging icicles that light up during the nighttime shows. The castle is the central part of a three-part show that takes place every night. The first part of the show occurs at twilight when the sound of wind blowing enters the air followed by a child wishing for snow. A motherly voice is heard to respond, “in order for your wishes to come true, you must believe.” Just then, snow machines blast out icy flurries and the castle lights up with its snow glistening.
Later on, the fireworks show starts and the child is again heard wishing for snow. Then the lights on the castle get even brighter as the snow begins falling again. The fireworks then kick off and just as they approach the grand finale and White Christmas starts to play, the icicles light up and then snow falls in Main Street, New Orlean’s Square and the Small World mall.
Image via Andy Castro [Flickr]
We’ve already talked about how The Haunted Mansion is changed to a Nightmare Before Christmas theme throughout Halloween, but that’s not the only ride to be altered during Christmas time. It’s A Small World is also redone to reflect the holiday spirit. Instead of singing the classic song that provides the ride with its namesake, the children throughout the world sing ‘Jingle Bells’ and ‘Deck the Halls.’ The exterior of the ride is covered in 300,000 Christmas lights and the large clock in the center is decked out with a Santa hat. After dark the façade features a multi-media presentation projection every fifteen minutes.
Big Thunder Ranch is also modified for the holidays, as it provides Santa and his reindeer a relaxing place to stay just before he rushes around the world to deliver toys.
Image via Wikipedia user Lyght
Every year, the park also features “A Christmas Fantasy parade.” While certain aspects of the parade change every year, it always starts with a music box float featuring a ballerina, which is followed by toy soldiers playing snare drums and trumpets. The Winter Wonderland part of the parade features Tigger, Eeyore and Winnie the Pooh riding and pulling sleighs while Mickey and Minnie skate on an ice rink float. Clarabelle Cow, Goofy and Max all work together to bake gingerbread cookies. Cinderella and the other princesses and their respective princes dance together on a ballroom float. Next, toys of all kinds walk and roll by, led by Chip and Dale, members of Toy Story and Pinocchio. At the very end of the parade, Santa rides by in his sled, wishing Merry Christmas to all the good girls and boys.
Image via Armadillo444 [Flickr]
Are you planning to visit any theme parks during the holiday season? If so, which one(s)? Do any of our Orlando-favoring readers fill us in on the details of the Magic Kingdom’s Christmas celebrations?
Sources: Wikipedia #1, #2, About.com, WDW Info, West Ways Magazine
Disneyland fans! See more Neatorama Facts:
Neatorama Facts: Haunted Mansion
Neatorama Facts: Sleeping Beauty Castle
Neatorama Facts: Pirates of the Caribbean
Neatorama Facts: The Jungle Cruise
Neatorama Facts: Space Mountain
Neatorama Facts: The Enchanted Tiki Room
Comments Off I don’t know about you, but the Jungle Cruise is one of my favorite Disneyland rides because the silly spiels from the skippers ensure it is different every time you ride. But what else do you know about the ride that takes you through four of the best known exotic rivers in the world? Get to know the ride behind the scenes with another edition of Disneyland related Neatorama Facts.
Walt originally envisioned the attraction as an educational adventure where boats would travel by live animals from around the world. He soon realized live animals would be too much of a challenge because they would frequently be sleeping and hiding in the back of enclosures like zoo animals tend to do. Even worse, they’d have to go poo at some point, which would look gross and could be pretty stinky given the small area of space the animals would have to live in.
So instead he opted to use animatronic animals, but he worked to have the creatures look as lifelike as possible and participating in realistic behavior, like the lions eating the zebra. Silly scenes like the rhino attacking the men on the pole and the gorillas ransacking the camp weren’t added until later.
The Imagineers based much of the ride on the movie The African Queen and the vessels used to ferry guests through the attraction are even based on the steamer seen in the film. Another inspiration for the ride was the footage used for the fifties Disney documentary series called True Life Stories.
One of the most difficult challenges of building the attraction was finding plants that looked exotic and getting them to grow. Imagineer Bill Evans chose to use both native and exotic plants in order to save money, but he ensured the local flora still looked in character by performing little landscaping tricks. For example, he grew orange trees in a way where their roots were exposed and then he grew vines on the roots, creating a very junglesque feel to the plants.
The Jungle Cruise was one of the first rides still around that were actually in operation when the park was first opened to the public. In fact, it was one of the first rides built because Walt wanted to give the foliage time to grow before the park opened, even so, it was still pretty sparse on opening day.
Because this specific ride was covered by the press so much during the construction process, it was always a popular attraction and was an E ticket ride.
The Jungle Cruise starts out with a simulation of the Irrawaddy and Mekong Rivers, taking visitors through the South East Asian forest. The boat passes a Cambodian temple adorned with crocodiles, giant spiders, king cobras and a Bengal tiger. Next they enter a sacred Indian elephant bathing pool where Indian elephants play in the fountains and spray water at the guests.
The boat then travels through the rivers of Africa, specifically the Nile and passes by two African bull elephants before approaching an African Veldt where giraffes, zebras, wildebeest all watch a group of lions munching on a zebra. A little past this area, there is an angry rhino trying to attack a group of safariers who are hiding up a tree.
Next, the boat is surrounded by angry hippos who are only chased away by a gun shot fired by the skipper. Interestingly, the gun is real; it’s a nickel plated Smith and Wesson .38 Special that has been altered so it can’t shoot live ammo. The skippers carry two types of ammo, the regular blanks used to scare the hippos and extra loud ones in case of emergency. Interestingly, the operators at the Magic Kingdom only carry inoperable prop guns these days, so I wonder what they do when there is an emergency.
Guests then pass under the backside of Schweitzer Falls, named after Doctor Albert Schweitzer, and then enter the South America and traverse the Amazon River. Drums and chanting signal that the boat is now in headhunter country. Soon enough the headhunters are wielding spears at the visitors, who are suddenly attacked by piranhas in the water. Just before the boat returns to the dock, it passes Trader Sam, the shrunken head dealer, who offers visitors a two for one special –two of his heads for one of theirs.
When the ride first opened, it was supposed to be serious, but within a few years, Walt realized that it would be greatly improved with a little humor to liven it up. So he decided to have animator Marc David write a script that incorporated some humorous gags. The funny bits started to be incorporated into the action in 1962.
These days, the skippers are always hired with their sense of comedic timing in mind. In fact, there has been a long-running comedy show in Fullerton, California since 2006 that features only Jungle Cruise skippers.
Video link
Disney believed in constantly updating rides to ensure they were always interesting for guests. While most people don’t notice the changes, the attraction has gone through quite a few stages to be at its current state. If you have visited the park in the last few decades, you may notice a few differences from the modern version and the one seen in the video.
The first change happened in 1962, when the elephant bathing pool was added. Two years later the safari camp was installed.
When the Indiana Jones Adventure was built in 1994, the Jungle Cruise queue area was redesigned and the river was slightly rerouted. The new attraction fit in well with the setting, but the throngs of tourists that could be seen from the ride itself were a little distracting. Fortunately, the skipper script was adapted to make fun of the tourists.
Another refurbishment took place in 2004, when the piranhas were added along with an explosion effect where the gorillas have taken over the camp.
Even the boats on the ride were changed, as they were originally clean and beautiful replicas of the African Queen, but the 1994 refurbishments allowed the imagineers to give the boats a grungy look so they better fit in with their surroundings and the Indiana Jones Adventure next door.
Like most classic Disneyland rides, the attraction is also featured at other Disney parks, but each has their own tiny variations. Disneyland Paris is actually the only one to not feature the ride. This is because Imagineers worried about trying to find appropriate jungle plants that could handle the cold temperature of the area and because other theme parks in France have already adapted the ride, so it would not be a unique experience to European visitors.
At the Magic Kingdom, the biggest differences are the order of the scenes and the inclusion of a downed airplane near the hippo pool. This is the back half of a Lockheed Model 12 Electrica Junior that was purchased for the Casablanca scene in the Great Movie Ride at Disney’s Hollywood Studios. The other scene only required the front half of the plane, so the back half was added in the jungle setting.
Other than the plane, the Tokyo version of the ride is pretty much identical to the Magic Kingdom version, except the narration is in Japanese and the ride runs clockwise instead of counterclockwise.
The biggest changes can be seen at Hong Kong Disneyland though. At this park, the river goes around Tarzan’s Treehouse and the ending has been completely redone to include a grand finale with a battle between the gods of fire and water. This park has handled language problems by having three separate lines, one of English, one for Cantonese and one for Mandarin.
The skippers on the boat do control the speed and direction you are going, but the underwater railing prevents them from having to steer. They generally use the steering wheel prop throughout the journey, but only for fun. On the other hand, this does mean they can put you in the line of fire for the elephant sprays by adjusting their speed appropriately –as my sister learned the hard way when she was throwing a tantrum on the ride when we were kids.
If you’ve ever wondered what would happen in case of a breakdown, you can relax even if you are a bad swimmer. While the canal reaches depths of up to eight feet, it is is no more than three feet deep in most areas. The water is died brown to help prevent guests from being able to see the “river” bottom.
Do you guys like the ride? What’s your favorite terrible Jungle Cruise pun, or do you prefer to leave the jokes to professionals and avoid the ride?
Sources: Themed Attraction, Wikipedia, Disney Reporter, Jim Hill Media, Disneyland, Mouse Planet, Little Known Facts About Well-Known Places: Disneyland
Disneyland fans! See more Neatorama Facts:
Neatorama Facts: Haunted Mansion
Neatorama Facts: Sleeping Beauty Castle
Neatorama Facts: Pirates of the Caribbean
Neatorama Facts: Space Mountain
Neatorama Facts: The Enchanted Tiki Room
You may have been to Disneyland, but how much do you really know about it? Find out in today’s Lunchtime Quiz at mental_floss. I scored a dismal 25%. I’d like to say that is is because I’ve never been to Disneyland, but it was because I just didn’t know the answers. Surely you can do better! Link
Images by Zeon Santos
Sleeping Beauty Castle may not be a ride, or even much of an attraction, but it has become an icon –not just of the Disneyland Park, but of Disney as a whole. In fact, the design has been used as the logo for Disney products for years, which sets it apart from all other rides and attractions in the park. To better understand what makes this castle so magical, let’s take a deeper look at the park attraction in today’s Neatorama Facts.
It is widely known that the castle is largely based on the Neuscheanstein Castle in Germany, but it is not an exact replica. In fact, the castle is actually flipped in orientation and also takes inspiration from various French architectures, including Notre Dame and the Hospices de Beaune. Few people also realize that the design incorporates forced perspective, making it appear to be much more tall and impressive than its actual height of 77 feet (about four stories) would ordinarily appear. This technique is also used on the businesses in Main Street.
The castle is also a lot less permanent that it appears, being constructed mostly from cement, plaster and fiberglass.
The attraction was included in the original plans for the park and it was one of a handful of attractions seen on opening day that still remains completely the same.
At the front of the castle is a coat of arms, which many fans mistakenly believe are the Disney family crest. Interestingly, this is not actually the Disney crest and no one seems to know the true origins of the crest on display, but it is known that it was added to the castle at some point in summer of 1965.
In front of the attraction is a draw bridge that connects the castle to the end of Main Street. The draw bridge actually works, but it has only been raised twice, once on opening day and once at the 1983 rededication ceremony for the new and improved Fantasyland. The gears can be seen below
The top story of the castle was originally empty, but it bothered Walt to have such a great space left unused, so he challenged his Imagineers to design something for the area. The result was a diorama of Sleeping Beauty that allowed guests to walk through the castle and follow the story of the princess.
In October of 2001, the walkthrough was closed and while Disney never gave an official reason, the two most widely accepted stories state that the building violated the Americans With Disabilities Act and that the terrorist attacks of September 11 led park officials to worry that the tight enclosed spaces in the castle could be a target for terrorist attacks.
While the timing would indicate that the closure was at least partially due to fear of attacks, the fact that there was a wheelchair accessible Sleeping Beauty experience added on the ground floor of the castle added when the attraction reopened indicates that the ADA compliance was also an issue.
On my last trip to Disneyland, I was able to visit the attraction, and I have to say, the slight revamping of the classic diorama was quite good. They went with the original style of the walkthrough, but added a few extra technologies that were not available when it opened the first time. The handicap accessible area is also pretty cool, as it recreates the experience using a closed-captioned high-def screen that shows the entire diorama.
Most visitors recognize that the castle serves as the focal point for the Disneyland fireworks shows that seem to operate throughout the entire year. Each fireworks show costs around $41,000 to put on per night –that’s big money for some lights and explosions!
Traditionally, Tinkerbell will fly down to the castle from the top of the Matterhorn to set the celebration in motion, although sometimes another character will do it depending on the season or theme of the show. The first Tinkerbell was Tiny Kline, a circus performer and aerialist who was only four foot ten. What’s most interesting about Tiny though was her age: she was 71 when she first performed the role.
All of the spires on the castle are plated in real gold, except one. There is a delightful story that it was left unplated in order to celebrate Walt’s statement that “Disneyland will never be completed as long as there is imagination left in the world.” While it’s quite a romantic notion, the truth isn’t nearly as cool. As it turns out, the spire was actually messed up in the 1990’s during the castles refurbishment. The staff believed that gold-colored patina would look better and be easier to work with than the gold leafing previously used, unfortunately, it didn’t work and the spire now looks dark and forgotten compared to its counterparts.
The moat around the front of the castle is largely adorned with junipers, which may not be as stunning as many of the other landscaping used in the park, but there is good reason for their selection. Disneyland leases swans to swim in the moat on occasion and junipers are in a select group of plants that swans won’t try to eat.
It’s interesting to note that Disneyland and Hong Kong Disneyland are the only two parks to have a Sleeping Beauty Castle. The parks in Florida and Japan have a Cinderella castle, which is much bigger in scope and size. Those of you who have been to both parks, which do you like better?
Sources: Little-Known Facts About Well-Known Places, Wikipedia
Disneyland fans! See more Neatorama Facts:
Neatorama Facts: Haunted Mansion
Neatorama Facts: Pirates of the Caribbean
Neatorama Facts: The Jungle Cruise
Neatorama Facts: Space Mountain
Neatorama Facts: The Enchanted Tiki Room
Unless otherwise noted, all photos by Zeon Santos.
Since I was a kid, I loved ghosts and haunted houses and Disneyland’s Haunted Mansion has always been one of my favorites and I’m sure many of you agree. But what do you really know about the mansion and the stories behind its layout and design? The history behind the ride is almost as cool as the experience itself, so for today’s Neatorama Facts, I give you an inside look at the Haunted Mansion.
Image via Passport to Dreams.
The Haunted Mansion wasn’t open until 1969, but the idea was kicked around since the beginning. In the one of the original park designs created by artist Harper Goff showed a crooked street coming off of Main Street and winding past a church and a graveyard and leading to a run-down mansion on a hill. The idea wasn’t incorporated at first, but Disney liked the idea and assigned imaginer Ken Anderson to build a story around the drawing and create a full experience around it.
Because plans for New Orleans square were currently in progress, it was decided that the ride would be built in the style of an antebellum manor. The original souvenir map that showed New Orleans Square promised that the area would include a thieves market, a pirate wax museum and a haunted house when it was open.
The first drawings for the mansion showed it overgrown with weeds, filled with swarms of bats and having boarded up doors and windows. While this certainly would have set the mood for a scary adventure, Disney hated the idea of a run-down building in his park and insisted, “we’ll take care of the outside and let the ghosts take care of the inside.”
When working on the original plans for the mansion, Anderson developed a number of wonderfully chilling tales, the main of which revolved around a ghost of a sea captain who killed his nosy bride and then hung himself. He was even hoping to incorporate some of the monsters used in Universal films. Most of this ended up not materializing because Disney wanted to take things in another direction.
For the special effects, Rolly Crump and Yale Grace were hired to create creepy effects that would be far from obvious. The pair researched real haunting stories, Greek myths and monster movies and then started building elaborate effects in their private studio. The effects got to be so good that they scared some of the cleaning crew. Thinking that was funny, they hooked up all the effects to a motion sensor so it would all go off when the cleaning crew entered the room. After that, the crew refused to enter the area and they had to clean up their own studio.
Ever wonder how Mickey and Minnie Mouse looked like in the early days? Here are a few photos of the Disney favorites from the early days of Disneyland:
Before the opening of Disneyland, people have been wearing Mickey and Minnie Mouse costumes. This one is from the November 1934 issue of The Oakland Tribune:
The mice will play, even if Santa Claus does give them permission. Here’s Santa greeting Mickey and Minnie Mouse at Kahn’s toy department.
Story at Vintage Disney Collectibles 1928 – 1945
From Stuff From the Park, a fantastic blog about all things Disneyland – via Broke Hoedown
Photo: Christina House/LA Times
That’s the first Disneyland admission ticket ever sold. It was purchased by Roy O. Disney (Walt Disney’s older brother) for $1 in 1955.
Geoff Boucher of the Los Angeles Times has a fascinating story about the Disney Archives:
After Walt Disney died in 1966, his grieving staff sealed his office suite in Burbank, and even as work proceeded on "The Jungle Book" there was anxiety that the company’s past might be brighter than its future.
Four years later, those worries deepened as key executives approached retirement, including Walt’s older brother, Roy O. Disney. That’s why, in 1970, the company handed the key to Walt’s still-sealed office to a former UCLA research librarian named Dave Smith, who was sent into the chamber to learn its history.
"I didn’t expect this to become my life’s work, but it did," Smith, 69, said on a recent afternoon as he gave a tour of the Disney Archives, a massive collection spread across several in-house libraries and high-security warehouse space filled with Disney movie props, costumes, toys, art, animation, vintage theme-park gear and company publications.
It all began with the items that Smith found in Walt’s desk all those years ago.
"It was an eerie thing to sit … in his chair and count the paper clips in the drawer," Smith recalled with a nervous chuckle. On the bookshelves, he discovered books and letters given to Walt by Upton Sinclair, Winston Churchill and C. S. Lewis, who inscribed one of his books of poetry with the words: "From one visionary to another."
When I went to Disneyland over the weekend, Alex asked me if I could take some shots of the hidden Mickeys around the park. I knew there is supposedly at least one on every ride, so I agreed, thinking it was an easy project. Little did I know just how difficult hidden Mickey spotting can be and how much debate goes in to the definition of a hidden Mickey.
So on top of sharing some hidden Mickey images with you, I’d like to open the floor to your interpretations and ask if any of you readers have photos of the phenomenon.
Let me start off by saying just how difficult it can be to spot hidden Mickeys (let alone photograph those of them on the rides). On our first day in the park, my boyfriend and I spent about an hour in The Golden Horseshoe eating ice cream and enjoying the musical stylings of Billy Hill and the Hillbillies.
While in the saloon, I looked ceiling to floor to find a Mickey. Eventually, I decided there must not actually be one in The Golden Horseshoe. When I got back to the hotel though, I thought I’d check the internet just to make sure. That’s when I discovered that the only one in the building is one tiny Mickey in the central vent under the stage. That’s when it started to strike me just how hard this project was really going to be.
That’s also when I started to realize just how hard it is to define a hidden Mickey. While it seems like a basic concept, the definition of “hidden” is quite open. I read a few forums where people argued about this idea and even as we started spotting our own hidden Mickeys, my boyfriend and I started debating over what was too obvious to be considered hidden.
For example, I thought these Mickey rivets should be considered hidden because they weren’t something you’d expect and you certainly wouldn’t notice them on first glance. On the other hand, he felt they were simply decorations and too in-your-face to be hidden.
Mickey’s House in Toon Town proved to be an excellent example of this concept as everything is already Mickey themed. Do the obvious music notes and metronome count?
And if those are considered to be too obvious, then what about the tiny Mickey heads on the book backs of both Mickey and Minnie’s favorite titles?
Were these lights in the movie theater too obvious?
The matter only became more problematic from that point on. While some Mickey’s were very obvious and intentional, like the rock formation below, it’s sometimes hard to determine if any given arrangement of three circles beside one another would count.
Did the Disney gardeners intentionally clip the cactus so it would form a Mickey head?
Does a hidden Mickey have to be completely closed and circular to count?
And what about the layout of the three umbrellas in this billboard seen in California Adventure?
On our final day, we thought our questions may finally be answered when we ran across a book titled Disneyland’s Hidden Secrets: A Field Guide to Disneyland Resort’s Best Kept Secrets.
Once we started browsing through the book though, we soon realized that it was not written by an imagineer or someone else with a definitive authority on the subject, but simply an avid Disney fan. In fact, the book had many of the questionable hidden Mickey examples that we also saw on line.
For example,can Smee’s eyes and nose on this wood carving really be considered a Mickey face?
And is this decoration on the stalls in Downtown Disney really secret enough to be considered hidden?
I guess that like so many other things in life, there is no definitive answer as to what is, or is not, a hidden Mickey (at least not until the imagineers come forward and list off every one they intentionally embedded in the rides and shops.)
So rather than speculating, let’s just step back and appreciate the pictures of the following “subtle Mickey” images from around the park. more …
Photo: Ack Ook
[Flickr]
Yo ho ho and 66 animatronic pirates! The Pirates of the Caribbean ride is one of my favorite Disneyland rides. And apparently, I'm not alone in this: over 300 million people have gone on the ride since it opened in 1967. But did they know that the ride was originally supposed to be a walk through with wax figures? Or that it was Walt Disney's favorite project? Or that political correctness led Disney to change some of the raunchy scenes?
For today's Neatorama Facts, let's take a look at some of the neatest facts about the Pirates of the Caribbean ride at Disneyland:
The Pirates of the Caribbean was Walt Disney's favorite ride. Actually, whatever ride Walt is working on was his favorite - and since he died during the construction of the ride, it will remain his favorite forever.
Originally, the Pirates of the Caribbean was supposed to be a walk through Rogue's Gallery with wax figures. Walt figured out that boats (which he did for the It's A Small World ride) and audio-animatronics (which he did for the 1964 New York World's Fair) would work better. But if you think about it: pirates and boat certainly go together!
Oh, and what did Walt do for the World's Fair? An animatronic of President Abraham Lincoln in an attraction called Great Moments with Mr. Lincoln. After the Fair closed, the Disney pavilion was demolished and it was thought that the Lincolnbot was lost forever. Years later, someone discovered it packed in a crate - the animatronic president is now on display.
The
ride starts at Laffite's Landing, where you board a boat
after waiting in line for what seems to be three and a half days or so.
The Lafitte in Lafitte's Landing refers to Jean Lafitte (often spelled
Laffite), a real life pirate and privateer in the Gulf of Mexico (and
subsequent American war hero) in the late 1700s/early 1800s. (Photo: John
Bellamy at pirates.wikia.com)
When you passed the Blue Bayou restaurant, look up at the second story
of the building. You may think that it's a facade, but the balcony actually
belongs to Club 33, a member-only restaurant that most
of us can't afford to join (it costs tens of thousands of dollars to join,
plus there's a ten year waiting list anyhow). But who says you can't see
the inside of Club 
33?
YouTube to the rescue!
The lyrics to Yo Ho (A Pirate's Life for Me), the theme song of the Pirates of the Caribbean ride that you hear early on, was written by Disney Imagineers X Atencio and George Bruns. (X? How cool is that! Actually he was born "Xavier" but became X later on in life). It was based on Robert Louis Stevenson's sailor's work song (or sea shanty) "Dead Man's Chest" found in his 1883 novel Treasure Island. (Photo: Disney Legends)
Dead
Chest Island is actually an uninhabitable island close to the
island of Tortola in eastern Caribbean. The lyric "Fifteen men
on the Dead Man's Chest" and "Yo Ho Ho, and a bottle
of rum!" referred to the pirate Blackbeard's habit of leaving
crewmen on the deserted island, with only a bottle of rum, to die as punishment.
Back to the song for a minute. The Yo Ho (A Pirate's Life for Me) was sung by The Mellomen, a barbershop quartet that also sang many songs for Disney films. They also sang as backup singers for Elvis. The frontman of The Melloman, Thurl Ravenscroft, was the voice of Tony the Tiger, of Kellogg's Frosted Flakes.
OK, let's continue with the ride itself. Whether you love the old Pirates of the Caribbean or the new one with all the movie tie ins, you've got to admit, the floating head of Davy Jones on a waterfall of fog (fogfall?) is kind of cool. But who is Davy Jones? No, not the guy from the Monkees or the early stage name of David Bowie - Pirates of the Caribbean's character Davy Jones came from the old seaman's idiom "Davy Jones' Locker". It means the bottom of the sea: if someone was sent to Davy Jones' Locker, it means that he died at sea.
When the Pirates of the Caribbean first opened, Imagineers thought that the fake skeletons used were unconvincing. So they bought real human skeletons from UCLA Medical Center and used them as props. These have since been changed (phew!)
Remember the talking skull on the wall at the beginning of the ride? The original voice (now changed) was actually X Atencio's. Many other voices on the ride - like the auctioneer pirate, ship's captain and mayor - was provided by Paul Frees, who also did the Ghost Host in the Haunted Mansion. But those were not Paul's most famous work: he was also the voice of Pillsbury Doughboy.
The Pooped Pirate before (L) and after (R).
Photos: Tellnotales.com
and FilmEdge (c)
Disney
The most famous pirate of the entire ride - besides the newly added Jack Sparrow, Davy Jones and Captain Barbossa for the movie tie-in - is the Pooped Pirate. Originally, the Pooped Pirate was shown boasting and waving a lady's lingerie while a woman peeked up from inside an oak barrel behind his back. But that was too raunchy for Disney - the Pooped Pirate was changed to the gluttonous pirate (the woman in the barrel was replaced by a cat) and then to a regular fat pirate holding the key and map (with Jack Sparrow in the barrel). X Atencio didn't like the change, and said that the ride was Pirates, not Boy Scouts of the Caribbean ...
If you love the new Jack Sparrow animatronics, check this YouTube clip where Johnny Depp met his robot counterpart:
When Pirates of the Caribbean first opened, people thought that real
flame was used for the burning town scene. Actually, the flickering flames
are created by illuminating strips of cellophane blowing through the air.
The fake flames are so convincing that the Anaheim Fire
Department requested that they be automatically turned off in case of
fire so firefighters can fight the real blaze and not waste time battling
artificial ones! (Source
Remember the jail scene where several characters were trying to get the key from the dog? The whistling guy in the middle is based on a janitor that used to work at what is now called Walt Disney Imagineering.
Just because the ride is dark, it doesn't mean that The Mouse doesn't see any hanky pankies goin' on. Like other rides in Disneyland, the Pirates of the Caribbean has many infrared security cameras - park operators can see what young lovers try to do. Sometimes they use the PA system to ... erhm, gently remind them that they're actually in public. Sometimes, if the deed is done, Disney cast members would applaud the romancin' riders who would then realize that they were being watched all along.
Purists: nostalgic about the original Pirates of the Caribbean ride? Here's a neat YouTube clip from the Wonderful World of Disney:
Now, I'm sure I missed a whole lot of neat Pirates of the Caribbean trivia - Do you have anything to add? Please do so in the comment section. (And if you like this Neatorama Fact feature, what should we do next? The Haunted Mansion? Indiana Jones Adventure? Space Mountain?)
More Disney Articles on Neatorama:
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It’s hard not to love this fantastic time lapse footage of Disneyland’s original construction.
Rare and unseen footage of Disneyland’s construction narrated by Imagineers. Includes some amazing new footage of Walt Disney walking the site before construction even started and some never-before-seen timelapse footage of the park from groundbreaking until opening day. This film was on the way to deep storage and was found by a curious employee, otherwise there’s a good chance we’d never get to see this.
Thank goodness that curiosity doesn’t kill the Disney employee or we would have all missed out on this great find.
Link Via Boing Boing
Gudrun Enger has a friend who works in Disneyland, and whenever she visits the park her friend comes along and acts as a tour guide, and usually shares a few secrets. Here are some you might not know:
The drawbridge to Sleeping Beauty’s Castle really works. It’s been raised only twice: once on opening day, and once in the l980s when Fantasyland reopened.
The crest above the drawbridge is the Disney family crest.
It took only 364 days to build Disneyland.
Main Street represents Walt’s home town, Marceline, Missouri, in 1901, the year he was born.
The organ that was in 20,000 Leagues Under the Sea now lives in the ballroom of the Haunted Mansion.
In the early years of the park, the Rivers of America were stocked with catfish and visitors were allowed to fish off the docks of Tom Sawyer Island.
When Disneyland launched its original Submarine Voyage ride, it included Weeki Wachee-type mermaids swimming among the submarines. Here’s a video of them.
Photo of Tom Sawyer Island by Gudrun Enger
More posts about Disney on Neatorama:
- 10 Cool Secrets About Disneyland
- Happy Birthday, Walt!: 10 Things You Didn’t Know About Walt Disney
- 6 Attractions You’ll Never See Again at Disneyland
From the Upcoming 
ueue, submitted by Marilyn Terrell.
Disneyland’s Haunted Mansion ride is quite possibly one of the best attractions Disney’s Imagineers have created during the theme park’s history. From the tombstones surrounding the mansion’s decaying exterior to its cobwebbed interior, the whole ride creates a pitch-perfect atmosphere of gothic glee.
This year the attraction celebrates its 40th anniversary. To commemorate the milestone, one of Disney’s favorite artists, Shag, has been commissioned to create original artwork inspired by the ever popular attraction.
>“Represented in the artwork are some of the attraction’s most beloved scenes, including the Stretching Portraits, the Ballroom, the Séance Room, the Attic, Graveyard, among others. This unique collection is a must have for any Shag and Haunted Mansion enthusiast.”
From the Upcoming ueue, submitted by whitespace.
So, you think you know Walt Disney. But did you know that "Disney" wasn't his family's ancestral surname? That he drove an ambulance? That his first studio went bankrupt in just one year? Or that he was a train nut and had a miniature railroad put in his backyard? To celebrate the 107th anniversary of his birthday, here are Neatorama's 10 Fun Facts About Walt Disney:
Origin of the "Disney" Name: d'Isigny
Walt's ancestors were named d'Isigny, and came from Isigny-sur-Mer
in Normandy, France. They moved to a village in Lincolnshire, England
now named Norton Disney.
Disney Tried to Join the Army, but was Rejected
In 1917, Walt tried to join the Army to fight in World War I and was rejected
... because he was too young! He was 16 at the time, so he joined The
Red Cross instead. His first job there? Driving an ambulance.
Walt Disney as an ambulance driver in France - photo via Croce
Rossa Italiana
Laugh-O-Gram: Disney's First Venture Went Bank-O-Rupt
In
1922, Disney founded an animation company called Laugh-O-Gram. The company
immediately ran into financial troubles (Disney had to live in the office
and take baths once a week at a neighboring train station). In just about
one year, the studio declared bankruptcy. Disney sold his movie camera
for a one-way ticket to Hollywood, California.
The studio produced only a few animations, including one called Tommy Tucker's Tooth, which was commissioned by a local dentist about the merits of brushing your teeth. (More on Laugh-O-Grams at The Animation Empire)
Before Mickey Mouse, There was Oswald the Lucky Rabbit
Walt and Ub Iwerks created Oswald the Lucky Rabbit (who looked
suspiciously similar to Mickey) for Charles Mintz of Universal Studios.
In 1928, with the popular cartoon series going strong, Disney asked Mintz
for an increase in budget. Instead, Mintz took over his current employees
and demanded that Walt take a budget cut!
Oswald the Lucky Rabbit - via Los
comienzos de Walt
Mintz thought that he had Disney cornered - instead, Walt went on to start anew with Iwerks and a loyal apprentice named Les Clark. They tried sketches of various animals, including dog, cat, cow, frog and horse before settling on a mouse (based on Disney's pet mouse Mortimer).
They were going to call the character Mortimer Mouse, but Walt's wife Lilian convinced him to change the name to Mickey Mouse (she thought "Mortimer" sounded pompous) (Source).
Disney's Folly: Snow White
In 1934, Disney embarked on his most ambitious project yet: a
full-length animated feature called Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs.
Both his brother Roy and wife Lilian tried to talk him out of it, saying
that it would be too difficult and too expensive (Lilian said: "No
one's ever going to pay a dime to see a dwarf picture.") The Hollywood
movie industry mocked it as "Disney's Folly."
Two years later, while still in mid-production, Walt ran out of money. The initial production cost of $250,000 (already 10 times the average budget of his other animations) ballooned to over $1.5 million. (today's value: $21 million) He had to mortgage his house and get a loan to finish the movie.
Walt in the trailer of Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs - via Wikipedia
In 1937, Snow White and the Seven Dwarf was released and became an instant success. The movie won an honorary Oscar (see this post on Neatorama: Oscars Fun Facts) and grossed over $66 million domestically. Over its lifetime, the movie grossed over $184 million. Not bad for a "folly."
Disney Goes to War
In
1942, a naval officer wrote a letter to Walt asking for a design for an
emblem of the Navy's new fleet of torpedo boats nicknamed "mosquito
boats." Disney obliged with a drawing of a mosquito riding a torpedo
(the insignia was such a hit that every torpedo boat in the fleet soon
had it).
Words spread, and Disney was bombarded with requests for insignias for tanks, minesweepers, bombers, and figher planes. Skylighters.org has a neat article about Disney's artistic contribution to the Great War: Link (text from LIFE Magazine)
Walt Disney was a Train Lover
Disney
loved trains. He even built a miniature railroad in his backyard called
the Carolwood Pacific Railroad. It was named after the street on which
his home was located.
Walt's railroad had 2,615 feet of track, including trestles, loops, overpasses, and even a tunnel (after his wife vetoed the train going through her flower beds).
Disney's backyard railroad became an inspiration for the Disneyland theme park.
Walt's Disneyland Tribute to His Father
Photo: David Ball [Wikipedia]
Elias Disney, Walt's father, was a carpenter who earned about $1 a day. In 1895, Elias began a modest home construction business that ultimately failed. He continued to work odd jobs afterwards, including farming, running a newspaper delivery business, and working in a jelly factory.
Elias didn't live long enough to see Disneyland, but the lamp in his window is always lit in his honor. (Source: Disneyland Detective: An Independent Guide to Discovering Disney's Legend, Lore, and Magic by K. Trahan, D. Hawkins, and B. McKim)
Cigarettes Killed Disney
Walt Disney was a chain smoker. In 1966, he was scheduled to undergo a
neck surgery for an old polo injury, but a pre-surgery X-ray showed a
large tumor in his left lung. Doctors ultimately removed the lung, but
Disney died later that year.
In 1951, Disney produced a short clip titled "No Smoking" of Goofy trying to quit smoking. The company banned the cartoon from TV broadcast.
Disney's Mysterious Tie Clip
The Walt Disney bronze statue in Disneyland has a weird tie clip that
looks like a symbol from an alien language.
Photo: Zesmerelda
[Flickr]
It turns out the symbol is made of the letters S, T, and R, which stands for "Smoke Tree Ranch," Disney's ranch in Palm Springs, California. Nearby Walt's ranch lives a good friend of his, who became the inspiration of the character "Jacques" the Mouse in Cinderella! (Source: Hidden Mickeys, with a lot more fun facts of Disney)
Previously on Neatorama: 10 Cool Secrets About Disneyland
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