Posts Tagged ‘Disneyland’

Classic \ˈkla-sik\  serving as a standard of excellence;  of recognized value;  traditional, enduring

There are the thrill rides.  There are attractions that showcase the latest and greatest technologies.  There are those that exploit modern themes and the newest stories and characters.

And then, there are the classics.  They may not utilize the most up-to-date equipment, advanced programming, or state-of-the-art special effects.  It doesn’t matter.  They are the classics; the quintessence of the Disney experience.  Using old-time tricks and familiar illusions, the Haunted Mansion continues to amaze and delight us.  It’s a Small World still compels us to board little boats and float past hundreds of dolls while listening to a repetitive tune.  Children will always clamor for Dumbo the Flying Elephant, adults will forever get teary in the Hall of Presidents, and they all line up to sit in twirling teacups and laugh together.

Yet none is more clearly touched by Walt’s hand than the Carousel of Progress.  It’s a simple concept – guests are seated in a theater that revolves around a central stage as they follow nearly 100 years of innovation.  Through a series of cozy kitchen scenes and folksy chats, the audience can see the evolution of both technology and, more subtly, American culture, from the late 1900’s until the end of the 20^th century.

The clothing changes, as do the “latest” appliances, and even the vocabulary, but the core message remains the same:  mankind’s infinite capacity for inventiveness and resourcefulness, and the timeless values of family and country; philosophies that were dear to Walt’s heart.  In fact, he was deeply involved in the project right from the start when it was developed for the New York World’s Fair in 1964 and 1965.  Progressland’s Carousel Theater, sponsored by General Electric, was actually an offshoot of a concept known as Edison Square, which Walt had conceived, but never built, for Disneyland in the 1950’s.

It was a huge hit at the Fair, and although the original structure was demolished, the audioanimatronic figures and the systems were packed up and moved to Disneyland when the Fair closed.  While Walt did not live long enough to see it open, it ran for six years at its new home in Tomorrowland.  On the upper level of the theater, guests could view a beautifully-detailed model of Progress City, a preview of the real city he had planned to build in Florida – EPCOT.  Today, visitors can see a section of that model displayed along the route of the TTA PeopleMover in Walt Disney World.

After its Disneyland closure in 1973, once again, the theater was left behind, although this time repurposed for America Sings and later, Innoventions, and the figures and systems made the trek to their new home in the Magic Kingdom.  Renamed Walt Disney’s Carousel of Progress in 1994, the attraction underwent renovations which included an updated final scene.

Still featuring the original control systems and audioanimatronic figures, Walt Disney’s Carousel of Progress is a somewhat fragile treasure, and only open seasonally during busier periods.  Nonetheless, it holds the record for the most performances of any show in the history of American theater.

Although the fourth, “modern day” scene is sorely in need of some serious reimagining, the attraction remains a touchstone for hundreds of thousands of visitors.  Indeed, sitting in that theater, it’s easy to imagine that a great, big, beautiful tomorrow is just a dream away.

 

Walt Disney’s Carousel of Progress

Magic Kingdom

21 minutes

Open seasonally

Wheelchair and ECV accessible

Park admission required

 

Guests visiting Walt Disney World Resort or Disneyland Resort can take advantage of an early holiday gift this year in the form of special dining discounts at selected locations during specified hours.

Coupons are valid before noon or between 3:00 p.m. and 4:30 p.m.   Click on these links to print your coupon for Walt Disney World or Disneyland, or look for them in the Times Guide at Walt Disney World, the Holiday Entertainment Guide at Disneyland, and at the bottom of selected receipts at both locations.

At Walt Disney World, enjoy a 30% discount at these favorite Quick-Service spots from December 19, 2010 to January 1, 2011:

Magic Kingdom Park

• Cosmic Ray’s Starlight Cafe
• Pecos Bill Tall Tale Inn and Cafe
• Columbia Harbour House
• Pinocchio Village Haus
• Tomorrowland Terrace Restaurant

Epcot

• Electric Umbrella
• Liberty Inn
• Sunshine Seasons

Disney’s Hollywood Studios

• Backlot Express
• ABC Commissary
• Studio Catering Company

Disney’s Animal Kingdom Theme Park

• Flame Tree Barbecue
• Pizzafari
• Restaurantosaurus
• Tamu Tamu Refreshments

If you’re planning a visit to Disneyland between December 19, 2010 and January 3, 2011, take advantage of the same savings at these popular venues:

Disneyland Park

• French Market Restaurant
• Hungry Bear Restaurant
• Rancho del Zocalo Restaurante
• Redd Rockett’s Pizza Port
• Tomorrowland Terrace

Disney California Adventure Park

• Cocina Cucamonga Mexican Grill
• Lucky Fortune Cookery
• Pacific Wharf Cafe
• Taste Pilots’ Grill
• Award Wieners

A Disney Halloween isn’t only about pumpkins and parties.  It’s about spooky sightings and devilish details.  There are endless ways of capturing that “not so scary” spirit!  Here are just a few of our favorites.

It’s the time of year when fireworks wear their autumn colors,

Villains come out to play,

and all the cool guys are hanging around.

Some old friends just fit right in;

while others get all dressed up

to celebrate!

We look at the everyday details; architecture,

attractions,

and ambience;

with new eyes.

And discover that some of the most spooktacular subjects of all

are the classic favorites!

With rather extraordinary fanfare, Disney Parks made its latest announcement an hour ago.  I spent a puzzling half-hour on facebook with 10,000 other viewers, watching the live feed.  I have to assume many more were logged in through the Disney Parks Blog site since that was completely unavailable.

It was fascinating to read the comments coming in as the presentation made its ponderous way forward.  Obviously a group of true believers, even the most diehard members of the audience became discouraged as the show rolled on.   By the end of the broadcast, the comments were almost 100% negative; surprised, dismayed, and negative.  It wasn’t so much the content; it was the failure to deliver on the heels of so much hoopla.

Supporting the research which indicates the importance of vacation memories, the new “Let the Memories Begin” campaign will give guests the chance to share their own photos and videos and see them projected on the façade of Cinderella Castle at Walt Disney World Resort, or It’s a Small World at Disneyland Resort.  There was a rehash of old news about the World of Color, new Disney Cruise Line ships, park expansions, Aulani.  Very nice; very anticlimactic; very disappointing to the vast majority who very clearly were expecting something a great deal more dramatic.

Despite the public’s love affair with the notion of sharing the mundane details of daily life with the world, there is obviously a different set of standards when it comes to corporate pronouncements.  Still an evolving concept, social media outlets are being embraced by business with mixed results, and this appears to have been a misstep.  While it may be acceptable for Disney to publish tidbits and trivia on its blog and fan page, it seems that using them to whip people into a frenzy of anticipation about a “big” announcement which turns out to be small after all, is not.  There was a lot of speculation regarding this “exciting news;” pretty much all of it far exceeding the somewhat ho-hum rollout of the new marketing campaign.  Can’t help but feel that there’s a lesson here for us all – go big or go home.

On September 12^th, the book will close on Storytime with Belle in the Fairytale Garden at the Magic Kingdom.  Happily, it seems that Belle is awaiting the construction of her new home which will include an expanded version of Storytime: Enchanted Tales with Belle.

The area will be reimagined and open on October 15^th as a play and greet area featuring the stars of the upcoming movie “Tangled.”  Rapunzel, the princess with magical hair who has been imprisoned in a tower her entire life, and dashing bandit Flynn Rider who accidentally discovers her, will be on hand to greet guests at both Walt Disney World and Disneyland parks.

This new animated film, scheduled to be released this November, has been designed to recreate the look of classic fairytales, with details and ambiance inspired by Disneyland’s Fantasyland.

It’s not unusual to hear complaints from loyal Disney fans who continue to pine for long-lost attractions and entertainments.  While we expect to see new and ever more spectacular offerings, we don’t want to lose any of our sentimental favorites.   There was so much fuss about the Wonders of Life, for instance.  Now, I have to say that no one was more distressed than I to hear news of this closing so I understand the dismay.  However, it was open seasonally for a very long period after the announced closure.  I went every time I visited Walt Disney World, and I would stay there for several hours because I always felt it might be the last time I would set foot in the building.  I’d watch the show, play the games, sit and have lunch…I was pretty much alone.  Only a handful of people came through, and this was often at Christmas time when the parks were jammed.

Disney doesn’t shut down a ride to antagonize millions of people who throng to the attraction.  Most often, it closes because it because it isn’t pulling its weight – no one is visiting.  Horizons closed because it wasn’t getting the traffic, the same with, yes kids, Mr. Toad’s Wild Ride.

Other attractions closed for different reasons.  With the opening of Disney’s Animal Kingdom, Discovery Island became redundant.  The company chose to build new water parks rather than address the issues of fresh water and an aging infrastructure at River Country.  We know that 20,000 Leagues Under the Sea was both slow-loading and not handicapped-accessible, as well as being incredibly expensive to maintain.  The Skyway to Tomorrowland was shut down for many of the same reasons.  The Plaza Swan Boats suffered from ongoing engine problems; the Tapestry of Dreams Parade was adversely affected by winds across the World Showcase Lagoon. If You Had Wings lost its sponsorship.

Because Disney is in the business of making people happy, it’s easy to forget that, first and foremost, they are in the business of making money.  It’s not reasonable to expect any company to continue to foster an element that is no longer financially feasible due to its being out of date thematically, mechanically, or historically; too expensive to update or maintain; or simply not pulling sufficient numbers through the doors.

Yes, I miss the time when today’s bright red double-decker “Character Bus” was a fun and relaxing form of public transportation around the World Showcase; and I loved the World of Motion.  It’s sad to know that the wonderful Streetmosphere cast at Disney’s Hollywood Studios has been reduced.  But, I’m not sorry that ExtraTERRORestrial Alien Encounter has passed into memory, and I wish Stitch’s Great Escape! would follow.  Don’t hear much clamoring for a return of Tarzan Rocks!, either.

On the bright side, after 45 years, the Carousel of Progress is still turning.  The PeopleMover is still moving people, and It’s a Small World is still big.  If you have a special affection for a ride or show, don’t pass it by.  Make a point to experience your favorites each time you visit – show your support with your feet!

September 8^th marks the closure of another well-loved Walt Disney World attraction, Star Tours, as it undergoes dramatic changes before re-emerging in 2011 as an exciting new immersive, 3-D adventure.  Disneyland’s Star Tours closed on July 27^th, while the version at Disney’s Hollywood Studios is going out in style with a “Last Tour to Endor” party on August 14^th.

Loyal fans of this perennial favorite seem to be looking forward to the planned “reimagining” which will include new journeys to familiar Star Wars destinations.  A new ride system and motion-simulator, hi-def video and 3-D technology, as well as new special effects, promise an out-of-this-world experience. We’re hearing talk of podracers, prequels, and multiple ride experience possibilities.

Currently, the attraction is scheduled to reopen in Disneyland on May 9, 2011 and at Walt Disney World on May 16, 2011.

Reservations are now being taken for 2011 vacation packages at Walt Disney World and Disneyland Resorts.  This is good news for those who enjoy the anticipation of a Disney vacation.

Booking early allows guests to ensure their first choice of accommodations, and leaves plenty of time for planning and getting the jump of those all-important dining reservations.

A $200.00 deposit will hold your Walt Disney World Resort or Disneyland Resort vacation package reservation and you can sit back and relax.  The Concierges at Whimsical World Travel track all special offers and will have your reservation modified to reflect any savings from available, applicable specials.

There’s no risk to secure a reservation – deposits for packages without airfare are fully-refundable (except for the cost of optional travel insurance) up to a minimum of 46 days before your departure.  So:

“Rap on a table, it’s time to respond,
Send us a message from somewhere beyond.

Wizards and witches wherever you dwell,
Give us a hint by ringing a bell.”

Statuary – it’s everywherey!  Disney is in love with statues and guests will find them all over the parks, resorts, shops, and ships.

From a tiny finial to a larger-than-life likeness, Walt, Roy, and the cast of characters are recreated for the delight of visitors.  They hide in flowers, sit on benches, look up, peer down, wave, and welcome.

Among the most charming are the small bronzes surrounding the hub in front of Cinderella Castle at Walt Disney World.

Here, we find the classic characters, Dumbo, Minnie, Goofy, Pluto, Donald, Br’er Rabbit; their personalities perfectly captured – an iconic pose, a special smile, a famous friendship.  They surround what is unquestionably the most well-loved bronze of all, Partners.

I think my son said it best.  Although he had visited Walt Disney World a dozen times with his grandmother, it was my very first trip.  I suggested giving the attraction a pass and he looked at me with horror, “But Mom, we have to do this; It’s A Small World is Disney.”

And so it is.

The cheerful little title tune, the subject of so much whining, is actually thought to be the most widely-performed and translated song in the world.  Yes, it is sung for ten minutes straight, in five different languages by audioanimatronic figures backed up by assorted animals and animated props, as guests float past a variety of scenes representing many world cultures.  But the ride, first created for the New York World’s Fair of 1964, also embodies so much of the Disney tradition and spirit.

Overseen by Walt himself, it was designed by Mary Blair, best known for her murals in the Grand Concourse of Disney’s Contemporary Resort.  It also features the work of other Disney legends: Joyce Carlson, and Marc and Alice Davis.  The original attraction found a home in Disneyland but it has been recreated for Walt Disney World, Disneyland Paris, Hong Kong Disneyland, and Tokyo Disneyland.

The exquisitely-detailed costumes alone are worth the voyage over the Seven Seaways.  Small children, dressed to evoke their native lands, bounce and twist to the ever-present music.  It is charming and colorful, promoting a message of goodwill and unity – and, let’s be honest, every vacation can generally use a dash of goodwill and unity!

It’s a Small World

Magic Kingdom, Fantasyland

Approximately 10 minutes

Guests must transfer from wheelchair and ECV to ride vehicle

No flash photography

Handheld captioning device available

Park admission required