Geek-End Update, Saturday, August 9, 2008

• Dave at Davelandblog has a fantastic pictorial article about the Viewliner Train at Disneyland.
• Bearride at Videblog has some great pictures of signs at Main Street at Disneyland.
• Jack Spence takes a look at Critter Country at Tokyo Disneyland. Lots of great shots of Splash Mountain!
• Over at The Maz Disney blog, they post the links to a series of YouTube videos featuring the 1981 television program: Disney Animation, the Illusion of Life.
• Jeff from 2719 Hyperion has an in-depth look at who's who in a classic Hollywood Mickey short. It is simply amazing!
• Jerry at Cartoon Brew shares images from a 1948 textbook that shows a visit to the Disney Studios.
• Mike at The Jungle is "101" has a scan of a 1980 article about the Disneyland Hotel. He also shares a scan of a 1980 Custodial booklet.
• Alain at Disney and More has a stellar post about the WRE, or Western River Expedition that was supposed to be Marc Davis' masterpiece!
• Jessica from If We Can Dream It has a great post with the Mike Fink Keelboats. Where does she find these details?
• Bob Cowan is back from his WDW vacation and he has been updating the art on his blog. Amazing stuff!
• Didier from Disney History shares the cover art for two forthcoming books.
• Matterhorn at Stuff From the Park has an early Club 33 membership id. Wow.
• Randall at Character Design has some images from Princess and the Frog.
• FoxxFur from Passport to Dreams has a sneak-peak post of an article she is writing for Widen Your World. It will make you wish Doc Brown could hit 88 MPH.

Book Update: Mickey Mouse

Walt Disney's Mickey Mouse: His Life and Times was delivered last week.

It is a biographical look at Mickey's life, up until 1986 (the book's publication date). Brian Sibley and Richard Holliss are the authors.

It looks like a great read. Plenty of stills, artwork and a section on making Mickey move! Fromthe cover, you would think it was a juvenile tite, but it is geared towards adults.

The GAF Picture Trail

If you've been paying attention to my posts, you know that I really like the Kodak Photo Spots located around the parks.

I shared some Walt Disney World spots here and some Disneyland spots here. We even had a Disneyland Paris spot!

My wife found this 1974 Walt Disney World Information Guide (Winter/Spring 1974) on Ebay a while ago. She knows about my love of picture spots and the description mentioned a photo trail. When it arrived, we noticed the middle spread was a GAF Photo Trail map.


GAF was the Official Film of Walt Disney World (and Disneyland) for most of the 1970's. Kodak was an original Disneyland sponsor until GAF took over in 1970. Polaroid has also been an official film sponsor, too!

GAF describes the Photo Trail:

Follow the GAF Photo Trail for outstanding scenic pictures in the Magic Kingdom. The picture spots on the map have been carefully researched and selected as the best locations for taking memorable pictures. Each spot has been marked by a Photo Trail sign providing useful information for colorful and exciting movies and still pictures. Photo Trail spots have been located at the hotels and other scenic areas around Walt Disney World. Watch for the blue picture spot signs.

So, does anyone out there have any pictures of the GAF Photo Trail picture spots?

Mickey Mousing

The Mouse Machine, by J.P. Telotte, discusses the technology that the Disney Company has used, since its inception, to differentiate its art and attract people to its product. In the following quote, Telotte looks at how sound changed cartoons forever--and our relationship to cartoons.

Supposedly coined by David O. Selznick, the term [mickey mousing] describes "the close synchronization of music to action", such that the action is continually punctuated by a specific musical tempo or motif. Sometimes seen as an unfortunate influence of the exaggerations found in the early Mickey cartoons, the term is typically used pejoratively, to suggest overscoring and a pointedly manipulative or intrusive use of the soundtrack that violates the reality illusion. However, that effect most commonly works in conjunction with realistic sound effects--and, in fact, it largely gained that negative implication because of this conjunction and the rather difficult narrative negotiation it imposes on the audience. It is, consequently, also in some ways the essence, perhaps even the glory of the early Mickey Mouse and Silly Symphony cartoons, because of the way it suggests the very spirit that moves in them. For "mickey mousing" shows us how the world of these films adapts itself to sound, moves to the beat of the new sound environment, finds its full aural/musical potential, thanks to the energetic intervention of the mouse or some other figure or force.
--p. 29, The Mouse Machine: Disney and Technology

Looking at cartoons across the years, mickey mousing has taken hold and is one of the ways that we relate to the characters and one way the artists create their own reality. Make sure to keep your ears open the next time you get the chance to see an animated short from the 1930's through the 1950's.

Geek-End Update, Saturday August 2, 2008

• Jeff Pepper at 2719 Hyperion has a tribute to the late Harriet Burns. He also has a great Theme Parkeology post.
• Michael at All Things Disney posts about Don Iwerks and the Iwerks Entertainment Company.
• Michelle Scribner-MacLean from the AllEars Team Blog posts a review about The Tales From the Laughing Place magazine.
• Carrie and Sam at Haunted Mansion Collectibles talk about the time they spent with Harriet Burns.
• MainStreetMom at The Daily Earful discusses Disney Theme Park music and some place to listen when you need that fix!
• Craig from Earning My Ears posts a 1967 chart looking at the relationships within the Disney Company.
• Ryan at Main Street Gazette has found some great details on the Rivers of America!
• Michael Barrier shares information about Walt's Stump (you know what that is, right?) at Disneyland. Mr. Barrier links to some documents about the delivery of it.
• Vintage Disneyland Tickets has an awesome look at the Skyway from the Magic Kingdom.
• Jessica from If We Can Dream It catches a great detail on the Safari!
• Kevin Kidney has a great Disneyland post. Lots of purple.
• Didier from the Disney History blog shares the covers and information about two upcoming books.
• Outside the Berm has a post about Gene Lester. Follow the link to read about how they acquired an amazing piece of Disney Studio history.
• FoxxFur at Passport to Dreams gets a little hopeful with her new post. Some great ideas, as usual!
• Richard at Photos From the Parks has some great shots of the WDW Attraction Posters. I love my Haunted Mansion one (thanks, Jessica!).

Found!

Disney Lost and Found: Exploring the Hidden Artwork from Never-Produced Animation by Charles Solomon.

Just got this title in today. It looks stunning and absolutely amazing. Full of concept art, sketches and paintings of animation and characters never produced.

A Note From Daisy

This is one of the great little details from Minnie's Country House at Mickey's Toontown Fair at the Magic Kingdom.

On Minnie's bulletin board, we find notes, advertisements and postcards. Daisy has sent her BFF two postcards about her recent trip.

Dear Minnie,
Having a wonderful time.
I bought lots of lipstick on the trip.
Wait until Donald sees my bill!
Love, Daisy.

Don't forget to keep your eyes open the next time you find yourself at a Disney theme park. Also, don't tell Donald about the bill!

Live from the Library

Toy Story Mania Reader Question

We had an e-mail question from a reader over the weekend about the changes that Toy Story Midway Mania will bring to Disney's Hollywood Studio. Her concerns included hitting the big three attractions first and what would be the best order for the first part of the day.

I haven't had the fortune of experiencing the attraction, yet, but I know a lot of people that have (Jessica? Lou? Ray? Glenn? Jeff?). Plus, I know that a lot of the Imaginerdlings out there have ridden it and know more about the ins and outs of the traffic.

I'm heading to Disney World for a week in August, and I was wondering how the opening of Toy Story Mania changed your park route. Generally I head straight to Tower of Terror and Rockin' Rollercoaster and fast pass one while I wait on line for the other. Should I try to get over to Toy Story Mania first and work my way towards the front of the park now? How is the line for the new attraction?

So, now I ask you, what should she do? Head to TSMM first and get a FastPass and then head to Tower and Rock'n'Roller? Or is there a better plan for seeing the park and the big three attractions?

Leave a comment and let us know your thoughts!

Geek-End Update

• Daveland shares some images from the new Mark VII Monorail at Disneyland (scroll down the post to see those images--they are after the Swiss Family Treehouse).
• Princess Fee at DF'82 takes us on a trip around the Rivers of the Far West at Parc Disneyland in Paris.
• Chris at OC History Roundup shares two pictures of Walt and two kings.
• Richard from Photos From the Park posts a few great Splash Mountain queue details.
• Vintage Disneyland Tickets shares a scan of a cool 1975 Walt Disney World brochure. He also does an incredible Then and Now post where he compares shots from 1975 and 2008.
• The Ghost Relations Department Blog posts a very hidden detail of Constance's.
• David at Vintage Disney Collectibles asks if you want to join the Mickey Mouse Club? Hot Dog!
• Ryan at Main St. Gazette has a great pictorial from the Animal Kingdom.
• Michael Sporn posts some amazing artwork from the Sleeping Beauty DVD.
• Worried about the content in your language? So was Disney! Thanks to Jerry at Cartoon Brew for the scan.
• Jessica from If We Can Dream It has some great details from Pleasure Island!
• Hans at A Film L.A. shares the patent for Walt and Ub about the Circarama/Circle Vision system. Check out the drawing of the car!
  

The Master!

In the following quote from the forward of A Brush With Disney, Marty Sklar discusses Walt's plans for selling the concept of Disneyland and the ideas for new lands. A Brush With Disneyis a work that celebrates Herb Ryman.

Naturally, Walt has called on his greatest illustrators/designers to visualize the concepts: John Hench, Sam McKim and Herb Ryman. John was the master of the "specifically vague" technique that allowed viewers (and potential sponsors!) to imagine their identification without committing to anything; Sam was the master of detail, where nothing was left to chance or misinterpretation; and Herb--he was simply THE MASTER. Name the Disney Park project from the first illustration of Disneyland in 1953 to the first visualization of Walt Disney World in 1968 to the first depiction of Epcot in 1979 to the first designs for Tokyo Disneyland in 1980 to some of the earliest concepts for Disneyland Paris in 1989; the public's first view of each came from the pencil, pen or brush of Herbert Dickens Ryman.

--p. 8, A Brush with Disney : An Artist's Journey, Told through the words and works of Herbert Dickens Ryman

Concept art for the never built Ford Magic Theater in Tomorrowland at Disneyland.

Court of Angels

Daveland recently posted some great shots of the Court Des Anges in New Orleans Square at Disneyland. I asked him to post a close-up of the sign (since we are both Disney Signage geeks) and the plaque on the wall.

Dave obliged. You can see the beautiful stained-glass sign announcing the COURT des ANGES. It is located on the left side of the picture above, near the blue balcony with the striped awning.

On the wall near the stained-glass sign is a plaque that reads:

Musique Des Anges
Music Lessons
Vocal Instructions
Mme. Sally McWhirter
Instructor

Sally began her career with Disney in the Disney Stores, Inc. in Indiana. Sally was promoted to District Manager before coming to work in Disneyland. Here she was named director of store operations in 1995 until her untimely death in 1997. She died at 40 as a result of non-Hodgkin's lymphoma. Sally sang with her church choir, which explains the plaque reference to music of angels and voice lessons. Her tribute is near this heavenly stairway, in the Court of Angels.
--p. 91, The Disneyland Detective by Kendra Trahan.

Another small detail that proves a tribute can be more than just a Window on Main Street.

Thanks to Dave for letting me borrow the photos. His site is amazing.

Don't forget that Andy and I will be at the Eva Perry Regional Library (in Apex, North Carolina) next Tuesday evening (July 29) at 7:00 pm. We will be discussing those little details that make a Disney trip so much fun. Hopefully, we will have a few Disney Geeks-in-Training in attendance that we can enroll in our Master's Degree level program.

Spaces are filling up fast and you have to sign up since space is limited. As of this writing, less than 16 slots are available!