Imaginerding: Disney books, history, links and more!

Sunday, January 9, 2011

Book Review: Walt Disney World, 20 Magical Years

Walt Disney World: 20 Magical Years 1991, 168 pages.

This is a wonderful title for the Walt Disney World fan and enthusiast.

Published to celebrate the first 20 years of Walt Disney World, this book acts as a souvenir guide and vacation pictorial. It follows the same format and concept as Walt Disney World: The First Decade and adds EPCOT, the Disney-MGM Studios, Pleasure Island and the newer hotels. Basically, everything that was built since 1981.

20 Magical Years is more than the standard Disney PR piece; we are on a journey to a time when Walt Disney World was entering the Disney Decade and poised for massive growth. It was a simpler Walt Disney World that was still trying to discover its path after the opening of EPCOT Center and the Disney-MGM Studios. You get to visit each land and each attraction at the Magic Kingdom and EPCOT Center--with clever outside shots and not often seen interior photos. The coverage of the Disney-MGM Studios is sparse, but that is expected. It is obvious from the book that it was still considered a half-day park by the Company. The last section of the book is called The Vacation Kingdom and covers the Magic Kingdom hotels, the Caribbean Beach Resort, Typhoon Lagoon, River Country, Pleasure Island and the Village Marketplace. It is the biggest change from the first decade to the second. The ancillary, or Vacation Kingdom, areas are given much less focus.

For Disney fans, this book is a fond trip down memory lane. For Disney enthusiasts, it is a historical look at attractions, lands and areas that no longer exist. Horizons, World of Motion, Discovery Island and River County are all included. It is a very fond look back at a vanished Walt Disney World. In many cases, this book is one of the few official resources that we can use to document the history of Walt Disney World.

This book is a lot of fun. I use it for research and for taking virtual trips. The photographs, although taken by Disney, are of a different quality than most stand alone publications. There are a lot of construction shots and pictures from different angles. Sometimes the shots can be surprising!

It is very nostalgic and even at the 20-year mark, Disney has made the switch from Vacation Kingdom to the individual theme parks. The emphasis on the total work is the Magic Kingdom and EPCOT as the center of your vacation.

I highly recommend this title--especially since it isn't a rare book, yet. You will enjoy the walks down memory lane!

Friday, January 7, 2011

Geek-End Update, Saturday, January 8, 2011

Hans Perk at A Film LA shares some Disney Newsreel scans focusing on fledgling computer animation.
Didier Ghez at the Disney History Blog chimes in with his favorite Disney books of 2010.
Steven Miller at the Disney Parks blog posts about some great retro EPCOT merchandise.
Samland presents Main Street, USA as urban design.
Jeff Pepper at 2719 Hyperion shares a vintage Star Tours snapshot! He also offers a rather Tangled Consider the Source.
Disney Weirdness posts an ad for Disney Joinies.
Ryan at the Main Street Gazettes takes us back to Fort Wilderness.
Shane at Parkeology discusses the importance of ramps and stroller access.
Michael Crawford at Progress City, USA discusses Carl Barks.
Learn about Jessica Blake from the Walt Disney Family Museum.
Reilly at WEDWay Radio shares one of my favorite tributes in Star Tours.
Jerry Beck at Cartoon Brew offers a heady post!
Paul F. Anderson at the Disney History Institute shares images of the Happy New Year horse.
AJ at the Disney Food Blog takes us back in thyme!
Richard at DesignerLand posts a case study on the Jungle Cruise.
Princess Fee at DF'82 shares images from the Animation Academy.
Robert at A Filmic Light discusses the Snow White products created by Kevin Kidney and Jody Daily.

Thursday, January 6, 2011

Anandapur Regional Irrigation District No. 0015

If you've spent any time in Disney's Animal Kingdom, you come to understand that the theming has been done as naturally as possible. Case in point, the water fountains featured on the Maharajah Jungle Trek are disguised as urns that provide Safe Water for Travelers.

The Animal Kingdom uses pots for theming. In the Magic Kingdom, there are lots of bags of salt!

Here Is Located SAFE WATER FOR TRAVELERS. Please Know It Is Unwise to Drink Local Water, Standing Water, Water From Unidentified Sources.

Wandering along a path in Anandapur, you will notice the following vignette that is just off of the walkway. Looks just like a water main, right? Doesn't Disney usually color those in Imagineering's special green and gray colors (like the Club 33 door at Disneyland and the Soarin' Building at Epcot)? I have run into those massive pipes at Disney resorts and they are usually painted to match the foliage.

So, we've got some buckets...what does that stone tablet say?

ANANDAPUR REGIONAL IRRIGATION DISTRICT No. 0015

Take a closer look at the water pipe and you can see that Disney attached a typical garden spigot to the side of the pipe. Handy for people needing to fill a bucket.

I twisted that sucker all day long!

Taking a larger look at the tableau, you can see that the Imagineers provided some pots and buckets for the local farmers and possibly, some wayward travelers. Talk about a very creative solution!

Tuesday, January 4, 2011

Book Review: Harriet Burns, Walt Disney's First Lady of Imagineering

Walt Disney's First Lady of Imagineering: Harriet Burns by Pam Burns-Clair and Don Peri. 2010

Harriet Burns. Her name is synonymous with Imagineering and the creation of early Disneyland. Not only was she one of Walt's first Imagineers, but she was the first woman in Imagineering, hence her title, the First Lady of Imagineering. She worked on the development of Sleeping Beauty's Castle, Pirates of the Caribbean, the Haunted Mansion, the 1964-65 New York World's Fair and countless other rides, attractions and resorts. Harriet retired in 1986 after 31 years of creating magic for the Walt Disney Company.

Joanne Campbell wrote about a trip to Walt Disney World with Harriet Burns in the early 1990s:

The following morning Harriet had made reservations at a park restaurant she knew served the famous Mickey Mouse pancakes. She insisted on paying the bill because she said that her Disney card would entitle her to a discount. Of course we thanked her, but we didn't think too much of it. When she presented her card to the waiter, she said she hoped it was alright, because this card was actually from California. The waiter disappeared for some time, and suddenly the manager appeared. He was quite perplexed and said, "Mrs. Burns, was everything satisfactory? Michael [Eisner] usually alerts us when you're on the property!" With that, OUR eyes popped open in amazement, and we began to realize that the term Imagineer (and her #7 on the credit card) was something extraordinary.

Because Harriet was retired at this point, she herself had not seen MGM, which had just opened in Orlando. We hopped on a double-decker English bus with the throngs, and hadn't gone too far before Harriet said, "Look, boys, there is the old airplane that Bill and I rode to New York with Walt in for the World's Fair!" My husband and I exchanged looks, and sure enough, the tour guide then said, "and THIS is the plane that Walt took to the World's Fair."--p. 42, Walt Disney's First Lady of Imagineering

The book is replete with stories that will touch your heart. It is so much more than a tribute book to Harriet, it is also a look at how special and amazing it was to be one of Walt's Imagineers. This book is perfect for anyone interested in Imagineering, Walt or the amazing people that were fortunate enough to meet Harriet. She was an inspiring woman!

Pam Burns-Chair, Harriet's daughter, worked with author and Disney Historian Don Peri to create and compile this list of eulogies and tributes by family, friends and Disney employees. 67 essays, ranging in size from a few paragraphs to several pages help tell the story of how Harriet touched so many people's lives. The book is filled with over 200 photographs that span Harriet's life and her career at Disney.

After reading this marvelous title, I felt like I had the opportunity to meet Harriet through the eyes of her family and friends. She was well-loved, respected and admired. Some of the best anecdotes were supplied by former Imagineers that had developed a special relationship with Harriet. She was known for having an off-color sense of humor that seemed to be in opposition to her native Texan drawl. Many of the Imagineers wrote that Harriet was personable and never forgot anyone she met.

Chelsea Clair, the daughter of Pam and the granddaughter of Harriet, designed the book. She did a wonderful job of laying out the pages and integrating the photographs into the text. Pam, Don and Chelsea should be very proud of the book they put together in honor of Harriet. Their love and the love of Harriet's friends and family.

I would also be remiss if I didn't mention Scott Wolf, Disney Historian and owner of MouseClub House Scott helped with the project and created the website for the book at Imagineer Harriet.

You can also be come a Fan of Imagineer Harriet on Facebook.

This is a sentimental and beautiful look at Harriet Burns and her life in and outside of Disney. Look at Walt Disney's First Lady of Imagineering: Harriet Burns as more than a tribute; Pam and Don have compiled stories that give you an intimate look at what it was like to work for the Walt Disney Company with Walt and the heralded Imagineers.

The book provided was a review copy from the publisher.

Monday, January 3, 2011

More Books!

More books (and a gorgeous postcard set) have found their way onto Imaginerding shelves!

The Art of Tron: LegacybyJustin Springer

The Art of Howl's Moving Castleby Hayao Miyazaki

Toy Story The Art and Making of the Animated Filmby John Lasseter and Steve Daly

Working with Waltby Don Peri

The Art of Pixar: 100 Collectible Postcards

Sunday, January 2, 2011

Unity, Fellowship and Harmony

The Epcot Center logo symbolizes unity, fellowship, and harmony around the world. Five outer rings are linked to form the shape of a flower--a celebration of life. The heart of the logo is the Earth, embraced by a star symbolizing hope--the hope that with imagination, commitment, and dedication, we can create a better tomorrow. - Eyes and Ears, November 19, 1982

Published a month after the dedication of Epcot Center, the clipping tells the story of the Epcot Center logo succinctly and with a hopeful eye towards the future.

Saturday, January 1, 2011

Geek-End Update, Saturday, January 1, 2011

DisneyShawn shares some amazing attraction toys.
David at futurprobe takes a look at EPCOT and the sun!
At the Walt Disney Family Mueum, Diane Disney Miller posts about Christmases at the Disney house.
The WEDWay Radio boys talk about Walt's backyard.
Jeff Pepper at 2719 Hyperion offers another Freeze Frame!
The Disney Wedding Blog showcases an amazing (and geeky) place to have a wedding.
Bob and Rob present another "what could have been" moment from Toy Story 3.
Joey Ellis shares a fantastic piece of his own art and a geeky history lesson!
Shane at Parkeology does a little Disneyland Dreaming!
Richard at DesignerLand does a case study on the fonts of the Haunted Mansion.
Jamie at OnlyWDWorld shares images from the Scientific Tribute at Epcot.
Long-Forgotten Haunted Mansion discusses two of my favorite things!
Magical Hotel posts two aerial images of the Disneyland Hotel.

Wednesday, December 29, 2010

Audio Review: Walt Disney and the 1964 World's Fair

Walt Disney and the 1964 World's Fair 5-CD Box Set, 2009.

It's a Small World, The Carousel of Progress and Great Moments with Mr. Lincoln are household names to most Disney enthusiasts. Those names are inexorably tied to the 1964/1965 New York World's Fair and represent a watershed for W.E.D. Enterprises and the art of the theme park attraction. No less well-known (but not in any recent complete incarnation) is the Magic Skyway. The Magic Skyway pavilion was not sent back to Disneyland in its entirety; you can experience part of it in the Primeval World section of the Grand Canyon Diorama during the Disneyland Railroad. It's a Small World exists in each Magic Kingdom-style park. Born as Progressland, the Carousel of Progress now resides at the Magic Kingdom after a few years at Disneyland. Great Moments with Mr. Lincoln premiered at Disneyland after the first season of the Fair and re-appeared at the Opera House in December 2009.

Almost 45 years after the opening of the 1964 New York World's Fair, Walt Disney Records has released a 5-CD box set of the recordings from the four Disney-created attractions at the Fair.

So, why is this important?

Ever since the popularity of Disneyland consumed most of the surrounding area in Anaheim, Disney had been searching for another place to build a larger project and practice some of his burgeoning ideas on planning and urbanism. When Disney was approached by the Fair to create pavilions for General Electric, Ford, Illinois and Pepsi, he saw his opportunity to try out Disneyland-style attractions on the East Coast and have other people pay for the development of the new attractions.

The 5-CD box set is an aural history of the pavilions with original source audio and never-before-heard demo tracks, alternate takes and attraction music. During my first listen, I found myself at the computer looking for images and videos of the attractions from the Fair. I could only imagine how exciting the Disney attractions must have been to a population that had largely experienced true Disney magic only on television and in theaters. Needless to say, this CD set offers hours of enjoyment for the Disney enthusiast. With four attractions featured, you might be pondering the reasons for a fifth disc. The bonus disc contains the 27-minute Alternate Universe Version of the Carousel of Progress--it is a great look at what might have been. Some of my other favorites, include: the Sherman Brothers and Disney singing There's a Great Big Beautiful Tomorrow; Royal Dano's recording session for Great Moments with Mr. Lincoln; the Disneyland Paris versions of It's a Small World; and Disney's narration for the Magic Skyway and his dialog recording session with Marty Sklar.

The 24-page full color booklet that accompanies the set is a beautiful introduction to Disney and the World's Fair. Filled with rare photographs, intriguing text and track descriptions; you will find yourself dreaming of a visit to the Fair to experience it firsthand. I am not implying that the booklet offers nothing for the enthusiast, Stacia Martin, the author, has included enough nerdy tidbits to make all of us happy.

The audio quality is superb and runs roughshod over the bootlegged versions that have been floating around. Randy Thornton and Jeff Sheridan have done an incredible job mastering and compiling the tracks.

A review of the set would not be complete without a mention of the late Bruce Gordon. What we hold in our hands is an evolution of a dream shared by Bruce and Tony Baxter from more than twenty years ago. Bruce worked tirelessly to keep the project moving and involved a very talented group of Disney castmembers. When I interviewed Randy Thornton and Stacia Martin about their thoughts on the project, they both expressed how the project would never have been without Bruce Gordon. Randy and Stacia were fervent in their statements that Bruce's vision continued to lead the project after his passing.

This is an amazing CD set that needs to be in your collection.

Monday, December 27, 2010

Book Review: Walt Disney's Railroad by Michael Broggie

Lilly Belle...the train that started a Magic Kingdom
by George Taylor

Walt Disney's Railroad Story: The Small-Scale Fascination That Led to a Full-Scale Kingdom by Michael Broggie. 1998. 431 pp.

Less than a month before Disneyland's opening day in 1955, Walt journeyed to the under-construction theme park for the first live steamup of locomotive No. 2. This was the culmination of a lifelong dream for Walt as...

...he climbed into the cab, moved the Johnson bar forward, tugged twice on the steam whistle, and pulled open the throttle. With Harley Hgen in the fireman's seat and this book's author (as a wide-eyed 12 year old) sitting on the tender, Walt eased No. 2 from the roundhouse into the bright Californian sun and onto the main line. -p. 231.

Imagine that moment in Walt's life; after years of making films and building the Company, he finally finds himself as the Chief Engineer of a real engine. His engine.

Walt Disney's life had been surrounded by trains. Family members worked on passing railroads. Both Roy and Walt were news butchers during their teens. Many of the animators at Disney were rail fans: Ward Kimball traveled with Walt to the 1948 Railroad Fair and had his own backyard, full-sized railroad; Ollie Johnston also had a backyard railroad. Many of the Studio employees shared Walt's love of full-scale and miniature railroading. For the first half of the 20th century, railroads were the future of the country. They symbolized progress and growth.

Roger Broggie is considered to be Walt's first Imagineer. A very talented machinist, Roger supervised the building of the Lilly Belle, Walt's 1/8 scale engine that ran at his Holmby Hills home. He also helped create the first Audio-Animatronic character. Roger's sons, Roger Jr. and Michael (the book's author), spent many years "working" at the studios with their father and helping Walt on the Disneyland Railroad. Citing Michael's close association with the Disney family, the Disney Company and Walt's railroads, he is uniquely qualified to write a biography about Walt Disney that focuses on how railroading affected his life and drove many of his passions.

Walt Disney's Railroad Story is a fantastic journey from Walt's boyhood through the theme parks. We encounter every significant moment of his life in reference to trains and we come to understand his passion for the steel.This is also a treat to read about Walt from a company insider whose family worked and works for Disney.

The book is presented in a chronological format with pictures on every page. Michael adds side tracks as needed that go into further detail; whether it is on a railroading term or a person. There is a lot of focus on the Carolwood-Pacific line that was built at the Holmby Hills property. Walt spent a lot of time creating the layout (with Roger Broggie and Eddie Sargent) and entertaining guests. A majority of Walt's ideas about Disneyland were formulated while conducting the Lilly Belle. Michael covers every train built for a Disney theme park up to the Animal kingdom. Michael includes a glossary of rail terms, a detailed specifications of all the Disney engines and a bibliography. My only negative comment is that there was not a layout of the Carolwood-Pacific line. The author responded to my complaint--there is indeed a layout on page 113. This goes to show that Michael Broggie has indeed created and amazing and fact-filled tome about Walt Disney and his Railroads.

This book has quickly become one of my favorites. Along with The Nickel Tour and Since The World Began, it is one of the treasures in my collection. If you have any interests in Walt's personal life, railroads or the Disney engines that chug the tracks all over the globe, then you need to own this book.

Sunday, December 26, 2010

Disney Holiday Book Update!!

Scott (@otisney on twitter) posted a few of his holiday surprises. Book wise, I am missing three of the titles he received but I did pick up a few more items. That is 358 books in my library!