As we approach the 49th Birthday for Disneyland (you’re going to be there, right?) it’s as good a time as every to look at one of the best Walt Disney related websites on the internet – The Walt Disney Family Museum. This most recent issue looks at Technology of the 1964 World’s Fair and the film Mary Poppins. For Disneyland enthusiasts Mary Poppins is important because it funded MAPO, a company that helped build some of the most favorite Disney attractions and some of the initial work on the Florida Project (WDW today). It does strike me as odd then that Mary Poppins is not represented with an attraction an any Disney Themepark. Maybe someday.
It is estimated that, on its first release, “Mary Poppins” played to an audience of 200 million and earned $45,000,000 in worldwide rentals. The film picked up numerous awards and citations, including no less than 13 Academy Award® nominations. “Mary Poppins” eventually collected five Oscars, one of which went to Julie Andrews for Best Actress.
It’s all required reading for Disney fans, but if you’re short on time don’t miss the excellent feature by historian Brian Sibley on Mary Poppins.