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Blue Bayou Memories

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Early Disneyland food options were limited mostly to carnival food and chicken dinners. Most of the restaurants were run by third party operators that Walt had brought in when he ran short of money building the park. These food locations often competed against each other to attract guests and gave park management an awful time trying to control quality and service.

One operator, Don DeFore, ran the Silver Banjo Restaurant. It was located in a small part of Frontierland and DeFore felt it was too hard for guests to find. To help attract guests, he would boil onions and blow out the smell with a fan. He even went as far as creating a sandwich board sign which he placed out on the main walk way. It all infuriated Walt who thought the signs and smells cheapened his park.

This led Walt to take over all the food operations, a move which he accomplished by 1965. He also decided Disneyland would up its game with the addition of a restaurant attached to the Pirates of the Caribbean attraction he was building. This restaurant would help convince the public that top quality dining experience could be had in the park.
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New Space Shuttle Atlantis Exhibit at Kennedy Space Center

Please welcome back guest author Jessica Floria:

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Words cannot describe the feelings that encompass you when experiencing the new Space Shuttle Atlantis exhibit at Kennedy Space Center for the first time, or even the second or third time. More than 10 companies were responsible for bringing this exhibit to life. From construction of the building, moving the shuttle in and tilting it to the right angle to the cinematic pre-shows, simulators and overall lighting and sound of the building these companies worked closely together for more than a year to perfect their one common goal; presenting the story of Atlantis and displaying it with the honor it deserves. When asked what each company was most proud of, representatives of the companies did not state their role in the exhibit. Instead each glowed and gestured towards Atlantis.

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Guest begin their experience by walking underneath a full scale, 184 foot tall, replica of the shuttle’s external tank and two solid rocket boosters. Once inside the building guests are taken into the pre-show area for two cinematic and multimedia productions that show the journey of Atlantis, from a paper shuttle to the extraordinary orbiter it became. After the two shows, Atlantis looms before you in all of its beauty and wonder. Suspended in air at a 43.21 degree angle with its payload bay doors open and its Canadarm out ready to work, guests get views of the shuttle only seen before in space. Read More »New Space Shuttle Atlantis Exhibit at Kennedy Space Center

Celebrating 9 Years of The Disney Blog

In June of 2004 we had just made the decision to move to Orlando from the Las Vegas area where we had bought a house more than four years prior. In the time since we put the 1st deposit on the home, the Dot-Com bubble… Read More »Celebrating 9 Years of The Disney Blog

Disney’s Recess Opening – Live Version

Remember those guys? T.J. Detweiler, Ashley Spinelli, Vince LaSalle, Gretchen Grundler, Mikey Blumberg, Gus Griswald and the rest of the gang from Disney’s Recess originally ruled the school yard over a decade ago on ABC from 1997 through to 2001, but they still have their… Read More »Disney’s Recess Opening – Live Version

Magic Kingdom Changes – Photo Update

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Earlier this week we shared our visits to Starbucks and the Seven Dwarfs Mine Train construction in New Fantasyland. But there are more changes happening all the time at the Magic Kingdom. Here are a few I captured:

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Seven Dwarfs Mine Train Construction Update – New Fantasyland

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Here’s the latest update from the last attraction scheduled to open in New Fantasyland – the Seven Dwarfs Mine Train. Construction is definitely moving along. More of back side, Prince Eric’s Village across from The Little Mermaid, is finished and detail rock work starting to wrap completely around the mountain. They’ve added the last piece of track and have begun working on some of the details around the track. That said there’s still a long way to go for a 2014 opening.

Don’t have time for a video? I’ve included some photos below the jump:

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Vault by Vans Unveils Disney OG Classics for 2013

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If you’re into that retro look and a Disney fan, then you’re sure to fall in love with this retro-line of Vans tennis shoes that feature classic original artwork from the early 1980s. Part of the Vault by Vans line, a timeless collection of Vans styles inspired by modern street fashion, art, music and our 40+ years of heritage in skateboarding and surfing, these shoes are expected to be available starting July 2013 at select Vans Vault distributors. The Vault by Vans line started in 2003 and this new line of Vans x Disney OG Classics completes the first decade of Vault.

Vault by Vans kicks off the ten-year celebration by reissuing these character prints that were originally designed in partnership with Disney in the early 1980s. Not available for decades, these prints will re-emerge for Vault’s fourth installment of OG Classics. The OG Classics assortment will pay tribute to the first vulcanized, waffled-soled styles from Vans by presenting them in their purest form: their original form.Read More »Vault by Vans Unveils Disney OG Classics for 2013

The Park – Grad Night 1964, Disneyland’s First All-Nighter

Last month, Disneyland and Disney California Adventure stayed open for 24 straight hours beginning at 6 a.m. on a Friday. Many thousands of Southlanders flocked to “Monstrous Summer All-Nighter”, and some eager fans camped out outside the gates starting on Thursday night.

That event brought to mind the first time Disneyland stayed open all night – its first Grad Nite in 1964. One of the park’s marketing geniuses thought it up and it was some chore selling it to Operations, Security, Legal and every other department. Imagine having thousands and thousands of teen-agers in the Park overnight? Unheard of!

The other concurrent event that would add to the first Grad Nite’s excitement was the introduction of the Ford Mustang to the general public, the most successful launch of a new car since the Model A. Lee Iacocco, later to become president of the Ford Motor Company, had been one of the forces behind the original Mustang whose development costs were astronomical. It was said at the time that there was no way the car would flop, because Ford would spend whatever it took in marketing costs to make it a success. And Disneyland was the happy recipient of Ford’s marketing windfall. A brand-new, silver Mustang would be given away at the first Grad Nite.

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There was a lot of hustle in the Park’s Marketing Department to promote the giveaway to the high schools. Pre-publicity, posters in schools, and paid advertising created quite a hoopla. A few weeks before the event, the car was to be on daily display, parked in a showy spot in front of the castle. There was a local Ford plant in nearby Pico Rivera, where this fabulous new car was starting to come off the assembly line. I was assigned to pick up the display car and drive it back to the park. There were snickers in the department as I was known to be a somewhat reckless driver, roaring into the employee parking lot each morning – always just a few minutes late. This time, however, I took my responsibility quite seriously, even though I could hardly wait to get behind the wheel of that bad boy.Read More »The Park – Grad Night 1964, Disneyland’s First All-Nighter