Today in 1995 Michael Eisner announced the acquisition of Capital Cities/ABC. With the purchase, the TV station that made Disneyland possible joined the Disney family. So did ESPN, A&E, Lifetime, and a long list of local stations and other media interests. The deal also came… Read More »Today in Disney History: Capital Cities/ABC acquisition announced by Michael Eisner
A big thank you to the Disney History Institute for sharing this incredible virtual recreation of Rolly Crump’s Tower of the Four Winds from the “it’s a small world” attraction marquee at the 1964 World’s Fair. It must have been something with all those World’s… Read More »Virtual Recreation of the Tower of the Four Winds from 1964 World’s Fair
The Matterhorn Bobsleds at Disneyland has always been a sentimental favorite of mine; in part because my Grandfather Vic Greene was the Art Director for the attraction and for his involvement in the story of how Imagineering got the instructions to build it.
There was a little hill of land in between Tomorrowland and Fantasyland that the Skyway used to get some height to go over the back of Sleeping Beauty Castle. Walt wanted to do something with this land, but he didn’t know what, he asked my grandfather to start thinking of an attraction for the hill. The story as told in the book “How to Be Like Walt: Capturing the Disney Magic Every Day of Your Life” and in my family went like this:
Walt was traveling to Switzerland to film “Third Man on the Mountain” and fell in love with the Matterhorn. In a moment of inspiration, he grabbed a postcard of the mountain from a souvenir stand and sent it back to Vic Greene with the message, “Vic. Build This. Walt” on the back. Vic, of course, immediately set to work on designing what was to become a first of its kind landmark attraction.
Another fun family story is the invention of the Matterhorn’s first of its kind switchback queue. Vic Greene and his team of Imagineers developed a system that would have the entrance to the switchback part of the queue be lower than the exit. When you stood at the entrance, the exit would appear closer to you in an optical illusion. The idea was to make your wait seem less cumbersome by visually shortening the queue.
A version of this story was documented in “Disneyland: Inside Story” by Randy Bright, and it has been told in my family for years. Before the attraction was set to officially open, testing was done using sandbags. When Walt wanted to see a real human on the ride, Vic Greene was selected as the first human to test ride in a bobsled on a steel tube coaster. Since water hadn’t been added to the splash down pools at the end of the ride, Imagineering had set up bales of hay to slow the cars down. Unfortunately the bobsled car hit the hay and stopped so suddenly, Vic nearly got whiplash. Still he survived and the ride was deemed complete.
Below the jump are a few more fun facts from the 55 year history of The Matterhorn.
In 1984 the world was quite different. The cold war had yet to enter its death throes, the Bell System that controlled the nation’s telecommunication system, was broken up into the baby bells, the first Apple Computer went on sale, and Bob Geldorf recorded “Do… Read More »Time Travel: Walt Disney World in 1984 (VIDEO)
The Walt Disney Studios had a rough time during World War 2, not just because Walt Disney felt it was his patriotic duty to help the war effort (usually at the expense of his bottom line) but also because so many of the artists he… Read More »Walt Disney’s World War 2 Propaganda – Der Fuehrer’s Face
Today was a big day in Disney theme park history. We celebrated the 50th anniversary of Disney’s “it’s a small world” along with thousands of guests and cast members at Disney Parks around the globe united today in a historic “It’s a Small World” sing-along. The iconic attraction opened as a tribute to peace and hope, saluting UNICEF, at the 1964 New York World’s Fair. Today it is represented around the globe.
“‘it’s a small world’ has inspired hundreds of millions of people through its timeless theme,” said Tom Staggs, chairman, Walt Disney Parks and Resorts. “Every moment of every day there are Disney guests enjoying ‘it’s a small world’ somewhere around the globe. The 50th anniversary of this attraction represents a celebration of the shared optimism, hope, and humanity of people throughout the world.”
I had the opportunity to talk with a few of the cast members who are responsible for maintaining the Magic Kingdom version of the attraction. We talk about the history of the attraction and what is involved in caring for all the dolls costumes:
Throughout the day, Disney Parks guests participated in events in all five resorts around the world, including in-park sing-alongs, cavalcades and special musical performances. Richard M. Sherman, the Oscar-winning songwriter who composed “It’s a Small World” with his late brother, Robert, led a sing-along at Disneyland Park in California.Read More »Celebrating 50 Years of “it’s a small world” Around the World
Fans, cast members, celebrities and more will unite in song around the globe to celebrate the 50th anniversary of “it’s a small world,” one of the most iconic Disney attractions ever built. The first version of “it’s a small world,” opened as a tribute to peace and hope at the 1964 New York World’s Fair.
On Thursday, April 10, 2014, hundreds of voices from Disneyland Resort in California, Walt Disney World Resort in Florida, Tokyo Disney Resort in Japan, Disneyland Paris in France, and Hong Kong Disneyland Resort will sing the unforgettable theme song of the “happiest cruise that ever sailed the seven seas.” Fans from around the world can join the festivities in a first-of-its-kind, online global sing-along at SmallWorld50.com.
While on the website, fans may record videos of themselves singing the classic song and create virtual “it’s a small world” dolls to benefit UNICEF (United Nations Children’s Fund). UNICEF provides health care and immunizations, clean water and sanitation, nutrition, education, emergency relief and more to children around the world.
“‘it’s a small world’ has inspired hundreds of millions of people through its timeless theme,” said Tom Staggs, chairman, Walt Disney Parks and Resorts. “Every moment of every day there are Disney guests enjoying ‘it’s a small world’ somewhere around the globe. The 50th anniversary of this attraction represents a celebration of the shared optimism, hope, and humanity of people throughout the world.”
Disney has also released this short video highlighting some of the history of the attraction:
Read More »Celebrate 50th Anniversary of “it’s a small world”
Big news on the book listing front. Amazon just upgraded the listing for Dispatch from Disneyland print edition. It now boasts an 18 page preview including the complete chapter listing along with the introductory story and the touching first vignette “Esmeralda.” The Kindle edition has… Read More »Dispatch From Disneyland – Preview Now Available