On the 54th Anniversary of Disneyland, Disney Legend and Imagineer Marty Sklar receives one of the highest honors at Disneyland- a window on Main Street, U.S.A. Disneyland Resort Ambassador Danielle DuBois interviews Sklar and shares the history behind window dedications.
Myrna Litt is back with another fantastic photo report:
Latest construction on the Lucky Fortune Cookery
The indoor portion of the Toy Story Midway Mania queue was not being used
Silly Symphony Swings construction walls
The walls use the classic versions of the Disney characters from “The Band Concert”
According to D23:
Returning to life September 25 and continuing through November 1, Halloween Time brings fun for all ages to the Disneyland Resort with new screams at Space Mountain and a new, nightly fireworks show. Halloween Time offers families a chance to interact with some of Disney’s most beloved characters, dressed in seasonal costumes at Disneyland and Disney’s California Adventure parks. It also gives guests a unique opportunity to experience some spooky fun with Disney’s more sinister characters, the Disney villains.
For older kids and adults, Halloween Time offers a new attraction: Space Mountain Ghost Galaxy in Tomorrowland at Disneyland. For the first time, riders will experience not only the thrill of flying through the galaxy, but the exhilaration of ghosts and ghouls screaming through space trying to contact them. Creepy creatures lurk around every turn as the eerie attraction provides thrilling drops like never before.
New this year is a fireworks spooktacular that will haunt the nighttime sky throughout the Halloween season. Jack Skellington, the Master of Scaremonies, invites everyone to join in the celebration, including a cast of Disney villains who get into the sprit with a wicked sense of fun.
Jack Skellington also returns to take over the Haunted Mansion and bring back “Haunted Mansion Holiday” to New Orleans Square in Disneyland. Transformed to a mix of Halloween spookiness and Christmas tradition, “Haunted Mansion Holiday” is inspired by the classic animated film Tim Burton’s Nightmare Before Christmas. Jack and his friends provide plenty of havoc and surprises as they celebrate the 40th Anniversary of the Haunted Mansion in their unusual style.
For not-so-scary fun, Halloween Time offers special pleasures for children and parents. Main Street, U.S.A. in Disneyland will again transform for the Pumpkin Festival, where more than 300 “non-identical” pumpkins will be on display in shop windows. Meeting favorite Disney characters will be easier than ever as they stop to greet guests at designated areas on Main Street, U.S.A. in Disneyland and Sunshine Plaza in Disney’s California Adventure.special meet-and-greet areas will be located throughout Disneyland and Disney’s California Adventure.
Also available throughout both parks are special Halloween treats, including enjoyable Halloween menu items such as Zero’s Ghostly Ghoulash served in a dog dish in honor of Zero, Jack Skellington’s beloved pet dog. Special Halloween Time gifts can be found in Disneyland Resort shops. Gifts include jack-o-lantern mouse ears and collectable pins depicting Mickey Mouse, Minnie Mouse and their friends in Halloween costumes.
Guests will enjoy spine-tingling fun in Disney’s California Adventure at the Twilight Zone Tower of Terror, where a “supernatural” event happened on Halloween evening, 1939, forever haunting the building.
Also at Disney’s California Adventure, Sunshine Plaza becomes “Candy Corn Acres.” Mickey’s pal Goofy is up to his tricks once again, attempting to wow the world with his unusual candy corn treats. Candy corn carrots, candy corn pumpkins and candy corn signs are just a few of the candy corn items Goofy is preparing.
Back by popular demand is “Mickey’s Trick-or-Treat Party,” a one-of-a-kind celebration that returns to Disney’s California Adventure for 12 nights in October (2, 8, 9, 15, 16, 21, 22, 23, 28, 29, 30 and 31). This separate ticket, nighttime event gives children and their families a chance to dress as their favorite princesses, goblins or heroes, and trick-or-treat throughout the park. It’s the ideal environment to have fun, eat special holiday treats, play interactive games, listen to “spirited” music and watch a nightly character cavalcade that celebrates the season.
I visited the Disneyland Resort yesterday for not only its 54th anniversary, but also for the D23 member only screening of “People and Places: Disneyland USA”. I had an amazing time, and got to see some pretty special stuff. So let’s get right into this photo report:
My first stop was to check out the new exhibits in the Blue Sky Cellar
Concept art for the Pocahontas scene in World of Color
The Lucky Fortune Cookery returns this September, now to the old home of Cocina Cucamonga
Paradise Garden Grill and Boardwalk Pasta and Pizza look to be the replacements for Burger Invasion and Pizza Oom Mow Mow
Read More about DLR Photo Report – 7/17/09 :: Featuring Video of the Updated Blue Sky Cellar
ANAHEIM, Callif., July 17, 2009 – Marty Sklar, Executive Vice President and Walt Disney Imagineering Ambassador, spent a lifetime making magic for the Walt Disney Company. After 54 years of service, he was honored with a tribute window at Disneyland in Anaheim, Calif., on Friday, July 17. The celebration coincided with the 54th anniversary of the opening of Disneyland, the place where Sklar began his Disney career.
The tradition of dedicating a second-story window along Main Street, U.S.A., was begun by Walt Disney as a way to pay tribute to the men and women who were instrumental in the creation and operation of Disneyland. Sklar’s window, unveiled on July 17, can be seen above City Hall at Town Square in Disneyland.
Sklar began his Disney career in June 1955 as editor of “The Disneyland News,” just one month before Disneyland opened on July 17, 1955. Sklar also worked personally with Walt Disney on several major projects, including the creation of landmark Disney attractions for the 1964 World’s Fair and leading the design of Walt Disney’s final vision, Epcot.
Sklar holds great memories of all 11 Disney parks around the world, but he has a particular fondness for Disneyland.
“Disneyland will always be a special place for me because it’s the only park that Walt Disney walked in,” Sklar said. “For me, retiring on this date is significant, having been here with Walt for the opening of the original Disney park.”
As if all the coverage of World of Color that we’ve had already wasn’t enough, Brady MacDonald from the LA Times Travel Blog has a scene by scene rundown of the show from yesterday’s media walk-through of the construction site:
I watched with awe Thursday as Steven Davison pantomimed his way through a sweaty and breathless preview of the World of Color water show coming to Disney’s California Adventure in spring 2010.
For those who’ve never had the pleasure of watching a performance by the Walt Disney Imagineering vice president of parades and spectaculars, it’s a treat to behold and a sight you’ll never soon forget. I’m always worried he’ll pass out from hyperventilation or hyperbole. (Watch video from Davison’s Summer Nightastic presentation.)
World of Color, which blends the nighttime spectacle of Disneyland’s Fantasmic and the Fountains of Bellagio in Las Vegas, is the first major addition of a $1.1-billion makeover planned for Disney’s California Adventure through 2012.
The water show will feature an array of dancing fountains, movie projections and lighting effects all tied to the original Sherman Brothers musical score from Disney’s Sunday night television show of the 1960s and ’70s.
As best as I can determine from my furiously scribbled notes of Davison’s thousand-words-per-minute summary, here’s the scene-by-scene rundown for the 25-minute World of Color show:
- The show opens with laser lights painting the night sky to the classic Sherman Brothers “Wonderful World of Color” song.
- Tinker Bell sprinkles pixie dust that enchants a famous quote by Walt Disney, causing the “D” in Disney to chase the fairy around the lagoon.
- An orange fountain, dubbed Little Squirt, makes his first appearance as the mischievous spirit of Walt Disney.
- The green Spring Sprite from “Fantasia” creates a World of Nature on the one-acre lagoon canvas.
- The Colors of the Wind segment, utilizing “water butterfly” fountains, incorporates the song “Just Around the Riverbend” from “Pocahontas.”
- Heimlich from “Bug’s Life” brings on the April Showers segment, which transitions into a raging sea storm.
- Employing a “paper animation” technique, the “Alice in Wonderland” segment includes Alice, White Rabbit and Cheshire Cat.
- Little Squirt returns during the “Little Mermaid” segment, which includes the songs “Part of Your World” and “Under the Sea” and features a fountain conga line.
- Crush from “Finding Nemo” surfs on the East Australian Current.
- Humpback whales from “Fantasia 2000″ breach and splash before sailing off through the stars.
- Wall-E and Eve dance a water ballet during the Colors of the Universe segment, which features full-projection water domes.
- Woody and Buzz from “Toy Story” play on a “water bed” in the Infinity and Beyond segment.
- Carl from “Up” arrives in his balloon house before the music transitions to “A Whole New World” as Aladdin and Jasmine fly by on a magic carpet.
- The story grows dark during Color of Fear, which features fire effects and a number of Disney villains, including the Firebird from “Fantasia” and Dr. Facilier from the upcoming “Princess and the Frog.”
- The wildebeests from “The Lion King” rush at the crowd in a water stampede.
- During the World of Tears transformation, a million points of light shine as Sleeping Beauty, Snow White and the Beast are awakened with a kiss.
- Tinker Bell and Little Squirt return during a finale that washes the lagoon in a kaleidoscope of color.
- An encore utilizing “The Incredibles” symphonic score may or may not end the show.
My fingers are tired. I can’t wait to see the real thing.
And I have to agree with Brady on this one. Only word one can describe this show… AMAZING!
Disneyland has released three press videos, covering the Blue Sky Cellar and World of Color, that I wanted to share with everyone:
At Blue Sky Cellar, guests are invited to preview works in progress at Disneys California Adventure by immersing themselves in a facsimile of an Imagineering workspace. Based on the belief that idea gathering is best when the skys the limit, Blue Sky Cellar is designed to resemble an Imagineering charette, an extended creative idea development meeting. Guests receive an inside look at how Imagineers take blue sky ideas and refine them into the classic storytelling that characterizes Disney theme park attractions and adventures.
World of Color will combine hundreds of magnificent fountains, dazzling colors and an all-new kaleidoscope of audio and visual effects to take water-infused entertainment to a new level of artistry. The production will flood the senses, taking audiences on an imaginative journey into the colorful worlds of animated Disney classics such as Alice in Wonderland, The Lion King and Pocahontas, along with Disney•Pixar films Toy Story, Wall-E and many more.
In video released for the first time ever, you are treated to an exclusive time-lapse video of Mickeys Fun Wheel and Paradise Pier.
Continuing in our coverage of both the updated Blue Sky Cellar and World of Color, here’s some Disneyland press images just released showing concept art for World of Color, the updated exhibits in the Blue Sky Cellar, and the World of Color construction site (be sure to click on each image for a closer look at these beautiful photos):
Disney’s “World of Color” will bring new nighttime excitement to Paradise Pier at Disney’s California Adventure. This nightly panorama of spectacular water effects, colorful lighting and music will bring Disney animation to life with an entirely new creative and technical approach
The Alice in Wonderland scene is rumored to be the longest, starting off with “In The Golden Afternoon”
The Cheshire Cat’s face will appear in the mist screens as his body is created by twirling jets
The “marvels of earth, sea, and sky” will be covered in the show. Wall-E will represent the sky, Finding Nemo will represent the sea, but what movie will represent the earth is anyone’s guess. Also featured will be the “hopes and the tears, the joys and the fears”
Pocahontas paints with all the “Colors of the Wind”
A new website was unveiled today, the long rumored website produced as part of the Walt Disney Imagineering Blue Sky Cellar. At this new website (which you can find at DisneysCaliforniaAdventure.com) you can view concept art from upcoming attractions and areas such as Buena Vista Street, Goofy’s Sky School, Silly Symphony Swings, World of Color, The Little Mermaid: Ariel’s Undersea Adventure, Cars Land, and more. Also available to view are the videos that play inside the screening room of the Blue Sky Cellar. There’s also a flip book describing the big plans of each new addition, which also features some other really cool concept art.
Disney did a phenomenal job with this website, which gives people a chance to see some of the same things they can in the Blue Sky Cellar, but from the comfort of their own home. Stay tuned to Disneyland News Today during the next couple of days as members of our team will be at Disneyland (including myself) to get pictures and video of the updated Blue Sky Cellar.
WDWCelebrations Heads West in 2010 to present “Fifty-Five”, a WDWCelebrations Commemorative Event Honoring the 55thAnniversary of Disneyland®
Orlando, FL, July 15, 2009 — WDWCelebrations is pleased to announce an exciting new Commemorative Event for 2010, celebrating the historic 55th anniversary of Disneyland® Park in Anaheim, California. Dubbed “Fifty-Five”, this Commemorative Event takes place Thursday through Saturday, July 15th to July 17th, 2010, and will be produced in association with our newest partner, WindowtotheMagic.
During the organization’s longest and largest Commemorative Event to date, guests will be able to enjoy favorite WDWCelebrations signature offerings such as history walks, scavenger hunts, group rides, group meals, and, of course, a few very special surprises. This event will encompass the entire Disneyland® Resort, offering fans a taste of the West Coast Disney with an East Coast twist.
WDWCelebrations warmly welcomes WindowtotheMagic to our family of treasured partners. Paul Barrie, Jr. and his team currently produce the internet’s preeminent Disney audio podcast “A WindowtotheMagic,” as well as numerous fan DVDs. Paul has been creating Disney-related content for the internet since 1996.
Jason Diffendal, Co-Founder of WDWCelebrations, remarks, “We are constantly looking at new opportunities to bring like-minded Disney fans together to celebrate. We couldn’t pass up an opportunity to celebrate the fifty-five years since 1955 when Walt realized his dream. Disneyland® is Walt’s place and sets the stage for what is sure to be a spectacular event!”
Jackie Steele, Core Team Member of WDWCelebrations, adds, “Our past events have focused on the Walt Disney World® Resort in Florida, but this is the perfect occasion to recognize Walt Disney’s first theme park masterpiece, the one that started it all. We are also very excited to be working with Paul Barrie Jr. and his talented team for this event. Paul does such a great job with his podcast, and it will be a pleasure to have him on our team.”
Registration for this event will open in December 2009. More information about the event will be released in the coming months via the WDWCelebrations.com website and newsletter as well as the WDWCelebrations official fan page on Facebook and the WDWCelebrations Twitter feed.
About WDWCelebrations, L. L. C.
WDWCelebrations, L. L. C. is a Florida-based organization created by Disney fans, dedicated to “celebrating the magic of the past, present, and future, together.” WDWCelebrations was founded by the organizers of Celebration 25, which commemorated the 25th anniversary of Epcot® in 2007. WDWCelebrations Commemorative Events are designed to celebrate milestones in Disney park history. More information about WDWCelebrations and its events can be found at http://www.wdwcelebrations.com.
About “A WindowtotheMagic”
WindowtotheMagic is owned and operated by Paul Barrie, Jr. Paul has been creating Disney-related content for the internet since 1996, and visits Disneyland® many times a year to record audio and video for his podcast, “A WindowtotheMagic.” More information can be found at http://www.windowtothemagic.com.
Disneyland® Park and Walt Disney World® Resort are registered trademarks of The Walt Disney Company.
