A lot more of SHAG’s art pieces for the Haunted Mansion 40th anniversary next year have been unveiled. Here are a few of my personal favorites:
You can find many more of SHAG’s upcoming Haunted Mansion pieces by following this link.
I’d like to welcome back Chuck Canzoneri to Disneyland News Today, now in a new role of site photographer! Let’s get to his first photo report for us from Thanksgiving Day:
Pictures of the pardoned turkey parade.
From the OC Register:
ANAHEIM – The awe on children’s faces was apparent as they lined Main Street, Disneyland, to watch the first day of the Disneyland Christmas parade, which runs everyday until early January.
That’s when Denny Newell, the park’s senior show director, will start planning for next year.
With 17 custom-crafted floats and 120 performers and musicians, the parade is a massive undertaking. Newell starts taking auditions in September and parade cast members practice from 8 p.m. until midnight leading up to the parade’s kickoff around Thanksgiving.
For the parade, float drivers ensconce themselves in the hidden cabs of the steel-frame-and-fiberglass floats, which include some shaped like giant toy blocks with “Toy Story’s” Woody on top, ornate gazebos with dancers inside, or life-sized music boxes complete with a live ballerina.
The Toy Factory float is one that changes every year.
This year, it has elves marching beside it, pumping raw materials into one end.
A series of conveyor belts, pumps and hydraulics create the illusion of finished toys dumping into Santa’s bag as the float tools down the street. It features toy blocks as well.
“Last year, it didn’t really feel like a factory,” Newell said. “Through Disney Imagineering and some North Pole pixie dust, the new blocks match up with the ‘Toy Story’ float.”
As far as Santa’s own float, the right jolly old elf’s sleigh hovers above ornate fiberglass pine trees as he hollers good wishes to the children below.
It takes six men to wheel the bright-yellow, 12-foot steel staircase over to Santa’s float back stage so he can climb up to his perch in the sleigh.
Dancing and frolicking among the floats are roller-skating snowflakes, elves and actors portraying princesses from Disney movies – all rouged to a cartoonish glow.
Newell spends his days as the general to an army of toy soldiers with trumpets as Prince Caspian clops by on a Clydesdale and Buzz Lightyear does stretches like an athlete ready to sprint.
Is it surreal?
“It’s definitely interesting,” he said.
While there isn’t a lot news going on at the moment, I thought I would post the new Holidays at the Disneyland Resort commercial, that features snow on Main Street, Sleeping Beauty’s Winter Castle, the Main Street Christmas tree, & It’s a Small World Holiday:
According to the OC Register’s Around Disney blog:
Through Dec. 11, you can get a fourth night free when you purchase a three-night Disneyland Resort Good Neighbor Hotel vacation package. Tickets are included with the special vacation package for as low as $235 per person for a family of four.
This is one of the best times of year to go to the park in the experience of Around Disney contributors — the Thanksgiving rush is over after this weekend, the decorations are up and park-goers can avoid the summer crowds.
For more deals, click here.
ANAHEIM, Calif. (Nov. 26, 2008) – The National Thanksgiving Turkey will really have something to celebrate following today’s traditional Presidential pardon ceremony in the White House Rose Garden. “Pumpkin” and his alternate “Pecan” are going to Disneyland! It starts with a police escort to Dulles International Airport. Then the birds will “fly” First-Class on United Airlines Flight Turkey-1 to their new home at Disneyland Resort in Southern California.
The turkey’s special Thanksgiving Day celebration is a preview of things to come in 2009, as Disney Parks asks guests, “What Will You Celebrate?” and invites them to mark life’s special moments with a Disney visit.
The trip from Washington, D.C., to Los Angeles will mark the fourth consecutive year that the National Thanksgiving Turkey has celebrated his pardon at a Disney Resort. Accompanied by National Turkey Federation Chairman Paul Hill of Ellsworth, Iowa, Pumpkin, a 20-week-old, 45-pound tom turkey, will be the grand marshal in a special Thanksgiving Day parade down Main Street U.S.A. Following the parade, Pumpkin and his alternate Pecan will find a home at Santa’s Reindeer Round-Up at Big Thunder Ranch in Frontierland, where they’ll remain throughout the holidays and the rest of their lives.
Americans nationwide will be able to share the celebration as the turkey enjoys his new Disneyland home. See photos of the National Thanksgiving Turkey and watch video of this year’s White House pardon at www.disneyparks.com on Nov. 26 and 27. And, for the first time, watch the turkey LIVE from Disneyland on Thanksgiving Day from 12 p.m.-4 p.m. PST (3 p.m.-7 p.m. EST). Go to www.disneyparks.com, listen for the turkey’s gobble, and then click on the turkey face to access “Turkey Cam” LIVE from Disneyland.
“My family and I celebrate the honor of presenting the National Thanksgiving Turkey to the President of the United States,” said Chairman Hill of the turkey federation. “We’ll also be celebrating the special privilege of flying to Disneyland where the turkey will be the grand marshal in the Disneyland Thanksgiving Day parade.”
Added Captain Vince Kramer of United Turkey-1 and Assistant Chief Pilot for United’s Airbus 320 Fleet, “United is proud to fly our special, feathered guests and to help them achieve every turkey’s dream of flight. It is a rare treat for turkeys to reach 30,000 feet, and we look forward to getting them to Los Angeles and landing safely and on-time.”
U.S. President Harry S Truman was the first Commander-in-Chief to be presented with a Thanksgiving turkey (in 1947) by the National Turkey Federation. This year’s presentation marks the 61st anniversary of a tradition that has continued through 10 successive White House administrations. The 2008 National Thanksgiving Turkey was raised under Chairman Hill’s supervision on a farm in West Liberty, Iowa.
The National Turkey Federation is the advocate for all segments of the U.S. turkey industry, providing services and conducting activities which increase demand for its members’ products, as well as enhance the ability to effectively and profitably provide wholesome, high-quality, nutritious turkey products.
The interior of Sleeping Beauty Castle at Disneyland, long closed to guests, will “reawaken” in time for Thanksgiving. A vibrant new version of the classic walkthrough attraction features colorful scenes of Aurora, her gallant prince, the evil Maleficent and other characters from the beloved fairy tale film.
This revived Sleeping Beauty Castle “show” differs from the window-display dioramas which could be seen in the castle during the 1980s and ’90s. It takes its inspiration from the unique style of the original Disneyland castle walkthrough attraction of 1957, co-designed by animation art director and color stylist Eyvind Earle, who was credited with giving the motion picture “Sleeping Beauty” its distinctive and colorful look of storybook illustrations in medieval style.
Enhanced with new scenes and special-effects magic, the re-Imagineered attraction employs technology not available in the 1950s to tell the story of Sleeping Beauty, including the magic of good fairies Flora, Fauna and Merryweather, and the more sinister spells of the evil Maleficent.
For the first time, guests who are unable to climb stairs or navigate the passageways of the Castle will be able to experience the walkthrough “virtually” in a special room on the ground floor of the Castle.
The attraction is scheduled to open at 5 p.m. Wednesday, kicking off the Thanksgiving holiday weekend.
As we head in to this holiday week, here are a few interesting happenings going on around the Disneyland Resort:
Disneyland is going to be holding a big event for the 40th anniversary of The Haunted Mansion on 9/9/09. Here are some of the products being released, & some info on the events:
Date: 09-09-09
Location: Disneyland® ResortThe Plot Thickens. . . After five husbands and five untimely deaths, the Black Widow Bride of the Haunted Mansion will wed once more. Has she found her soul mate? Or will another groom meet his doom? Join us, Foolish Mortals, and we’ll dig up the answers at our ghostly celebration that everyone’s dying to attend.
Event packages are as follows:
Grinning Ghosts – $TBD Foolish Mortals – $TBD Dearly Departed – $250 Hitchhikers – $85 Early Demise Offer:
Guests that register through February 28th only, will receive an “early demise” pin.
* Reservations for the Grinning Ghosts and Foolish Mortals packages will be accepted only via www.DisneyGallery.com beginning Tuesday, January 20, 2009 at 11:00 a.m. (Pacific Time). * Reservations for the Dearly Departed and Hitchhikers packages will be accepted only via www.DisneyGallery.com beginning Wednesday, January 21, 2009 at 11:00 a.m. (Pacific Time).
There will also be an event & merchandise release with the artist SHAG to be held on August 9th
SHAG Haunted Mansion Product Release & Signing
Date: Sunday, August 9, 2009
Time: 10:00 AM – 1:00 PM
Purchasing Location: Disneyana Shop, Disneyland® park
Signing Location: Main Street Cinema, Disneyland® park
Product & Event Information:
Artist, SHAG will be on hand for a special meet & greet and signing opportunity as we celebrate the release of his “Haunted Mansion” inspired artwork created in commemoration of the 40th Anniversary of the Haunted Mansion attraction at Disneyland® park. Represented in the artwork are some of the attraction’s most beloved scenes, including the Stretching Portraits, the Ballroom, the Seance Room, the Attic, Graveyard, among others. This unique collection is a must have for any SHAG and Haunted Mansion enthusiast. To view the Haunted Mansion 40th Anniversary inspired artwork by SHAG, please click here. Please continue to watch for a complete list of merchandise that will be offered in conjunction with the cocktail reception and product release events.
Please Note: Guests attending SHAG’s Spirited Cocktail Reception on August 8, 2009 will have the first opportunity to purchase this product. Remaining quantities will be released as part of the product release on August 9, 2009).
SHAG “Spirited” Haunted Mansion 40th Anniversary Cocktail Reception
Date: Saturday, August 8, 2009
Time: 8 PM – 11 PM
Location: Crystal Cove, Disney’s Paradise Pier® HotelIt’s sure to be a spirited and swingin’ party tonight! With the hippest artist in town attending, groove with ghouls and spirits of all kinds as we celebrate the 40th Anniversary of the Haunted Mansion in style.
Event Packages Include:
Swingin’ Spirits – $TBD (please continue to check back)
- ONE (1) Night Accommodation at Disney’s Paradise Pier® Hotel (night of 8/08/09)*
- Spirited Cocktail Reception
- Photo Opportunity
- Opportunity to purchase SHAG “Haunted Mansion” inspired merchandise via Random Selection Process (Merchandise purchased via RSP will be pre-signed)
- Opportunity to purchase remaining themed event merchandise in event stor
- Artist Meet & Greet
- TWO (2) Commemorative Gifts
Groovy Ghouls – $185
- Spirited Cocktail Reception
- Photo Opportunity
- Opportunity to purchase SHAG “Haunted Mansion” inspired merchandise via Random Selection Process (Merchandise purchased via RSP will be pre-signed)
- Opportunity to purchase remaining themed event merchandise in event store
- Artist Meet & Greet
- ONE (1) Commemorative Gift
* Reservations for the SHAG “Spirited” Haunted Mansion 40th Anniversary Cocktail Reception will be accepted only via www.DisneyGallery.com beginning Wednesday, March 4, 2009 at 11:00 a.m. (Pacific Time).
* Please note: We are now required to have only one (1) Guest per reservation. It will be necessary for each Guest to register individually. Thank you!
Here are a collection of some of Myrna’s favorite nighttime shots from around the Disneyland Resort from her trip on Wednesday:
It’s a Small World Holiday continues its holiday light-up tradition this year. Absolutely stunning!
The full castle lighting ceremony will debut tonight.
A look up Main Street towards Sleeping Beauty’s Winter Castle.
The LED lighting effects on the Main Street Christmas tree should also debut tonight too.
