How do you get a room full of people to daydream about Disney? Get them to attend Mousemeets of course!
So most of you know that I spent the weekend of May 5 and 6 in Birmingham attending the Mousemeets 2012 event. My review of the weekend has now been published on wdwradio.com and you can read it here .
Now I know that there will be many posts on many blogs in the next few days covering the Orange Bird’s return to the Sunshine Tree Terrace at Magic Kingdom but I couldn’t resist the opportunity to take time out of my Walt Disney World planning schedule to write a few words of my own.
Firstly I cannot claim to have been a die-hard Orange Bird fan since the 70′s, I was not one of the many fans that longed to see him and his orange thought bubbles return to his home in Adventureland….in fact I wasn’t even aware of the Orange Bird until a couple of years ago when he started cropping up in conversations on Disney fan message boards.
But over the last couple of years….and this is why yesterday’s events had such a big impact on me…reading about other people’s love for that bird, hearing the history of his connection to Disney and seeing his lovely smiling face on websites, collectibles, t-shirts and even Imagineer doodles, gave me an affection for this cute little orange creature and made me wish A LOT that he was still bringing sunshine to Adventureland.
I commend Disney for yesterday’s event. They just sent a message out on Twitter that this little gathering was taking place for no apparent ‘special’ reason….but you can just tell when Disney have something up their sleeve. And this time it was something for the fans, they had listened and responded. Okay sure it’s about money-making; a stunt like this will bring those of us who are into Disney history and nostalgia flooding into the park to buy an oversized Orange Bird t-shirt or one of those wonderfully plastic Orange Bird sipper cups (please, please still be there for my next trip!) but I like to think that this decision was also a nod to those lifelong Disney fans like us who spend our days reading, writing and planning Disney
So, although I don’t remember the good old Orange Bird days I will remember the day that the Orange Bird returned to his perch at the Sunshine Tree and I’m proud to be a new fan of that lovely lil’ bird.
Here’s a link to Lou Mongello’s WDW Radio show from November 2011 reminiscing about the Orange Bird.
Here’s a link to the official coverage of the Orange Bird’s return on the Disney Parks Blog and here is the wonderful merchandise I hope to get my hands on!
So I’ll end this post with a singalong to the Sherman Brothers lyrics, make sure you check YouTube for the wonderful original tune….
“Little Orange Bird in the Sunshine Tree
Won’t you think of something sunny just for me?
Think funny thoughts or sunny words
That will make me happy, little Orange Bird…..”
So, this weekend marked the 40th anniversary of Magic Kingdom. Instead of making it a year long celebration Disney decided to mark the event with banners, 40th anniversary buttons and park maps, a one-off Disney character parade and a presentation in front of Cinderella’s castle. Despite not being at WDW I was lucky enough to join in the celebrations via Lou Mongello and the WDW Radio 40 hour broadcast.
But this occasion got me thinking about previous celebrations held at WDW, some of which I’ve been lucky enough to be at the parks for and others where I haven’t been able to attend but I’ve been lucky enough to track down merchandise from the event. I really enjoy finding merchandise that is from a specific event because it is then easy to date and connects directly to that moment in time. As I’ve said before, it’s not about the value of the item, it’s the opportunity for me to own a little piece of the magic.
Here are some of the items in my collection, which all appeal to me for differing reasons.
Firstly, my newest item, a vinylmation ‘Celebrating 40 Years of Magic’. There seemed to be a lot of merchandise available on-line from The Disney Store for the 40th anniversary. Whilst the Dooney and Bourke ’40th’ bags were beautiful I couldn’t justify buying another one just yet so I settled for adding another vinylmation to my collection!
I found this Barbie on-line a few years back and bought it because her outfit was so cute, check out that mini Mickey ears hat!! You can often buy the special Barbies at the parks and resorts celebrating one event or another. This one is for the 25th anniversary of WDW, and yes, that’s the same year as THE birthday cake castle
And my favourite item is this one, as I feel like I earned this! The Year of a Million Dreams promotion started in October 2006 and ran across both Walt Disney World and Disneyland. Along with special events in both parks special cast members were given the task of handing out ‘dreams’ to park guests; the prizes were amazing and included such things as being able to spend a night in the remodeled suite inside Cinderella Castle! Unfortunately I wasn’t scheduled to travel to WDW during this celebration but Disney were accepting postal entries for the dream giveaway and guests could send in as many entries as they wished for the duration of the promotion. And, unusually for Disney, they were accepting entries from international guests!!! So, I proceeded to send in an entry every week for the first six months of the promotion, not expecting to receive anything, but if you don’t try etc etc…. And to my amazement one day a large Disney box arrived (always a good sign!) and in it was my very own pair of Dream Mouse Ears! There were only 250,000 of them made you know!!!
So these things might not be hard to find, or valuable to others, but they are things that I have around the house and help me with my daydreaming of Disney. And that’s how I get my very own little piece of the magic
It’s been just over a week since Walt Disney Imagineering held their press conference and shocked the Disney community with their Avatar announcement. Yes, Walt Disney Parks and Resorts will be bringing Avatar to life and it will all begin in Animal Kingdom. Disney didn’t release a lot of information but we know that it will be a long-term creative partnership with James Cameron’s Lightstorm Entertainment and Fox Filmed Entertainment and the construction for the “first Avatar experience” will begin in 2013.
The internet was a very interesting place to be in the hours and days that followed. I was really surprised at the outpouring of unhappiness and negativity from fans in response to this announcement.
From my personal point of view I didn’t watch Avatar when it was released as it didn’t look like my kind of film so I cannot comment on whether it will translate into an amazing land or attraction….but I do know that Disney Imagineers are pretty good at that kind of thing! Plus I love Animal Kingdom and can quite happily spend more than half a day there, anything that’s designed to develop the natural feeling of that park is a winner with me.
But I didn’t want this post to be about Avatar and what people think of the announcement as there are hundreds of blogs out there which have had that same discussion over and over again in the past week. What I wanted to share is an observation and to get other people’s opinion on that observation.
Disney fans appear to be the most dedicated and passionate fan base I’ve ever known. And this past week has made me wonder why that is. We are fans of Walt and the dream he had. We are fans of how that dream evolved and the joy it has brought to so many people all across the world. So why do we react so negatively to an announcement promising to bring yet more magic to ‘our’ world?
I thought about the Fantasyland announcement. I must admit I had mixed feelings about that but it was probably nostalgia more than anything, and I’m still excited about seeing how WDI bring our imagination to life.
I thought about my favourite attractions (It’s A Small World, TTA Peoplemover and Pirates Of The Caribbean) and how I’d feel if they closed. For the record…I’d struggle with losing them….please don’t do it Disney! I know that fans of 20,000 Leagues Under The Sea or Mr Toad’s Wild Ride still feel a little glum about their favourites disappearing.
I tried to think of a film that I really dislike and how I would feel if the characters and scenery from that film had a presence in the parks. Would I not want to visit or would that presence actually change my opinion of the film?
Those who know me well know that I’m quite an opinionated person about everything in my life except Disney. With Disney I try to take the rough with the smooth. I’ve already written about how WDW is my dream place, the place that takes me away from everyday life, the place where I cry happy tears and make memories that will last me a lifetime. I also know that not everything within those park gates is perfect but I have faith in the Walt Disney Company to make it as good as it can be.
So do Disney fans see the parks as their utopia? And if so why do some react so negatively to change? Is it because we are scared of our dream place disappointing us? Are we scared of losing our love for Disney? Is it because we have to face numerous struggles and decisions in our everyday lives so we want everything to be perfect in our Disney lives? Do we feel that we invest so much time and passion in Disney that we deserve a voice and can say whatever we feel?
I don’t have the answer. I do know that I find it fascinating and it keeps me wanting to be a part of it all :)
I know, I know…someone says the word ‘history’ and everyone yawns, right? Well there’s one time when someone says ‘history’ and I listen….and that’s when it’s preceded with the word ‘Disney’!
On my previous Celebration post I said that I wouldn’t go over the details of Celebration’s history and origin because it’s available in so many other places but I still wanted to share with you an ‘actual place’ where you can go to find out more, and that’s the Celebration History Center.
The Celebration History Center is located in Johnson Hall on Celebration Avenue and (in my opinion) is a stunning piece of postmodern architecture, designed by the late Philip Johnson. It was originally the town hall for Celebration but in 2009 the History Center took over residence.
The center has been set up by residents keen to keep the history of Celebration alive. Volunteers spent several years gathering publications, memorabilia and artifacts to share the story of Celebration’s origin and development with both new and existing residents and visitors.
During my visit to the town in December I was able to visit the History Center and was able to get a sense of the community that had been set up since it all began in 1994. Celebration and its residents have had their issues; not everything outside of WDW runs on pixie dust but it was a pleasure to see examples of the town’s history on display for all to see.
The History Center is based in a beautiful dark wood panelled room. It’s worth a visit just to see that, but it was also a real treat to see the artifacts on display and take a look at some of the things referred to in the many books and websites I’ve studied on Celebration.
So, if you’re ever passing why not stop and take a look at Celebration’s history. I promise it’s the ‘fun’ type of history, for example….did you know that there’s a Trivial Pursuit question about Celebration?
Oh, and in case you need another reason to visit there’s even an opportunity to buy Celebration merchandise….as if I need a reason to shop! 
Just outside of Walt Disney World sits another place which I like to daydream about. Its name is Celebration. And no, it is not a theme park, it is not a working version of Epcot, it’s not solely made up of Disney cast members, and Disney does not have control over every decision made by its residents.
I don’t want this category of posts to be about Celebration’s history as there are lots of websites and articles covering many true, and unfortunately false, details about this town. I wanted to share my discovery of this town, how I finally came to visit last December, and how I still daydream about owning my own little part of Celebration.
I have a vague memory of visiting WDW in the early 90′s and driving past the Celebration development. Our driver pointed over to the development and told us that this was a town that Disney was building (correct) and people could only live there if they were a certain religion (incorrect)! As the years went by I would hear other references to Celebration, mainly covering things like the residents having to have certain coloured curtains in their windows or that the blades of grass on their front lawns had to be a certain length. At that point I, like many others, did not know truth from fable.
In 2008 I started my current job at a university and this meant that I had access to the university’s library. Suddenly I had access to a lot of reference books, and after some searching discovered I had access to many books covering my favourite subject of Disney history and the Disney company. And this is where I discovered ‘Celebration, USA – Living in Disney’s Brave New Town’ by Douglas Frantz and Catherine Collins.
This book covers the story of two writers moving their family into Celebration in 1997 to experience the town and it’s community first hand. The book details the designing and building of the town, the advertising campaign by the Walt Disney Company, the original lottery held in 1995 for interested buyers to reserve plots, the faith that those buyers had in the Disney company, the highs and lows of setting up a brand new community and a new way of schooling their children.
I love the detail in this book, I’ve read it cover to cover twice and referred to it on countless occasions. I’m sure that many of the details and personal stories have been ‘edited’ for the enjoyment of the reader but it still gives an excellent insight into Celebration’s history.
And I guess that’s where my interest in Celebration developed into a love for this beautiful place. I love the architecture of the public buildings and the houses. I love the original uniformity and rules imposed on the buildings and early residents. Despite my need to look a little different and stand out from the crowd I actually love the idea of people’s behaviour and public appearance being strictly controlled!! And yes….I know that sounds a little like The Truman Show but isn’t that possibly why we all love Disney so much…after all it is a very uniform and structured organisation.
So, as I read and researched more about Celebration I decided that I had to organise a visit during my trip to WDW in December 2010. It’s important to clarify here that I understand that Celebration is a REAL town, with REAL people, living REAL lives. Despite only being founded in 1994 it already has a rich history and it is this which deserves to attract the genuine tourists.
During that trip I had the opportunity to spend a lovely sunny morning in the town center, a walk around some of the nearby residential streets, and a fascinating look in the Celebration History Center, which has many examples of memorabilia and press clippings covering this town’s origins and first few years.
In future posts I’d like to share some more details and pictures of my visit, and let you know why even after experiencing the reality, I still daydream about Celebration.
Back in April this year I visited New York for the first time. During my visit I really wanted to seek out some flea markets; I’m not sure why, I just had this feeling that I might stumble across a rare find.
We found a flea market taking place in an old dark and dusty multi storey car park. Yes, a strange venue and it seemed to make the vendors seem stranger too! The majority of stalls were selling antiques and collectibles, and most of it was priced accordingly.
After walking around for a while we found a guy who was selling various old dusty antiques but on one side of his stall he had a load of old Disney items. It was one of those moments when you get excited and frustrated at the same time! Excited because right in front of me were old Disney toys, Disney Hallmark cards, postcards, maps etc. But frustrated because I don’t know enough about Disneyana to know if any of it was rare, overpriced, or something that every Disney collector already has in their collection.
So as I flicked through the items and tried to organise my thoughts I decided just to treat myself to something that I liked, rather than buy something for what it ‘might’ be worth. And that’s when I saw something that I knew I had to have; because of the history it had attached to it and how it instantly made me think of Walt and where it all began….
That’s right, it’s a Disneyland Coupon Book complete with one remaining B ‘ticket’!
This is the back cover:
And the inside back cover:
I’ve been really interested in determining the age of this book as I’m fascinated by Disney history, and it plays a big part in my Disney reading and research.
After checking several websites I’ve discovered that the word ‘ride’ was changed to ‘coupon’ during 1956 so I know I haven’t got the earliest version! Also on the reverse of the tickets in 1956 it stated ‘All coupons in this book are good any time during 1956′. Over the next couple of years this was replaced with ‘All coupons in this book are good at any time’, the same as on the back of my ticket.
The welcome message from Walt was moved to the front of the book around 1958 / 59. The ‘E’ ticket was introduced in 1959 and Sleeping Beauty Castle was moved to a B ticket in 1959. Although I only have one ticket remaining in my book I can see the edge of the other tickets left in the spine, and there are only four different coloured pages, confirming no place for an E ticket.
So taking these little clues and comparing it to photos I’ve seen on-line I’m dating my ticket book as around 1958, which is so exciting!! I’ve love to hear from anyone that has more definite information about the age or value.
For me it’s really great to look at that ticket book and imagine the guests who would have been using those tickets at the time….venturing into Disneyland, maybe for the very first time, stepping into Walt’s world of magic and dreams
When I heard about the fire and then the subsequent ‘temporary’ closure of the Enchanted Tiki Room at Walt Disney World back in January this year I felt guilty. Now, I know what you’re thinking, but I can assure you that I was nowhere near WDW the day of that fire
I felt guilty because as a Disney fan I’d neglected that attraction and in that moment I realised that because of my neglect if they closed that historical attraction forever I would not get to experience what others had seen and heard behind those automatically opening doors.
As Disney fans and WDW regulars I’m sure you know what I’m talking about. Whether you get to visit the World every week, a couple of times a year, or maybe once every two years, you will have your ‘must do’ attractions. Mine are the TTA Peoplemover and It’s A Small World (yes, I’m being serious). I cannot even contemplate starting a visit to Magic Kingdom without those two attractions being first on my list. But then there’s the attractions that I’ll go on if there’s time, or if there’s no queue…..and then there are the attractions that I don’t really factor into my visit at all…and I feel ashamed….for I am guilty of attraction neglect.
And right now, to all my readers, I am going to confess to not only neglecting the Enchanted Tiki Room but also the Country Bear Jamboree. I haven’t seen these attractions for years. It’s been so long that I can’t even remember if I have ever seen them. But I wasn’t worried because they’ve been there for years and surely they’ll be there for the next visit or the one after that, right?
Well, who can say for sure, especially at this time of great change in the parks? The Enchanted Tiki Room has been given a new lease of life since the fire and thankfully has reopened this week to guests queueing to see the reimagined show. And I promise here that on my next trip I will visit my neglected attractions and appreciate them still being around.
So now I’d like you to confess and share your own neglected attractions. Maybe some of you don’t bother with It’s A Small World (although I cannot understand how anyone can find that song irritating?!). Is anyone guilty of neglecting Peter Pan, Stitch’s Great Escape, or maybe Splash Mountain? Just take a moment to see if you can find time to fit that attraction into your next visit….you never know how long it will be around
I think I have an addictive personality. I will discover something and obsess about it. Obviously my main addiction is Disney but that covers all manner of things that I obsess about. I’m really fascinated by the Walt Disney Company; its past, present, and future. I really love coming across old memorabilia from the parks and how it makes me think about Disney history. The items don’t necessarily have to be specific souvenirs, it can be anything collected from a park; such as a leaflet, receipt, resort map, just anything giving me a window into a moment of time. So that’s where this category of posts come in; I’d like to share some of the things that I’ve kept, found, or been given for my collection of ‘Disneyana’. Some of it may be worth nothing but it’s all priceless to me.
The first collection I want to share is important to me because it was given to me by a colleague at work. Now this person isn’t a Disney nut but I think she just about ’gets’ the Disney thing. I think she understands my passion, understands that there are lots of us Disney geeks out there, and understands that we take our hobby and holiday planning seriously! Not only has she taken the time to pull out newspaper and magazine articles for me about Disney holidays, Disney cruises, and even Celebration (she’s knows I have a soft spot for the place) but a few months back she gave me a collection of park items from Disneyland that she had kept since her visits in the 1980′s. Even without a great deal of knowledge about Disneyland through the decades I think these items are amazing and I can’t wait until my first visit so that I can compare these items against the current ones from the parks today.
Hopefully these items will trigger memories for you if you visited Disneyland in the 80′s or remind you that you have an old ticket stuffed in a drawer some place. If not, then I hope you enjoy the little snippets of Disney history that these pictures may provide.
