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On the Cover: “Memories of Mickey”, photo by Tim Foster Issue 17 Remembering 42 Contents Mickey’s Letters...... 6 Toontown Fair Calendar of Events...... 8 Disney News & Updates...... 9

MOUSE VIEWS...... 15 Guide to the Magic by Tim Foster...... 16 25 Years of Explorer Emporium by Lou Mongello...... 18 Magic 50 Hidden Mickeys by Steve Barrett...... 20 Pin Trading & Collecting by John Rick...... 22 Disney Cuisine by Allison Jones...... 24 Travel Tips by Beci Mahnken...... 26 In the Pavilion of the Magic Rising Sun: Exploring 56 by J Darling...... 28 the Japan Pavilion in FEATURED ATTRACTION World Showcase Monsters, Inc. Laugh Floor...... 30 FEATURED RESORT Swan...... 34 The FEATURED Bambi...... 38 Utilidors 62 Lou Mongello’s Wayback Machine...... 70 Wandering the World...... 72 By the Numbers: WALL-E...... 73 Quick Quiz...... 74 In Search of: Andy’s View-Master...... 76 Kids Korner...... 78 Mystery Quest: World Showcase East...... 82 Stories Behind Walt Tim & Lou’s Top 10...... 84 Disney World: 66 Tours Rediscovering the Magic, Again and Again and Again…

It’s always the same. No matter how many times I’ve visited Walt Disney World, no matter how well I think I know the parks, there’s always something new to discover. No, not a new attraction or a new shop, but a new detail, a new hidden treasure that I’ve discovered that makes me marvel at the incredible amount of imagination and care that can be found here. Is it something new, or perhaps something I just didn’t notice before? It doesn’t really matter, to me it’s new, and it’s those little discoveries—those “aha” moments—that keep the magic alive. Whether it’s noticing for the first time how smoke wafts from the candle on Thomas Jefferson’s desk in the American Adventure, or realizing that all of the dolls on the white carousel in the final scene in “it’s a small world” are all holding small mementos from their respective countries, the discovery of that brand new something always brings a smile to my face. And the best part? It doesn’t matter if this is your first trip or your 50th, I promise you that you’ll never see everything there is to see. Oh sure, you might ride all of the rides and see all of the shows, but that’s only the beginning. When you notice that little detail, whether it’s the sparkles in the final scene in or the R2-D2 hieroglyphics on , you’ll experience that special spark that reminds you of the time when you first caught a glimpse of Cinderella Castle and all of those little discoveries you’ve made since, a time when everything was new—again.

Enjoy the magic! Tim Foster

2 · Celebrations Editors Tim Foster • Lou Mongello

Contributing Writers Steve Barrett J Darling Tim Devine Allison Jones Beci Mahnken John Rick

Associate Editors Jennifer Bright Reich • Kristin Isolde Eriksen • Catherine Lusby

Creative Direction and Design Tim Foster Associate Art Director Michelle Foster

Contributing Photographers Tim Foster, Tim Devine, Barrie Brewer

Basic subscription rate is $29.99 for six issues ($35.99 for Canada residents, $54.99 for other international residents). To subscribe online visit www.celebrationspress.com. Single issue price is $5.99. All orders must be prepaid and are payable in U.S. funds only. Celebrations (USPS 025-286) is published bimonthly in the U.S. by Celebrations Press, Inc, 308 Sundance Drive, Chester Springs, PA. 19425. Periodicals Postage Rate Paid at Chester Springs, PA and additional mail- ing offices. POSTMASTER: Send address changes to Celebrations, ATTN: Subscriptions, 308 Sundance Drive, Chester Springs, PA 19425. SUBSCRIBERS: If the postal service alerts us that your magazine is undeliverable, we have no further obligation unless we receive a corrected address within one year.

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©2011 Celebrations Press, Inc. No portion of this publication may be reproduced in any form without the express writ- ten permission of the publisher. Statements and opinions herein are those of the authors and advertisers and do not necessarily reflect the views of the publisher. Celebrations is owned and operated by Celebrations Press, Inc. and is not affiliated with, authorized or endorsed by, or in any way officially connected with , Disney Enterprises, Inc., or any of their affiliates. Walt Disney World Resort® is a registered trademark of The Walt Disney Company. The Twilight Zone® is a registered trademark of CBS, Inc. This publication makes reference to various Disney copyrighted characters, trademarks, marks, and registered marks owned by The Walt Disney Company, Disney Enterprises, Inc., and other trademark own- ers. The use in this book of trademarked names and images is strictly for editorial purposes, no commercial claim to their use, or suggestion of sponsorship or endorsement, is made by the authors or publishers. Those words or terms that the authors have reason to believe are trademarks are designated as such by the use of initial capitaliza- tion, where appropriate. However, no attempt has been made to identify or designate all words or terms to which trademark or other proprietary rights may exist. Nothing contained herein is intended to express a judgement on, or affect the validity of legal status of, any word or term as a trademark, service mark, or other proprietary mark. While every care has been taken to ensure the accuracy of the information in this publication, the passage of time will always bring changes in operating schedules, attraction openings and closings, and policies. The authors and publisher shall not be held liable for any information (valid or invalid) presented here and do not represent The Walt Disney Company.

3 · Celebrations Dear Walt...

Dear Mr. Disney... I mean, Dear Walt... Imagine having the opportunity to talk to Walt. Or even to send him a letter that you know he would read. (Okay, I know that there are many reasons why that couldn’t happen, but understand where I’m going here.) I think for many of us, it would begin (and possibly end) with a simple but heartfelt thanks, not just for , movies, and attractions, but for the impact Walt made on our lives. For me, Walt’s impact is profound, not just because of the memories his work has given to me and my family, but for how it changed my life’s direction. Other than my dad, Walt shaped me more than any other person, through his work, wisdom, vision, and positivity. I don’t mean just because I’m writing about Disney for Celebrations magazine, but because I left the practice of law and an IT consulting business that I started to pursue my passion, which, oh by the way, happens to be Disney. The idea of believing in oneself, in what you’re doing, and in what you’re capable of is something that Walt had when he went to Kansas City with nothing more than $40 in his pocket. That’s one heck of an example of a leap of faith. I wonder if Walt ever realized that what he was doing was so much more than making animated and conjuring up rides with pirates or friendly ghosts. I wonder if he knew how his belief in the importance of family would carry forward and impact the lives of millions. I wonder if Walt realized that he was helping people he never met—many of whom weren’t even born during his lifetime—how to get the best out of themselves, by inspiring them (and me) to always keep moving forward. Walt, you might not have ever gotten to read my letter (or this magazine), but hopefully you know how much I thank you.

Lou Mongello

4 · Celebrations Contributors

Jennifer Bright Reich is a Joe Essaf was constantly Ray Harkness thanks Disney Jim Korkis is an writer, editor, and creator surrounded by Disney as for saving his marriage. internationally recognized of DisneyWithKids.net, a child from the annual After being shown the joys Disney Historian whose helping people traveling Walt Disney World trip of a vacation by his lovely writing and original to Walt Disney World with to the VHS classic movies. wife Nancy, he now cannot research has been utilized by kids save money, time, and Growing up during the imagine being away from other Disney Historians as sanity. Jennifer also founded has work if it doesn’t involve a well as the Disney Company. the new parenting website inspired his artistic abilities Disney resort. When not MommyMDGuides.com, his entire life. His love for touring the parks, Ray which is filled with tips that Walt’s company is so grand writes for his blog Grumpy’s doctors who are also moms that he is going to school for Hollow under the name use for their own families. to follow in the Grumpwurst (grumpyspace. footsteps of his heroes. blogspot.com).

Jamie Hecker has been a Donald Myers Jr. first trip Amber Sewell has been Ryan P. Wilson was born lifelong fan of the Disney to Disney in 1986 at age 4 addicted to Disney from a and raised in central Florida brand and Walt Disney forever sparked his passion very young age. Cultivated where his passion for Walt World. As an adult, he for Walt Disney World. by her numerous (and really, Disney World was developed rediscovered his love for the Don is not only a true there have almost been too at a young age. Today he magic of Walt Disney World. Disney enthusiast, but also many to count) trips to Walt lives in Asheville, NC with his The Magic Kingdom still fills considers himself to be a Disney World, writing about wife, Aileen, and spends time him with the same awe and “Disney traditionalist” as Disney just seemed the next teaching and authoring the excitement he experienced well. He loves the history of step. A Cast Member in the Main Street Gazette on his first visit as a twelve the resort and has a special Disney’s CareerStart Pro- www.mainstgazette.com. year old boy. He, his wife place in his heart for all of gram, Amber fully intends and two sons regularly visit the extinct attractions of to spend the rest of her life Orlando and always look Walt Disney World. working for Disney. forward to their next family trip.

5 · Celebrations Letters did, the sun had to be in the right place at the right time. Later in the day we were having lunch at the Earl of Sandwich (in ) and Nick (again) was finding Hidden Mickeys in his food. It seems that once you start, you just can’t stop finding those Mickeys! We continue to love and look forward to every issue of Celebrations Magazine. It truly helps us pass the time until we are once again back home at WDW. Magic Thanks for all your hard work. Here are some “unique” Hidden Please thank all your contributing Mickeys that we’ve recently found at reporters. Every issue is just packed Memories of Figment Walt Disney World. with so much information - even I was so excited to see the article The first one was outside the ice for us Disney fanatics who have in the March/April 2011 issue on cream parlor on Main Street. We been to the parks many times. Figment and Dreamfinder titled “One we walking along heading towards There is always something new and Little Spark...” My parents took me to Tomorrowland and my son, Nicholas, interesting to find out. Disney for the first time in March of said, “Look, a Hidden Mickey!”. It was 1985 when I was only two years old. a perfect shadow of a Mickey. We Thanks again! I was terrified of almost every dark don’t know if the staff or someone ride but I loved Figment. We met else positioned the chairs and table Cynthia Blaha Dreamfinder and Figment outside to make the shadow, but even it they Michigan of the pavilion by the fountains just as you described at the end of the article. I’ve attached a picture of myself with them (as you can see, I was a little shocked to see Figment steal my baby blanket). Great article, thanks for taking me back!

Crystal Irwin Virginia Beach, VA

Remembering Thank you for your “Remembering Horizons” article in your March/April, 2011 issue. It’s funny; I’ve had a vague memory stuck in my head for years! The ride was at and it ended in a desert farming community,

Got a question, photo or story you’d like to share? email them to: [email protected] 6 · Celebrations Welcome to the Celebrations Marketplace, where you’ll find even more magic from the Celebrations team. We’ll feature everything from books, meets, online offerings and more so you can enjoy even more of the magic that Walt Disney World has to offer!

The Hunt for Hidden Mickeys Goes On! Steve Barrett, “Mr. Hidden Mickeys” to thousands of fans, has announced new editions of his best selling guides to the best kept secrets at both Walt Disney World and Disneyland. Steve, with the help of legions of sharp-eyed spotters who report their findings at www.HiddenMickeysGuide.com, has completely updated both books, putting his stamp of approval on newly discovered Mickeys while sadly putting to rest ones that have disappeared.

The fifth edition of “Hidden Mickeys: A Field Guide to Walt Disney World’s Best Keep Secrets” will appear in bookstores in August. “Disneyland’s Hidden Mickeys” will appear in its third edition in September. Those who wish to get the books before they hit the bookstores can register at Steve’s publisher’s web site at www.intrepidtraveler.com/newmickeys. showing the riders how productive this barren landscape would be in the future. But I was never able to find the ride again. Well, when I read your article and saw the vacuuming robot photo on page 47, my quest was ended! I cannot say that I remember too much else about the ride, but your article has helped to fill in the blanks!

Doug Bennett- Highlands NJ

Mickey: He’s Everywhere! Celebrations is my favorite magazine! It gives me my Disney fix in-between trips. I have become a Hidden Mickey fan and look for them everywhere. On my trip in July of 2010 it started to rain, as it often does in afternoon in Florida. So what better excuse to stop into the Emporium on Main Street. When I came out I laughed out loud. I had found a Hidden Mickey right before my eyes!

Michelle J. Turoczi Wappingers Falls, NY

7 · Celebrations Calendar of Events Sounds Like Summer June 12 - July 30 America Gardens Theater at Epcot Blasts from the past are in store at Epcot, where the cur- tain rises on popular rock-band tributes beginning June 12 at the park’s America Gardens Theatre in World Showcase during the Sounds Like Summer concert series. Concerts are held each evening through July 31 at 5:45, 7 and 8:15 p.m.,

Epcot International Food & Wine Festival September 30 - November 13, World Showcase, Epcot The six-week outdoor festival serves up authentic cuisine; wine, beer and spirits; entertainment; and cultural exhibits of more than 25 international regions. Exotic marketplaces from South Korea to Belgium offer exciting taste treats. The festival is the largest food and wine event of its kind in the world, beginning at the Festival Welcome Center in Future World and fanning around the promenade encircl- ing World Showcase Lagoon.

Night of Joy September 9 & 10 Magic Kingdom This contemporary Christian music festival features live performances by contemporary superstars in rock, pop and gospel. Artists will grace several stages around the Magic Kingdom. You can enjoy several different musical performances at various locations during the festival.

Mickey’s-Not So-Scary Halloween Party Select nights in September & October Weekends Magic Kingdom Weekends from May 20 - June 12 “Boo” has never been uttered in a bouncier, bubblier, Disney’s Studios “not-so-scary” fashion than during “Mickey’s Not-So-Scary Take a journey to a galaxy far, far away! Star Wars Week- Halloween Party”. Ghostly apparitions have never been ends features more than 50 of your favorite Star Wars more wistful than they are skittering along the rooftops characters roaming the park for meet-and-greet opportu- of Main Street, U.S.A. When you put them together with a nities, star conversations with Star Wars celebrities, Star green and orange fireworks spectacular and Land-to-Land Wars parades, interactive activities, exclusive merchan- trick-or-treating throughout the Magic Kingdom, you have dise and the reopening of . Event activities are a Halloween event like none other: Mickey’s Not-So-Scary included with regular theme park admission. Halloween Party.

8 · Celebrations Photo ©Disney 9 · Celebrations Disney News sented by Kodak, located just inside the Magic Kingdom en- Magician Mickey Mouse trance. Previously known as Town Square Exposition Hall, the venue has been re-imagined as a turn-of-the-Twenti- eth-Century theater where posters proclaim Mickey Mouse Now Greeting Guests at New as the star of a magic show. A glistening marquee with gold-leaf trim and sparkling Magic Kingdom Location lights beckons guests to enter a lobby that serves as a hub for character meet-and-greet queues, the Box Office Gifts ickey Mouse now reigns at a new location in Magic merchandise shop and Tony’s Town Square Restaurant. MKingdom to meet and greet his friends at Walt Dis- Lush curtains with gold rope tie-backs, polished-brass chan- ney World Resort. Guests can now go backstage at Town deliers and a huge tile floor mosaic of the Town Square The- Square Theater for photos and autographs with Mickey -- ater logo adorn the space. without waiting in a standby queue! Just beyond the lobby, guests pass through an ornate Mickey’s new location in the park also heralds the first- arch and enter a queue to meet Magician Mickey Mouse -- ever use of Disney’s FASTPASS Service for a character meet- or a queue to meet the Disney princesses, for whom Town and-greet experience. FASTPASS allows guests to reduce Square Theater will be a meet-and-greet location during waiting by designating a window of time when they can New Fantasyland construction. return for a theme park experience. The meet-and-greet experience begins when magical The fun takes place at the Town Square Theater pre- posters featuring Mickey’s various magic acts come to life, enhancing guests’ journey through queues into the back- stage corridors of the theater. Mickey greets guests in a rehearsal-room environment amid posters, steamer trunks and stage props. It’s a classic backstage area with a wood floor and ceiling. One wall is brick, the others are papered in red and black -- Mickey colors. During the Princesses’ limited engagement at Town Square Theater, they will greet guests in an area fit for roy- alty -- replete with plush carpeting, lush velvety-blue drapes with gold tiebacks, and a large mural backdrop of a chateau amid green, tree-covered hills and fields. Exiting the meet-and-greet areas, guests pass through Curtain Call Collectibles, a shop with design elements sug- gesting a backstage area used for theater shipping and re- ceiving -- with large, barn-like doors through which props and set pieces could pass. Guests wanting to meet Mickey or the Princesses can either obtain a Disney’s FASTPASS ticket or get in standby queues. FASTPASS tickets, which are available near Town Square Theater, designate an hour window of time during which the guest can return to the theater and have their “magic moment” with Mickey or the Princesses without joining the standby queues.

10 · Celebrations Photos ©Disney Disney’s Fairy Tale Weddings Celebrates Platinum Milestone of ‘Happily-Ever-Afters’ at Walt Disney World Resort o mark the 20th anniversary of Disney’s Fairy Tale Wed- partnered with Alfred Angelo to create a Platinum Anni- Tdings & Honeymoons, Disney has announced special versary wedding gown so that brides everywhere may be a wedding packages plus a unique campaign showcasing part of the celebration. the happily-ever-after stories of real life couples who have The Memories Collection is priced at $1,991 in honor of the tied the knot at Walt Disney World Resort, Disneyland and 1991 opening year of Disney’s Fairy Tale Weddings & Honey- aboard . moons, and will take place on Saturdays and Sundays at 9 “The ‘Bringing the Fairy Tale to Life’ campaign is a tribute and 11 a.m. and 1 and 3 p.m. More information: DisneyWed- to all the brides and grooms who have shared their special dings.com or 321/939-4610. day with us,” said Korri McFann, Worldwide Marketing Di- rector of Disney’s Fairy Tale Weddings & Honeymoons. “We are honored to have our guests recall cherished memories during Disney’s ‘Let the Memories Begin’ campaign, where Disney is sharing real home videos and photos submitted by guests.” Couples will be highlighted in print and online advertise- ments as well as at Behindthefairytale.com. In honor of the platinum year, Disney has also created a specially priced wedding package perfect for vow renew- als: the Memories Collection. Throughout the 20-month celebration, couples are invited to create new memories through intimate ceremonies at Walt Disney World Resort. The Memories Collection includes up to six guests, includ- ing the couple, a floral bouquet for the bride, solo violinist, transportation (three-hour limousine charter) and a pro- fessional photographer for one hour. Ceremony locations include: Conch Key Marina at Dis- ney’s Grand Floridian Resort & Spa, Narcoossee’s Landing at Disney’s Grand Floridian Resort & Spa, and Luau Beach at Disney’s Polynesian Resort. Disney has been making memories come true for couples and their families for two decades with a variety of wed- ding offerings. Traditionally recognized as a top-ranked wedding and honeymoon destination, Walt Disney World Resort currently hosts more than 1,000 couples tying the knot each year. Beyond Disney’s Wedding Pavilion, nuptials at Walt Disney World Resort also take place in outdoor gar- den settings, gazebos and courtyards, as well as indoor re- sort locations. All told, more than 40,000 couples have mar- ried at Walt Disney World Resort, Disneyland and aboard Disney Cruise Line. To celebrate 20 years of happily-ever-afters, Disney has

11 · Celebrations Disney News At the Walt Disney World theme park, they are playing Ahoy, Mateys! Jake and the a role in , a theme park show created for young guests. Co- starring roles in the show are played by the cast of , Handy Manny and Little Einsteins -- oth- Never Land Pirates Land at er shows that are part of the schedule. “Ever since ‘Playhouse Disney--Live on Stage!’ premiered in Disney’s Hollywood Studios 2001, it has been a chance for our younger guests to expe- rience their friends at Disney’s Hollywood as Part of “Disney Junior– Studios,” said Dan Fields of , the creative director for “Disney Junior--Live on Stage!” “As their circle of TV friends has grown and changed during the Live on Stage!” years, we’ve endeavored to make sure those new friends are ake and the Never Land Pirates landed at Disney’s Holly- part of their vacation fun, too.” Jwood Studios March 4, 2011, less than a month after they Like the previous show (“Playhouse Disney--Live on cast off on their first adventure on Disney Channel as part Stage”), “Disney Junior--Live on Stage!” is presented several of the launch of Disney Junior programming designed for times during the theme park day. Guests should check their 2-to-7-year-old children. Times Guide for show times.

12 · Celebrations Photos ©Disney expedition joined by Disney Cruise Line Offers a beloved Dis- ney charac- ‘Dream Come True’ for Fans ters, and the Glacier Dog of and Alaska Musher-for- a-Day experience in Juneau during which guests travel by he comments of Disney Cruise Line veteran cruisers helicopter over the massive Juneau Icefield where they will Tmake it clear: On itineraries to the Bahamas and Ca- tour a sled dog camp and explore behind-the-scenes areas ribbean, a guest favorite is Castaway Cay, the cruise line’s including the kennel, living quarters and veterinary clinic. private island. A common remark is that “it would be nice Mushers and their dog teams then take guests out on the to have more time” at the remote paradise surrounded by snow-capped glacier for an unforgettable sled trip through crystal-clear turquoise waters as far as the eye can see. the pristine wilderness. Between May 29 and August 20, 2011, that vacation wish A dramatically different experience beckons back in the will be fulfilled on a dozen 5-night sailings out Bahamas, where 1000-acre Castaway Cay features powdery of Port Canaveral, Fla. Each 5-night cruise will include two white sand beaches under foot, swaying palm trees and stops at Castaway Cay separated by a day at sea and a day beautiful tropical flowers, providing the ultimate escape, at Nassau. The new, 4,000-passenger ship will embark on whether a guest is seeking adventure, relaxation or quality 5-night cruises on Sundays and Tuesdays. time with the family. Meanwhile, the will be repositioned from Flying high above the island on a parasail adventure, the Port of Los Angeles to Vancouver, B.C., where it will em- snorkeling in a 12-acre lagoon, casting off on a fishing tour, bark on 7-night Alaska sailings between May 3 and August building sand castles on the beach, bicycling around the is- 30, 2011. The seven-night cruises call on Tracy Arm Fjord, land or swimming with Southern Stingrays are just a few Skagway, Juneau and Ketchikan, and mark the first time of the activities that every member of the family can enjoy. ever that Disney Cruise Line will sail to Alaska. There are water slides, rental watercraft, and enough other Guests will experience breathtaking natural vistas, an splashing-good fun that Castaway Cay has been depicted as abundance of wildlife and the rich history and customs of “a water park with an ocean.” Alaska’s native culture. Available Port Adventures include a To learn more about Disney Cruise Line or to book a va- fun scavenger hunt through the Liarsville Gold Rush Trail cation, guests can contact their travel agent, visit disney- Camp in Skagway that sets the stage for a gold-panning cruise.com or call Disney Cruise Line at 888/DCL-2500.

13 · Celebrations

elcome to MouseViews, a special section of WCelebrations Magazine where you’ll get an insider’s peek at the Walt Disney World Resort. In every issue we’ll bring you a treasure trove of tips, secrets, magical moments, special insights, little known facts and a whole lot more! Whether it’s a different look at a familiar attraction, a hidden secret waiting to be discovered, or a helpful piece of advice for your upcoming trip, you’re sure to find lots of fun-filled information inside.

So put on your Mickey ears, set your imagination free, and get ready to discover all of those things that make Walt Disney World the most magical place on Earth.

Ready? Then here we go...!

15 · Celebrations Spirited Beasts: Discover Anime’s Inspirations in Epcot’s Japan Pavilion orld Showcase is filled with lots of hidden treasures and overlooked features, Wmany that are just as fascinating, if not more so, than the main attractions themselves. Tucked away in the rear of the Japan Pavilion is one such attraction, the Bijutsu-kan Gallery. It might be easy to miss, but if you head straight to the back of the pavilion and cross the bridge, you’ll find the entrance on your left. The gallery features ever-changing exhibits on Japanese culture, and even if it appears as if no one is there, go ahead and venture inside. You’ll get to experience one of Epcot’s true by Tim Foster hidden treasures. Past exhibits have included a look at Japanese baseball and a fun-filled exhibit called Stories, which was a fascinating look at Japanese toys that reached the height of their popularity in the 1950s and 60s. Often spring-operated, (no bat- teries required!), these simple yet complex toys came in all shapes and sizes. On dis- play were , trains, monsters, robots, and even spaceships. You could even find many classic Disney characters among the treasured toys, including Mickey Mouse. Mickey, Donald, , and the rest of their pals were (and still are) very popular in Japan, as is the concept of animation as an art form. In fact, an entire genre of animation called anime (or Japanese animation), is now just as popular, if not more so, than animation throughout the world. A trip through the Mitsukoshi Department Store in the front of the pavilion pro- vides an introduction to many of the most popular characters in anime today, some of which will be very familiar. (Who hasn’t heard of Pokémon?) You might think that anime is a recent phenomenon, but its origins actually go back all the way to the Tim Foster is the author of dawn of animation. The first anime was shown in 1917, and the first feature-length the Guide to the Magic book anime, Momotaro’s Divine Sea Warriors, was produced in 1945, a mere eight years af- series, which includes the Guide to the Magic for Kids, the Lost ter the release of Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs. Throughout the 1990s and the Journals, and the Guide to the early 21st century, anime grew extremely popular throughout the rest of the world. Magic Autograph & Sticker Today, conventions, books, films, and fan groups abound. With the release of such Book. Tim is also the creator of beautiful films as Ponyo and Howl’s Moving Castle (the most successful film in Jap- the www.guidetothemagic.com anese history), the popularity of anime continues to grow throughout the world. website. However, new fans to the genre might not realize that many of the characters that they know and love today actually had their origins in Japanese folklore and mythi- cal creatures. That’s where the newest exhibit at the Bijutsu-kan Gallery comes in. A must-see for animation fans of all ages, Spirited Beasts: From Ancient Stories to Anime Stars details the origins of many of today’s favorite anime characters. The opening plaque sets the tone for the exhibit: “For centuries, heroic animals and magical creatures have appeared in tradition- al Japanese myths, stories, and art. Today, they’re the heroes and villains of Japan’s manga comics and anime. These “spirited beasts” from Japan’s past have become pop culture superstars, known and loved around the world. Join us as we celebrate these mysterious, magical, and mischievous animal figures.” The focus of the exhibit is the aforementioned ancient figures that served as the inspiration for their modern-day counterparts. The exhibit tells the origins of

16 · Celebrations their different mythologies and how crane adorns a display on the wall to they evolved into the beloved charac- the left. Suddenly, the image illumi- ters of today. Various displays show- nates to reveal a stunning sight: 1000 case such legendary creatures as the hand-folded paper cranes! The crane, kitsune (magical fox spirits), kappa or tsuru, is a symbol of happiness, (mythical water sprites), oni (demon prosperity, and world peace. The ef- spirits), saru (the monkey), bakeneko fect makes use of theatrical scrim to (cat spirit), inugami (dog spirit), and provide the same sort of peek-a-boo the moon rabbit. Each display tells reveal that you can see in the Carousel the legend of the ancient spirit and of Progress and the Haunted Mansion. details its evolution into modern-day You’ll find a similar effect on the other anime characters. Fans of anime will surely recognize some side of the gallery, were a two-dimensional image gives way of their favorites! to an imposing figurine of the tengu. According to legend, the tengu are the winged warriors of the mountains and Big Surprises formidable guardians of nature. At the heart of the exhibit Perhaps the biggest “aha” moment can be found toward is a tranquil Zen garden, featuring an imposing statue of the back of the gallery, where even Guests unfamiliar with the Slayer of Vanity, another example of the tengu. the anime genre will find a familiar friend. Mario, perhaps You’ll also find a display that tells of the ancient storytell- the most popular video game character of all time, can be ing method of scrolls. The tradition lives on today in the col- spotted in his unique raccoon suit from Super Mario 3. Back orful, dramatic wall scrolls you’ll see here. You can even pur- when the game was popular, (I’m talking to the “slightly” chase some in the nearby Mitsukoshi Department Store! In older folks out there because the game came out in 1990), fact, a tour of the department store (particularly the front) the sight of Mario in a raccoon suit was a bit puzzling if you is the perfect complement to a visit at the “Spirited Animals” weren’t from Japan, but here you’ll learn that the suit was gallery. Here you’ll get to see modern-day examples of an- based on the tanuki, or raccoon-dog, a mythological crea- ime in figurines, books, and plush figures. The Mitsukoshi ture inspired by a real animal. Both wise and spiritual, the Department Store is a favorite destination of anime fans, tanuki was a shape-shifting trickster. (Fans of Mario will but don’t let that distract you from the other treasures to recognize that as an apt description, well, the trickster part be found within. (Be sure to try the pocky. Yum!) anyway!) Far from being a temporary fad, the art of Japanese an- Mario might be the most recognizable, but the best “hold ime has a long and storied tradition. If you’re a fan of anima- your breath” moment occurs nearby. A beautiful image of a tion, you’ll definitely want to check it out.

Photos ©Barrie Brewer 17 · Celebrations Living the Dream on the High Seas

alt Disney created Disneyland with the hopes that it would be “a family park Wwhere parents and children could have fun–together”. Walt Disney World opened in 1971 as a place where that same philosophy held true. But could Disney bring the “magic” of the theme parks outside the confines of attractions and shows? In 1998, that question was answered when the Disney Cruise Line launched. What Walt did to the entertainment industry, the Disney Company did to cruising with the launch of the . The “Disney difference” brought the same type of interactive family experiences to the waters, with added elements that revolution- ized the cruise industry. And although Walt believed that “you can’t top pigs with pigs” when it came to repeating his success, Disney may have done just that. On February 22, 2007, Disney by Lou Mongello announced that it was building two new ships, the Dream and the Fantasy, that would be bigger, and arguably even better, than the classic ships in the fleet.

Technology Take to the Seas Two words that describe the Disney Dream are “Technology” and “Surprise”, and the two often go hand-in-hand. Around every corner, incredible advances in tech- nology offer unexpected delights to Guests, whether they’ve previously cruised on the Disney Cruise Line or not. One of the most exciting and eagerly-anticipated features of the Dream is the world’s first-ever shipboard water coaster, the AquaDuck. The exhilarating flume ride features twists, turns, drops, acceleration and river rapids coursing through a 765-foot-long tube, providing a stunning panorama of the ocean and the ship’s upper decks before a whooshing splashdown on Deck 12. High-powered water jets send about 10,000 gallons of water per minute through the attraction and accel- Lou Mongello is the host of the erate guests upward and forward through the ride. But the most amazing, heart- award winning WDW Radio podcast thumping moment is the “swing out” loop which takes riders 12 feet beyond the side and the author of the definitive of the ship, with Guests surrounded only by a clear acrylic flume that provides a an Disney trivia books, “Walt Disney unobstructed view of the ocean surface...150 feet below. Splash Mountain meets Big World Trivia” Volumes 1 and II. He is also the producer of the newly Thunder Mountain Railroad meets a lazy river, providing Guests of all ages with an released Audio Guides of Walt Disney experience found nowhere else. World, a CD series that gives you a When it comes to surprises, Guests of all ages are astonished when they pass by personal tour of the happiest place the nearly two dozen framed pieces of Enchanted Art inspired by Disney classic on Earth. You can listen to the show movies and other animated sequences. As Guests pause to admire what appears and discover more secrets, rumors to be a simple piece of art, the picture magically comes alive, presenting several and facts at Lou’s website: www.wdwradio.com seconds of sound and animation. While the Enchanted Art pieces look like other hanging works of art around the ship, they are actually framed LCD screens with technology that recognizes when a Guest is present, activating several seconds of animation.

A Room With a View Traditionally, outside staterooms with portholes and verandas are the first to fill up on most cruise lines. The Disney Dream once again changed conventional wisdom with the introduction of the Magical Porthole. In all 150 inside staterooms,

18 · Celebrations a “window” to the world provides a real- time view outside the ship. The “window” is actually a wall-mounted monitor framed to have the appearance of a porthole. The monitor displays a real-time video view out- side the ship – sometimes supplemented by a little “magic” in the form of animated Dis- ney characters that “fly by.” High-definition cameras on the exterior of the ship feed the video to the monitors. The cameras are positioned to correspond with stateroom locations – either port or starboard and from bow to stern. Among the approxi- mately three dozen animated characters and objects that may pop by the Magical Porthole are Peach the starfish from Find- ing Nemo, the flying elephant, the house from Up, or mances, hear stories of great expeditions and watch mov- even Mickey Mouse himself. ies. The Animator’s Studio is filled with maquettes, anima- tion books, a light box table, drawing accessories, computer A Land to Call Their Own stations and other tools of the animation trade. Children Located on Deck 5 midship, Disney’s Oceaneer Club is a can use their imagination to create original, hand-drawn child-friendly (ages 3-10) oasis that transports kids to the art or learn how to sketch their favorite Disney character. magical lands of Disney fairies, friendly monsters, adven- With the help of a counselor and an animation simulator, turesome toys and undersea exploration, with multiple kids can bring to life computer-animated characters. The themed activity rooms off a central hub. In the main ro- Sound Studio is designed for children who appreciate and tunda, there are constellations of Disney characters created are inspired by music, while the two Workshops lets kids with fiber optics that twinkle across the ceiling, as well as a concoct creations in an interactive science lab, conduct cra- stage where children can create and star in their very own zy experiments, express their creativity through art proj- theatrical performances, participate in storytelling ses- ects, stretch their culinary skills and participate in other sions and delight in meeting Disney characters. It also has a hands-on activities. 103-inch plasma screen for watching movies and for magical interactions with Crush, the sea turtle from Let’s All Go To the Movies (much like in The Seas with Nemo Sitting inside a darkened movie theater may not be the & Friends at Epcot). The Magic PlayFloor, yet another cruise first thing that comes to mind when you think of a Disney industry first, allows children to engage in group activities cruise, but believe it or not, it’s worth trying to catch a mov- where their movements control the action in themed sto- ie in the 399-seat Theater. From eye-popping rytelling activities. The PlayFloor was designed with 16 light 3D films such as : Legacy to other first-run features, pads on the perimeter that detect motion and location and the combination of visual technology and sound, coupled trigger actions. There are 28 monitors integrated with one with the charm and elegance of a quaint concession stand another to create a grid display 15 feet by 15 feet on the cen- outside, is something worth experiencing – morning, after- ter of the PlayFloor. Interactive experiences include Andy’s noon or evening Room, the Monster’s Academy, , and the Finding Nemo-themed Explorer Pod. No matter where your wandering and exploring might Elsewhere, Disney’s Oceaneer Lab takes children on a jour- take you, the Disney Dream is replete with surprising, cre- ney of discovery and exploration, all while feeling as though ative, and whimsical technological innovations, whether it’s they are embarking on a great adventure. At the main hall in your stateroom, on deck, at mealtime, or during playtime. stage, kids can create and star in swashbuckling perfor- It’s why no one does it like Disney.

Photo ©Disney 19 · Celebrations Downtown Disney Marketplace Hidden Mickeys owntown Disney at Walt Disney World, with its shops, restaurants and unique Dentertainment, is a popular destination for local and visiting guests. When you visit, keep in mind that Downtown Disney is full of Hidden Mickeys. I’ve includ- ed some of my favorite ones below.

1. Just inside the entrance to T-Rex Cafe, and over the bar, a pink classic Mickey is on the body of an octopus across from a green praying mantis.

2. In the Genie Room of the World of , antique-looking maps on wood panels painted to look like tapestries have land masses that resemble Disney by Steve Barrett characters. One such land mass looks like a side profile of Mickey Mouse.

3. On the wall in the Villain Room of the store, next door to the Genie room, Cruella DeVille’s left wrist is wrapped with fur that has a classic Mickey dark spot on the side.

4. In the high-ceilinged central room of the World of Disney store, classic Mickeys are in the Tweedle Dee and Tweedle Dum wall mural; one is on a flag in the back- ground and one is on Tweedle Dee’s apron.

5. In the high-ceilinged central room of the World of Disney store, the Pocahontas airship has an upside-down classic Mickey at the very bottom of the rear vertical tail fin, near where the tail fin connects to the body of the airship.

Steve Barrett is the author of three 6. In the Ghirardelli Ice Cream and Chocolate Shop, a dark side-profile image of Mick- Hidden Mickeys Field Guide books ey looking to the left appears as a shadow in a painting on a rear wall (to the left (Walt Disney World, Disneyland, as you enter). Look for a streetcar in the painting. The shadow is in the streetcar’s and the Disney Cruise Line) and second window from the left. “The Hassle-Free Walt Disney World Vacation” book, as well as an iPhone app for Walt Disney World Hidden 7. In the Once Upon A Toy store, a black classic Mickey is on each side of the blue san- Mickeys. You can check out more dals on one of the Mr. Potato Heads in the first room. Hidden Mickeys at Steve’s website: www.hiddenmickeysguide.com 8. A classic Hidden Mickey made of glass balls is located behind the hostess station, right when you walk into Cap’n Jack’s Restaurant.

9. A shadow of Goofy is on the upper back wall of the Goofy’s Candy Co. Store, behind the large Krispy Treat display.

10. Inside the Disney’s Days of Christmas store, three large trees surrounded by mer- chandise have classic Mickeys carved in their bark near the tops of their trunks. These trees are not Christmas trees, and each of the three has one or two such Mickey carvings. Look up to find them!

Photos ©Steve Barrett 20 · Celebrations 1 2

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21 · Celebrations HIdden Mickey Pins: The Hunt is On ne reason why so many people are still trading Disney pins 10 years after Dis- Oney Pin Trading’s inception is the Cast Member component. Cast Members have to abide by one very special rule: A Cast Member must accept the pin trade as long as a Guest is trading a Disney pin and as long as the pin being offered isn’t already on the Cast Member’s lanyard. This lack-of-rejection factor is a great feature of . To enhance the Cast Member trading experience even more, Disney has released what were originally called “Cast lanyard pins.” These pins were originally only avail- by John Rick able on Cast Member lanyards, and they were never available for sale. Today, these pins are called “Hidden Mickey pins” because they each feature a Hidden Mickey somewhere on them. Recently, “completer” pins of certain current Hidden Mickey series have been sold at multiple pin locations throughout the resorts. Over the years, several hundred of these Hidden Mickey treasures have been released at both the Walt Disney World and Disneyland Resorts. Disney has released a collection of pins on the same theme at various times throughout the year. By releasing these pins, Disney has generated enthusiasm and excitement for Cast Member trading, and it has built an impressive assortment of pins that could form a very interesting and fun collection. In 2010, two Hidden Mickey series of pins garnered much attention from both collectors and traders. The Past Attractions collection was released in January 2010, and had great appeal for retro Disney fans. It reminded us of a Walt Disney World of days gone by, and featured some famous attraction icons. Our first example is the Butler Robot Pin, which hon- ors Horizons, formerly at Epcot. Guests could see the butler robot vacuuming the floor from 1983 until 1999 when the attraction permanently closed to make room John Rick founded the Central for Mission: SPACE. Jersey Disney Pin Traders in 2002. You can visit the website at Our next pin commemorates the If You Could Fly at- www.cjdpt.com and contact him at traction. The seagull was this attraction’s logo after [email protected]. John is also one of Eastern Airlines dropped their sponsorship of “If You Had the Hosts of the Disney Pincast- the Wings.” In 1987, the attraction in the Magic Kingdom brief- only weekly podcast dedicated to ly became known as “If You Could Fly.” At that time, the ex- Disney Pins. It can be found at terior of the building featured the flying birds from the www.disneypincast.com. John and his wife Sheila live in beginning of the ride instead of the Eastern Airlines logo, central New Jersey. and a new song was introduced. Today, Buzz Lightyear’s Space Ranger Spin occupies the If You Could Fly show building and uses the same OmniMover track. The Magic Kingdom Clock Pin reads, “Remember Open- ing Oct. 1971” with the hands pointing to nine o’clock. In- stead of commemorating an attraction, this pin salutes a sign! During the construction of Walt Disney World, Roy Disney put up a temporary sign where the clock on Town Hall is today. The sign read, “Remember Opening October 1971” to remind the workers how quickly they needed to

22 · Celebrations work. This icon also appeared on the clock tower of the A stay at Disney’s Caribbean train station so workers “wouldn’t” know the time, and they Beach Resort will help you find would focus on finishing. This pin’s not-so-Hidden Mickey is this Hidden Mickey, which can be located on the clock face at the number four. seen as part of the design found Homage to another Magic King- in the Guest room bedding. dom attraction is paid as our next As Lou Mongello says, “Look up, pin revisits the Plaza Swan Boats. look down, look all around.” In this When the Swan Boats were open, case, you’ll need to look down to signs with two swan pictures find the inspiration for our next (featuring the same artwork as pin. This Hidden Mickey is located the pin) stood on each side of the in the floor near the entrance of entrance. The Plaza Swan Boats the Great Ceremonial House at operated seasonally from 1974 to Disney’s Polynesian Resort. Dur- August 1983, and they originally took a D ticket. The cost to ing your next trip to ’Ohana, keep the boats running were high, and they constantly had dazzle your family and friends issues with their natural gas engines and guidance system. with your knowledge of obscure Sadly, the boats were eventually removed and sold. Disney information by pointing The final pin in the Past Attrac- out this Hidden Mickey as you tion series is SMRT-1. On the pin, enter the building. this lovable purple robot has his Several Hidden Mickeys are scat- not-so-Hidden Mickey located tered throughout Disney’s Beach right in the middle of his forehead. Club Resort. Our next pin spot- SMRT-1 interacted with Guests in lights that famous icon as it’s dis- Communicore East at Epcot. After played in the carpeting through- the demise of Communicore in out that complex. 1994, SMRT-1 was displayed in the For our final pin, we head to Dis- Concourse Steakhouse at the Con- ney’s Yacht Club Resort on Crescent temporary Resort near the Magic Kingdom. It’s said that Lake. Hidden Mickeys abound at SMRT-1 suffered an accidental fall at the steakhouse that this nautical resort, but you can caused minor damage, and he was sold. find this one on the pillowcases in the Guest rooms. Our next group of Hidden Mickey pins represents a topic that is near and dear to many Celebrations readers: Hidden Here we have a small selection of the hundreds of Hidden Mickeys in the resorts. In 2010, the Pin Team decided to high- Mickey pins. I certainly hope that there are more to come. light a few examples of how the icon is hidden in their Dis- If you’re able to discover the actual icon in the carpet or on ney Resorts collection. a Yacht Club pillow, wouldn’t a pin be a fantastic tangible The inspiration for this curi- memory of your find! (If you would like to hear Steve Barret ous looking pin originally baf- and I discuss “10 Hidden Mickeys that would make good Hid- fled many pin traders. Depend- den Mickey pins” check out episode #59 of the Disney Pincast ing on how you look at the www.disneypincast.com ) symbols, they appear to reflect These two collections of Hidden Mickey pins cover a lot letters that spell a secret mes- of ground, and they connect to things beyond the ordinary sage. This pin actually features and the expected. Plenty of these pins include characters the Hidden Mickey design in their familiar surroundings, but these collections in par- found on the shower curtains ticular remind us how the Disney Design Team weaves his- at Disney’s Animal Kingdom tory, company themes, and fondly regarded storylines into Lodge. memorable pin designs for us to enjoy!

23 · Celebrations Bongos Cuban Cafe itting in the courtyard of an old house in Havana, I hear the soft sound of paddle Sfans and the kick of Latin music in the distance. I am sipping a Mojito and munch- ing on sweet fried plantains. Dreaming of my grandparent’s house in Cuba, I open my eyes, and I’m right in the middle of Downtown Disney at Bongos Cuban Café. This Cuban restaurant and nightclub is owned by Gloria and Emilio Estefan, and it’s located on the West Side of Downtown Disney. This restaurant-by-day and Latin- nightclub-by-night is a popular choice for visitors and locals alike. The restaurant is themed after an old Cuban house with a courtyard in the middle. In Cuba, many of the houses feature huge courtyards with tables where you can relax and dine. Bon- gos’ courtyard offers lots of seating, an area for a band in the evening, and plenty of space for dancing. Bongos features several bars, outdoor seating overlooking the By Allison Jones lake, and even a merchandise store to purchase cookbooks and Bongos souvenirs. You can sit downstairs or walk up the open stairway to the second floor or balcony seating. Everywhere you look, you have beautiful views: of the lake, the Downtown Disney strip, handmade mosaic tile artwork, or tropical trees. Bongos Cuban Café is a restaurant where you can relax or party Latin style in the evening! Bongos features some the best Cuban cuisine in Orlando. Their menu is quite ex- tensive, with more than 60 items featuring soups, salads, appetizers, sandwiches, seafood, chicken, meats, and vegetarian dishes. For sopas y ensaladas, you can choose from the Soup of the Day, Chicken Soup, Black Bean Soup, Tomato Salad, and Bongos Salad (mixed greens, tomatoes, onions, cucumbers, and carrots, topped with a house vinaigrette or ranch dressing). The soups range in price from $5 to $6, and the salads range in price from $7 to $13. The are several aperitivos to sample while you drink your beverage of choice. The appetizers include Pork Tamale, Fried Stuffed Potatoes, Stuffed Green Plantain Cups, Fried Green Plantains with Cuban Mojo, Traditional Ham Croquettes, Cuban Mojo Marinated Fried Pork Bites, Ceviche, Bongos Famous Black Bean Dip, Fried Cod Fritters, Fried Calamari, or Fried Cassava Bites. My party and I tried the Bongos Combo that serves two to four people, and includes six of these appetizers to sample. My favorite As an Orlando local, Allison has seen the growth of the Walt Disney appetizers were the Cuban Mojo Marinated Fried Pork Bites, Stuffed Plantain Cups World Resort. She experienced the with shrimp, and Fried Stuffed Potatoes (fried breaded mashed potato stuffed with inside as a Disney Cast Member Cuban creole minced beef). The appetizers range in price from $6 to $21. and has planned Disney vacations There are so many entrées from which to choose that it might take you a while for over 10 years. Allison Jones is a to browse the menu. If you’re looking for a lighter meal, you might want to try one travel consultant with Destinations of the sandwiches, including the Cuban Sandwich (roasted pork, ham, pickles, Swiss in Florida Travel and MouseDine. Destinations in Florida is an cheese, and mustard on Cuban bread) and the Midnight Sandwich (roasted park, Authorized Disney Vacation Planner ham, pickles, Swiss cheese, and mustard on Sweet Egg Dough Bread), All of the sand- selling Disney vacations. wiches are served with French fries. The sandwiches range in price from $8 to $9. MouseDine is a restaurant If you’re looking for a more hearty meal, you can choose from mariscos (seafood), consulting company for Disney pollo (chicken), or carnes (meats). For seafood, the menu items include Grilled Fish World Dining Reservations. Visit Fillet, Fish Bites, Fish Cuban Creole (fish bites sautéed in Homemade Cuban Creole www.destinationsinflorida.com or www.mousedine.com for more Sauce served with white rice and maduros), Shrimp Cuban Creole (shrimp sautéed information on Disney Dining. in Homemade Cuban Garlic Sauce served with white rice and fried green plantains. The creole sauce is a little spicy!), or Shrimp with Garlic Sauce. If you’re feeling like chicken for your entrée, Bongos offers several choices, includ-

24 · Celebrations and Cuban Creole Minced Beef (Cuban creole minced beef with onions, peppers and onions served with white rice and maduros). You can also choose this entrée with eggs. The en- trées range in price from $14 to $23. If you have room after all of this amazing Cuban food, you might want to try a Cuban coffee and their most popular dessert: Flan. Bongos serves lunch and dinner, though keep in mind that this restaurant is not on the Disney Dining Plan. But don’t let that stop you; if you’re looking for a relax- ing dinner or evening entertainment for adults, think about Bongos during your Disney World vacation. In Bongos’ own words, que siga la tradicion! “The tradition continues!

Chicken and Yellow Rice 1 small jar pimientos morrones (roasted red peppers) 1/3 cup olive oil 2 whole chickens, bone in, skin on, quartered, and cut into pieces 1 large white onion, chopped 1 green pepper, cored, seeded, and chopped 4 cloves garlic, crushed (using a garlic press) 2 teaspoons salt 1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper 1 teaspoon Bijol powder 2 teaspoons dried oregano Pinch of cumin powder 1 bay leaf 1 cup tomato sauce 4 cups parboiled rice, thoroughly rinsed ing Bongos Famous Shredded Chicken Breast (Cuban style 1 quart chicken stock fried shredded chicken breast topped with grilled onions 4 cups water served with white rice and maduros), Bongos Famous 1 cup dry white wine Roasted Chicken (half chicken seasoned and marinated in 1/2 cup canned or frozen peas a lemon juice, garlic, white wine, and light tomato Cuban Finely chop the pimientos morrones and reserve the liquid. Creole sauce and served with moro rice and maduros), and In a large pot, heat the oil over medium-high heat. Then Chicken with Yellow Rice. lightly brown the chicken pieces. Remove the chicken and If you’re more interested in meats, you can enjoy Bongos set aside. Famous Fried Shredded Beef (Cuban mojo marinated fried Add the onion, green pepper, and garlic, and stir-fry until shredded flank steak topped with grilled onions served with the onions are translucent, about 3 to 4 minutes. Add the moro rice and maduros), Cuban Style Steak (thin tenderized chopped pimientos morrones and the reserved liquid, salt, steak seasoned with garlic salt and mojo topped with on- pepper, Bijol, oregano, cumin, bay leaf, tomato sauce, and ions and served with white rice and fried green plantains), rice and cook for 3 to 4 minutes, stirring frequently. Cuban Style Skirt Steak (tenderized skirt steak grilled to Add the chicken stock, water, wine, and browned chicken. perfection and served with chimi-churri sauce, white rice, Bring to a boil. Then reduce the heat to low and cover and and fried green plantains), Bongos Famous Masitas de Pu- simmer for 30 to 40 minutes, or until the chicken and the erco (Cuban mojo marinated fried pork bites topped with rice are fully cooked. Add the peas and cook for an addition- grilled onions and served with moro rice and maduros), al 5 to 10 minutes. Remove the bay leaf before serving.

Photo ©Bongos Cuban Cafe 25 · Celebrations Disney Dreaming With Your Personal Navigator hen you hear the words “cruise vacation”, what are the first images that pop Win your mind? Do you see visions of playing a lively game of shuffle board, ballroom dancing lessons with Julie your cruise director? Or do you think that the most exciting activity, besides racing for the buffet line every 2 hours, is the possibil- ity of finishing a book? By Beci Mahnken If that’s the case, it’s time to step away from your 70’s TV show memories and CTC-MCC learn a bit about cruising with Disney.

Is There Enough to Do On a Disney Cruise? Being bored on a cruise is a common concern for the first time cruiser. Thoughts of being stuck for days with nothing to do except making the trek between the buf- fet and the deck chair does seem like a lousy way to spend your precious vacation time. But if that’s the picture in your head, and if it’s kept you from trying out the experience of a cruise vacation, it’s time to debunk the myth. The fact is, cruises offer so many activities and options that a day at sea can eas- ily rival a day of sightseeing and fun in any port city. Add in a little pixie dust and Imagineering and it’s a Disney fans vacation dream come true. Case in point: the new Disney Dream cruise ship sailed its maiden voyage in Janu- ary 2011 and has proven to be a hit with Guests as a floating resort with so many activities and options onboard that you can’t possibly do everything on one cruise. But how to keep track of them all?

Find Out What’s Happening with the Personal Navigator The Personal Navigator is a daily newsletter delivered to your stateroom each Beci Mahnken, CTC-MCC, is the founder, president, and CEO of evening that lists the activities & entertainment options scheduled for the next MEI-Travel & Mouse Fan Travel. An day. It has a handy color-coded grid so you can easily identify options that will ap- authorized Disney Vacation Plan- peal to you and your family. ner, Beci has more than 12 years Here are some of the categories and activities you will find for each listing on a vacation planning experience, spe- typical Disney Dream cruise: cializing in vacation packages and Disney Download: Interactive events include animation classes, trivia challeng- cruises, with a team of more than 75 affiliates nationwide. es, art previews, pre-show festivities at the Walt Disney Theater, and the opening Visit www.MouseFanTravel.com hours of the very popular Mid-Ship Detective Agency which is a game designed to or follow her on Twitter @beci_ interact with the Enchanted Art onboard. It’s a great activity for the whole family. mousefan. Mouse-Ter Class: These activities are designed to be informative and entertain- ing. Classes cover everything from shopping, scrapbooking, cooking, dancing, and even towel folding so you too can make those crazy towel animals like a pro! You never know who might be onboard too. One of the sailings I was on featured char- acter artist Don ‘Ducky’ Williams, who did a presentation and conducted a signing session during the cruise. Although it may not happen on every cruise, Disney fre- quently brings special guests on board like Ducky to share their experiences and craft with Guests. Out & About: Here you’ll find all sorts of fitness, sports and other fun activities.

26 · Celebrations They have so many options that it would take my entire col- the Caribbean celebration featuring Buccaneer Blast, a pi- umn to list them all, but a quick sample would include vari- rate deck party that features the only fireworks at sea on a ous sports tournaments, Port Adventure talks (their new Bahamian or Caribbean itinerary. buzz word for shore excursions), mini golf, bingo, X-box play, Many itineraries stop at Disney’s private island, Castaway crab races, basketball free throw…and lots more to choose Cay. This private Bahama paradise is a 3 mile long tropical from. playground with separate beaches and facilities Imagi- Character Meet Ups: What did you expect? It’s Disney! neered specifically for families and adults. Guests have the opportunity to meet some of their favor- The Personal Navigator shows the activities on the island, ite characters including Mickey, Minnie, Pluto, Goofy, Daisy, as well as activities back on the ship for those who want to Captain Hook, Mr. Smee, Stitch, Chip, Dale, Peter Pan and the stay on board. Princesses. Just check the Personal Navigator for time and All this and I haven’t even started with all of the fantas- location to get an autograph and have your picture taken tic culinary experiences, ports, night clubs and Broadway to create magical memories. level entertainment onboard….or even the spa! I guess that Just for Adults: For those of you who think a Disney might have to wait for the next issue. Cruise focuses only on families and kids, think again. Disney Bottom line…different people have different ideas of the does a great job delivering a relaxing vacation for those of perfect vacation experience. The beauty of a cruise vacation us who are kids at heart. You can take part in such activities is the fact that you can choose to do as much or as little as wine tasting, beer tasting, whiskey tasting, music trivia, as you desire. It’s your vacation. If you prefer to spend your sports activities, creative crafts, and dance and yoga classes. days on the deck lounging in a chair with a good book do- Oh, and I almost forgot the tequila and margarita tasting ing nothing…great! But if you decide you want nonstop fun gathering! OK…OK…it’s not always about the beverages. with a Disney twist, the Disney Dream and her sisters the The Personal Navigator also shows what’s happening in Disney Magic and Disney Wonder are the perfect settings to the kids clubs and lists the first-run movies and Disney clas- provide magical memories of a lifetime with plenty of op- sics playing at the state-of-the-art Buena Vista Theater and tions to keep you busy. on deck 11. This location is also the site of Mickey’s Pirates in Bon Voyage!

Photo © Disney 27 · Celebrations Disneyland’s Damp Duo

ummer is quickly approaching, and it’s promising to be a hot one for sunny SSouthern . While Walt Disney World has Splash Mountain and Kali River Rapids (and the occasional Florida thundershower) to keep Guests cool, Dis- neyland Resort has its own dousing duo. As the mercury climbs, Splash Mountain and are gearing up to do what they do best: soak!

Getting’ Soaked at Disneyland Yes, you’ll get wet on Splash Mountain. But there’s more to this popular attrac- By J Darling tion than the drop down Chik-a-pin Hill. In fact, it’s arguable that Splash Mountain helped turn the catchy tunes revived from Song of the South into an anthem of sorts for Disney fans of all ages—even Guests who might be unfamiliar with the film that the attraction was themed after. Splash Mountain opened in the summer of 1989, redefining an entire land of Disneyland. Bear Country (the home to Disneyland’s classic Bear Country Jamboree) quickly became Critter Country to accommodate the new residents. When Splash Mountain was built, it was the tallest flume ride of its kind, and it also boasted the largest collection of Audio-Animatronic critters in any Disney at- traction: 103. With so many inhabitants, it took Imagineers more than 80 hours to synch the Audio-Animatronics with the catchy tunes. Because there are so many characters to see, and considering that the ride is only seven minutes long, there’s something new to see every time you ride. Some Guest may come back for the splash. Other Guests may come back for the detail. Most Guests come back to find J Darling is a California native and their laughing place. life long Disney fan. Her parents first Disneyland’s Splash Mountain inhabitants have a distinctive history. Today, they took her to Disneyland when she was tell the story of Br’er Rabbit’s adventures, but many of the Audio-Animatronics 2 years old. According to them, her originally could be seen in the 1980s eyes just popped out of her head, and rotating theater show America Sings. apparently they never went back in. When that attraction closed, the Au- Outside of her Disney fandom, J is a singer, songwriter, blogger, and dio-Animatronics found new homes theatrical actress. in Splash Mountain. Even though Dis- You can find her music at neyland’s Splash Mountain is lacking www.jdarlingmusic.com frequent appearances by Br’er Frog and on Myspace at to help narrate the story, it’s easy to www.jdarlingmusicmyspace.com. follow the story anyway because the Her blogs are available at www.jjourneybook.blogspot.com. ride is so full of details. Another benefit to riding Splash Mountain is the incredible view from its peak. It’s a peek that can’t be beat. As you tumble down Splash Moun- tain, you can see an array of Disney- land’s mountain range peaks for the briefest of moments before you plunge into the brier patch.

Photos © Disney 28 · Celebrations A favorite touch to this attraction is the Zip-a-dee-doo- zly River Run opened in 2001, it was the tallest, longest, fastest dah Lady at the end of the attraction. The festive mood of spinner raft ride in the world. Rafts travel up a wood con- the critters—and the lessons learned by Brer Rabbit along veyor belt to near the top of Grizzly Peak. From there, Guests the way—wrap up the story nicely for Guests. descend through caves that roar with the spirit of the bear, Here are some touring tips for your visit to the briar which the mountain is shaped and named for. Rafts take a patch: Riders are seated single file, so the driest seats are fun yet intense journey down, bumping against leftover logs usually in the back of the log. Splash Mountain is a great ride and narrowly missing abandoned camping gear. for Guests using Disney’s Single Rider option. The wait here If you compare Grizzly River Run with the Animal King- can be half as long as even the FastPass line! Keep a lookout dom’s Kali River Rapids, the Disneyland attraction offers a for Hidden Mickeys. There are reported to be at least four. full extra minute and a half of wet thrills. The 150-foot tall How many can you spot? Grizzly peak also offers a slightly longer drop as well, ex- ceeding Kali River Rapid’s longest slide by one foot. Both Getting’ Soaked at Disney’s California Adventure attractions feature environmental themes; however, the Ever dreamed of white water rafting down a Northern atmosphere of Grizzly River Run is more magical. When I Californian river? Well, the Grizzly River Rafting Company is ride Grizzly River Run through the cave, it makes me won- happy to give you a taste of just that. der what it might be like to take a journey into the world of The story behind this attraction is less well known than Brother Bear. the backstory of Splash Mountain, but that doesn’t make it Heed the warning: You will get wet; you may get soaked! any less popular—or wet! As the story goes, once up a time There’s no storage on the rafts, so your stuff also will get Grizzly Mountain was the home of a logging camp. After the wet; it also may get soaked! Before you get in line, stash camp was abandoned, nature began to reclaim that land. anything you don’t want to be dripping wet into a nearby Years later, college students decided to reopen the moun- locker. They’re free for the first two hours, and $1 for each tain, and they welcomed adventurous vacationers to Griz- additional half hour. zly River Run. Grizzly Peak (designed as Disney’s California Guests who don’t wish to ride can feel the spray from the Adventure park’s original icon, representing the California waterfall and geysers on the observation platforms nearby. state animal) has the atmosphere of Yosemite and the Red- There’s even a glimpse of the largest drop! This offers great wood Forest. photo opportunities, and it’s also a very peaceful place to re- Even though Grizzly River Run lacks the 103 Audio-Anima- lax as well. Once the sun goes down and the lights come up, tronic characters of Splash Mountain (it actually doesn’t have lingering here gives Guests the impression that maybe Old a single one!), it does have its own claim to fame. When Griz- Faithful isn’t too far away after all.

29 · Celebrations By Tim Foster

Monstropolis needs your help! The city is once again running low on power, but instead of scream, they need to collect laughter to supply the energy they so desperately need. But how to collect that laughter? Well, it would take far too long to go closet door to closet door to collect enough giggles, but never fear, the ever-industrious Mike Wazowski has a brilliant idea. Rather than bring the monsters to you, he came up with a way to bring you to the monsters. And how would that be? Why, a comedy club of course! So come on in for a fun-filled show bursting with monstrous entertainment. Be prepared because you just might find yourself part of the show!

30 · Celebrations Photos © Disney s you enter the Monsters, Inc. Laugh Floor waiting by Magic Carpet ‘Round the World. The next year saw Aarea, you’ll discover plenty of whimsical touches. the return of a new and improved version of America Puns and jokes are everywhere, setting the stage per- the Beautiful, which ran until 1979, when Magic Carpet fectly for what’s to come. Before the doors open, you’ll ‘Round the World returned for a five-year run. In 1985, be treated to a short video that explains how the a new film, American Journeys, premiered. Each film Laugh Floor came to be. If you haven’t seen the film provided an exhilarating experience, fully immers- Monsters, Inc., don’t worry. You’ll get a brief and fun- ing Guests in the breathtaking scenery on screen. The filled summary to get you up to speed. technology actually debuted in 1955 at Disneyland as Once everything is explained, it’s time to enter the Circarama. In Tomorrowland, the Circle-Vision 360 films theater. As you settle in, you’ll soon see that this is no comprised nine images projected from individual pro- ordinary comedy club. Members of the audience are jectors on a wrap-around screen, surrounding Guests flashed up on the screen with some hilarious captions. with a totally immersive visual experience. (You may even see yourself up there!) Once the show In 1994, the Timekeeper attraction opened, featuring begins, you’ll discover an additional twist: The mon- the impressive Audio-Animatronic figures of the Time- sters on screen actually interact with the audience! keeper and Nine-Eye. The Timekeeper attraction took Using the same technology that made Turtle Talk with Guests on a thrilling journey through time. The show Crush such a fan favorite, Guests are immersed in a featured the talents of and Rhea Perl- fun-filled show that they can actually participate in. man, as well as “cameo” appearances by Jules Verne and And that’s not all! Got a funny joke of your own? Text it H.G. Wells. After a 12-year run, the Timekeeper closed its in to the writers in Monstropolis as you enter the the- doors to make way for a new type of attraction. ater. (You’ll find instructions on how to do so on your In 2001, the Pixar film Monsters, Inc. was released, way in.) If the monsters like your joke, you might get to and it became an instant classic. It was inevitable hear it performed live on stage! that Mike Wazowski, Sulley, and their pals would find Of course, Roz is on hand to make sure things go a home in the Magic Kingdom, and Tomorrowland smoothly. Keep an eye on the canister to the right of was the perfect location. The Circle-Vision 360 theater the stage to see how much laughter is being collected. was transformed into the Laugh Floor. Gone was the You’ll need to fill it up, or else Roz won’t open the doors wrap-around theater (which required Guests to stand to let you out. Once enough laughter is collected, Roz throughout the show), and in its place Imagineers cre- will offer congratulations on a job well done—not to ated a sit-down theater. The futuristic stylings of the Mike Wazowski (much to his dismay), but to a special Timekeeper gave way to the whimsical world of Mon- member of the audience. Who knows? You might find sters, Inc., creating a fun-filled environment straight yourself in the spotlight as the Guest who saved Mon- out of the Pixar classic. To bring the characters to stropolis! life and to allow them to interact with the audience, The Monsters, Inc. Laugh Floor made its debut in the state-of-the-art technologies were incorporated that spring of 2007, providing a lighthearted diversion to allowed off-screen (and talented!) Cast Members to the futuristic attractions of Tomorrowland. While the provide the voices and control the actions of the mon- show is relatively new, the building that plays host to sters that appeared on stage. The result was a new the show has a long history. kind of interactive entertainment that continues to Originally, the theater was home to a show called delight Guests of all ages. Because of the interactive na- Circle-Vision 360, which opened in October 1971. Several ture of the attraction, you can go again and again and films were shown throughout the years, beginning with never see the same show twice. Just go in prepared be- America the Beautiful, showcasing breathtaking scen- cause you never know when the monsters will call on ery from around the country. In 1974, it was replaced you to be a part of the show!

31 · Celebrations Hidden Mickeys & Secrets • Look for a trio of thumbtacks on the bulletin board in the queue area forming a Hidden Mickey.

• As you enter the building, keep an eye out for a window with a view of Monstropolis. A Hidden Mickey can be found toward the top of the triangular roof of the building in the front.

• Keep an eye out for the door to Mike Wazowski’s personal dressing room. (Funny, looks like a janitor’s closet to me!)

• Look for the snack machine and make note of the peculiar “treats” inside!

32 · Celebrations Photo © Tim Foster Little Known Facts • The working name of the show was the “Laugh Floor Comedy Club.” On March 19, 2007, the name was shortened to “Laugh Floor” because Imagineers felt that the original name was too long.

• The Monsters, Inc. Laugh Floor is not the actual debut of a Monsters, Inc.-themed attraction at Disney. In 2006, the Monsters, Inc. Mike & Sulley to the Rescue! opened at Disney’s California Adventure.

• In 2008, the attraction was honored with a nomination for Outstand- ing Visual Effects in a Special Venue Project by the Visual Effects Soci- ety. The producers and artists who were nominated included Roger Gould, Liz Gazzano, Joe Garlington, and Daniele Colajacomo.

Touring Tips • Like most of the theater shows in Walt Disney World, you’ll often have to wait no longer than the conclusion of the previous show. If you do encounter a long wait, try visiting early or late in the day.

• Got a joke you’d like to share? As you wait to enter the theater, you’ll get special instructions on how to text in your favorite! Who knows, you might be famous…in Monstroplis anyway.

• If you have a small child, let him or her sit on your lap to get a better view. You might also get some special attention this way!

• If you get singled out to be a part of the show, have fun! You might get to participate in a mind-reading act, take a geography quiz (don’t worry, you’ll do fine!), or even play the part of one of your favorite Mon- sters, Inc. characters.

• Keep an eye out for Mike Wazowski’s cousin from North Scarolina. He performs the jokes that the audience texts in. If you’ve sent one in, this might be the moment you’ve been waiting for!

• Be sure to greet the monsters with the special monster greeting. (Wave both hands in the air and make weird sounds!)

33 · Celebrations by Don Myers

y the late 1980s, the landscape of Walt Disney World rooms. Water is a prominent theme throughout the Swan, Bwas rapidly changing. The decade saw the addition of starting with the beautiful fountain outside of the resort’s not one, but two theme parks: Epcot and the Disney-MGM entrance, continuing throughout the décor inside, and cul- Studios. With the addition of these new parks, Disney knew minating in the causeway between the Swan and the Dol- they also needed to add more resorts. The Magic Kingdom phin. Twinkling fountains in giant clamshells also sit atop area offered plenty of resort options in the late 1980s, but the Swan’s seven-story wings. Statues of the resort’s name- the Epcot area had only one: Disney’s Caribbean Beach. As sake sit atop the Swan and Dolphin. The giant swan statues the 80s gave way to the 90s, the Epcot resort area saw its represent, along with their companion dolphin sculptures biggest expansion to date. Five resorts were built in the at its sister resort, the mythological and contemporary 1990s, with four of them opening in 1990 alone. But only one symbols of water. resort holds the distinction of being the first resort to open The Swan Resort has more than its share of positives, but the “Disney Decade”: the Walt Disney World Swan. perhaps the biggest is its location. The Swan sits along the Designed by award-winning architect Michael Graves, the western shoreline of Crescent Lake, which makes trans- Swan is an example of the “entertainment architecture” phi- portation around the entire Epcot resort area a breeze. losophy pioneered by Graves and . (Another Boat transportation can get you from the Swan to the example of their collaboration is the Burbank Team Disney Hollywood Studios or Epcot in no time. Boats can also get building, featuring a whimsical combination of a classic you over to the other resorts on Crescent Lake, as well as Greek pediment, or triangular roof, held up by none other to Disney’s BoardWalk. Basically, what the monorail is to than the Seven Dwarfs!) This instantly recognizable water- the resorts of the Magic Kingdom, boat transportation is front resort is distinguished by its 12-story arched building, to the resorts of Crescent Lake. When you add it all up, boats and of course the pair of graceful 47-foot tall swan statues. can conveniently get you to three other resorts, two theme From the coral and teal façade to the beautiful murals parks, and the entertainment district known as the Board- inside, the Swan has been described as a colossal work of Walk. For the more energetic, you can also walk to the sur- art. The lobby itself boasts over 1,000 custom lighting fix- rounding parks and resorts. tures, including dramatic chandeliers artistically crafted in With an elegant and unique design, fantastic recreation Europe and the Eastern Mediterranean. Woven metal and options, convenient proximity to two of the four theme handcrafted tropical Pao rosewood accents add a distinc- parks, and dining options that will fit any size family or bud- tive touch to the resort, and the contemporary art collec- get: the Walt Disney World Swan Resort certainly lives up to tion includes Michael Graves-created works in the Guest its origins as entertainment architecture at its finest!

34 · Celebrations Photos © Tim Foster 35 · Celebrations Swan Secrets & Facts • From certain areas of the Swan Resort, you can see many of the pavilions that make up Epcot, as well as the park’s icon: . • The Swan was the first resort to open up along the shores of Crescent Lake, preceding the Dolphin by nearly five months. • The swan statues that adorn the resort’s rooftop weigh 60,000 pounds each! • If you stacked the two swan statues on top of each other, their combined height would be greater than that of the Grauman’s Chinese Theatre at Disney’s Hollywood Studios. • In addition to designing the Swan, Dolphin, and Burbank headquarters, Graves also was the architect behind Disney’s Hotel New York in . • The murals on the exterior walls were painted by hand over a period of about six months. • The original Il Mulino New York opened up in ’s Greenwich Village in 1981. • The giant oak tree in the center of the Garden Grove Restaurant stands 25 feet tall. • Hidden Mickeys are more scarce here than at other resorts, but there are still a few to be found. The adventure begins as soon as you enter the lobby. Hint: Look closely at the paintings at the check-in counter. • The hunt continues inside the Garden Grove. Here’s a clue: Focus your attention on the restaurant’s domed roof.

36 · Celebrations Photos © Tim Foster Dining at the Swan • When it comes to signature dining at the Swan Resort, Il Mulino New York Trattoria (top) is the cream of the crop. Traditional cuisines from Ita- ly’s Abruzzi region are the specialty at Il Mulino’s, and the restaurant is open daily for dinner. • Enjoy a casual breakfast, lunch, or dinner at the Garden Grove (left). Each night of the week, the Garden Grove features a dinner buffet with a particular theme, such as Fisherman’s Wharf or Southern Barbecue. If you’re looking to enjoy a character meal, the Garden Grove offers a char- acter breakfast buffet on Saturdays and Sundays. • Kimonos (top inset) is a sushi bar that’s open daily for dinner. Here you’ll find both cooked and raw sushi rolls, as well as a variety of soups and salads. • The Splash Grill (bottom inset) is a counter-ser- vice restaurant that serves up pizza, sandwich- es, ice cream, and other delicious snacks. The Splash Grill also specializes in frozen drinks and cocktails.

Photos © Walt Disney World 37 · Celebrations Swan and Dolphin By Joe Essaf

38 · Celebrations alt Disney was an extraordinary man with extraor- sire for perfection and unmatched naturalism, production Wdinary goals. In the midst of starting a revolution was painstakingly slow. Even the top animators, spending in film with the release of the first full-length animated at least 45 minutes on each individual drawing, were only feature, Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs, Walt was also de- able to produce a total of eight drawings per day; animators veloping other film concepts, including Fantasia, Pinocchio, who didn’t have as much experience in the field spent twice Dumbo, and Bambi. The beloved tale of a young deer growing as long on each drawing. Collectively, the animators were into adulthood was based upon Felix Salten’s novel Bambi: A only able to produce a half a foot of film per day; the usual Life in the Woods. Although Bambi was the fifth full length pace was 10 feet. Walt eventually told a few of his best ani- Disney animated feature, released in 1942, it was originally mators, including Frank Thomas, Milt Kahl, , and intended to be the follow up to Snow White. However, Bambi Ollie Johnston, to work on the film and only show him their was plagued by a long development process, partly due to best work. Walt was known to criticize more than applaud, the need to lighten up the grim tone of the book. Bambi also but after reviewing some pieces by Thomas and Kahl, he presented new technical challenges as it was something to- said, “Fellas, this is pure gold.” tally new and unconventional for the animators at Walt’s Despite the amount of work put into Bambi, it was consid- studio. It was a story told entirely with animals, and it had ered a box-office flop. This was partly due to the timing of to be natural, realistic, and believable. its release, having arrived in theaters as World War II raged The animators were most accustomed to a more whim- on. Not only did this hurt the American box office numbers, sical style of animation where everything was “cartoony.” but the war prevented Bambi from being shown in Europe. With Bambi, Walt desired to have the deer walk and act However, when Bambi was re-released in 1947, it performed just like deer would, and to make it seem like a drawn film much better. Today, Bambi is considered to be one of Walt taken directly from life. Walt invited artist Rico LeBrun, who Disney’s finest achievements. An American Film Institute painted animals, to visit and talk to the team about how poll listed Bambi as the third best animated film ever pro- animals behaved and moved. Walt also sent Maurice “Jake” duced. It’s a film that laid the foundations for the studio’s fu- Day to the Vermont and Maine forests for several weeks ture films, which would rival its naturalism and detail. But to draw and photograph animals in order to achieve the most of all, Bambi is a story that continues to live on from amount of detail Disney was striving for. Due to Walt’s de- generation to generation.

Artwork © Disney Artwork ©Disney 39 · Celebrations Photo ©Tim Devine 40 · Celebrations Little Known Facts • Test footage showing a baby Bambi stuck on a tree saw useful in focusing the audience’s attention on the stump was all Walt needed to see to decide to make the characters. film. • Unlike most films of the time, Walt had young children • Walt changed the type of deer in Salten’s novel from voice the child characters, instead of having adult ac- roe deer to white-tailed deer because roe deer were not tors try to sound like children. present in North America, and the white-tailed deer • Donnie Dunagan was the voice, as well as the facial-ex- would be more familiar. pressions model, for Bambi as a child. • In an early draft, Bambi was going to be shot, rather • During the production for Bambi, the paint laboratory than his mother. created hundreds of new colors that would be used for • Another early idea that was later abandoned was to future studio projects. have the hunter who started the forest fire be killed by • Walt was forced to cut 12 minutes of film to save costs as the fire at the end of the film. a result of the studio’s dire economic situation in Europe • Bambi is one of the rare Disney features to have an off- due to World War II. screen choir singing rather than the characters them- • Bambi received three Academy Award nominations for selves. Best Sound, Recording; Best Music, Original Song (“Love • The look for Bambi was inspired by , whose is a Song”); and Best Music, Scoring of a Dramatic or work used softened backgrounds, a technique that Walt Comedy Picture.

Artwork © Disney 41 · Celebrations by Ryan P. Wilson

42 · Celebrations Photos © Tim Foster 43 · Celebrations nce upon a time, in the happiest place on Earth, it was Tomorrowland, and the Walt Disney World Railroad. The Ochallenging to have a little one-on-one time with Mick- grand opening ceremony took place on June 18, 1988, with ey Mouse. The mouse moved around frequently, and he was Cindy Williams (of Laverne and Shirley) and Nancy Reagan fast. in attendance. The celebration of Mickey’s birthday was so In 1988, Mickey Mouse was finally given a happy home much fun, and it brought so many new experiences to the in Walt Disney World where he could rest and relax in the park, that it lasted almost a full two years! warm Florida sun—a place where Guests could count on The backstory was that Minnie had planned a surprise finding him. For more than 20 years, Mickey enjoyed his birthday party for Mickey. Because the party was a surprise, birthday, afternoon antics, and the fun of the fair in his getting Guests to the party without Mickey knowing was small yellow house capped with a red roof in the Magic a challenge. The solution? Mickey’s Birthdayland was only Kingdom. Mickey’s Toontown Fair, as it eventually came to accessible by steam train, known as Mickey’s Birthdayland be known, was a magical, whimsical land for kids and kids Express. Mickey’s Birthdayland was the first new destina- at heart. With the upcoming Fantasyland expansion, Mick- tion for the Walt Disney World Railroad since the Magic ey and friends will be finding new homes elsewhere in the Kingdom opened in 1971. Along the train route from Fron- Magic Kingdom. But before we say goodbye, let’s take a look tierland, character cutouts led Guests onward to the party. back at this fun-filled and charming land. It all started with A gigantic Mickey-shaped balloon clad in his traditional red a very special celebration… shorts welcomed Guests to Mickey’s Birthdayland. The main attraction of Mickey’s Birthdayland was Min- Mickey’s Birthdayland nie’s Surprise Party, a stage production created just for the What do you give the mouse who has everything? A huge big shebang. To attend the event, Guests had to make their party, of course, and that’s exactly what Mickey Mouse re- way through Mickey’s house and past other residences, ceived for his 60th—along with an entirely new land, Mick- which included stopovers at Pluto’s backyard doghouse and ey’s Birthdayland, set between the borders of Fantasyland, the original, smaller version of ’s boat, before

Photo © Disney 44 · Celebrations entering the Birthday Party Tent. Once inside the circus- two years. The last candle was blown out on April 22, 1990. type tent, partygoers were entertained with a selection of Imagineers quickly transformed Mickey’s Birthdayland into cartoon shorts while final preparations were made for the Mickey’s Starland. Just a little over a month later, on May 26, party. 1990, with a few modifications, Mickey’s Starland began wel- In Minnie’s Surprise Party, Guests surprised Mickey, who coming Guests. was overwhelmed by the gesture and the rousing chorus of The train station remained, but the section of Walt Disney “We Love You, Mickey Mouse,” before everyone was ushered World Railroad from Frontierland to the newly christened into another room where Mickey and the gang performed Mickey’s Starland changed its tune. Rather than proclaim- atop a giant birthday cake, complete with birthday candle ing the surprises in store for Mickey aboard the Birthday- confetti cannons. From here, party Guests were invited to land Express, a new melody was arranged to promote the Mickey’s Hollywood Theater dressing room, where he was fun ahead while Guests traveled aboard the Walt Disney so thankful that Guests came to his party that he would World Express. Once visitors arrived in Mickey’s Starland, gladly sign autographs and pose for pictures. This dressing they found that very little had changed in Duckberg, U.S.A. room set-up was the first time in Disney theme park history Duckberg, U.S.A.’s population of “bill”ions was intact, as that Guests had a dedicated time and place to meet the big were the storefronts, Grandma Duck’s Farm, Mickey’s house, cheese himself. topiary maze, and greeting area. The only substantial Once back on the streets of Mickey’s Birthdayland, Guests change during the brief refurbishment came in the form could explore all that the town had to offer. Although Mick- of a new stage show. Minnie and the gang’s surprise party ey’s house was depicted on guide maps as Mickey’s Birth- for Mickey was gone. In its place was a production called dayland, Mickey’s house actually resided in Duckberg, U.S.A. Mickey’s Magical TV World, featuring the stars of the Dis- The remainder of the area was filled with miniature store- ney Afternoon, which was Disney’s afternoon cartoon pro- fronts, perfect for photographing pint-sized Guests. Out in gramming at the time. front of Mickey’s house was a hedge maze, which had mo- Mickey’s Magical TV World went through a variety of tion sensor booby trapped water jets that soaked Guests incarnations. In some versions, it was hosted by Mickey who took wrong turns in the maze. Mouse, while in others a character known as C.J. and a Elsewhere in Mickey’s Birthdayland was Grandma Duck’s rapping mainframe known as D.U.D.E. narrated the action Farm, a family friendly petting zoo that was sponsored by while the show’s participants sought to find Mickey. The the pet food company, Friskies. The picturesque red barn supporting cast also shuffled their duties as different pro- farm came fully stocked with everything a farm would grams began to populate the afternoon block of cartoons. need, including ducks, goats, miniature ponies, chickens, Stars from Adventures of the Gummi Bears, DuckTales, TaleSpin, pigs, and one very special cow. Minnie Moo had a unique Bonkers, Chip ’n Dale Rescue Rangers, , and Darkwing spot pattern that formed an almost perfect three-circle Duck were all present during at least one version of the Mickey head along one of her sides. stage show. In addition to bringing afternoon favorites to The theme of Mickey’s Birthdayland was a party celebrat- the stage, Mickey’s Magical TV World also incorporated set ing Mickey Mouse’s 60th birthday, and what would a shindig pieces from the various shows as well, such as Scrooge Mc- be without party favors and food? Vendors sold cupcakes, Duck’s vault and the pilot’s hangout Louie’s Place. ice cream, and other snacks to satisfy the sweet teeth of delighted party Guests. For those partying along at home, Mickey’s Toontown Fair McDonald’s all over the country sold Happy Meals with car- On October 1, 1996, Walt Disney World began celebrating tons depicting characters and scenes from Mickey’s Birth- 25 years of magic. As a part of the quarter century festivi- dayland and toys that were miniature versions of five char- ties, the Magic Kingdom unveiled its newest land, Mickey’s acter-driven vehicles. Toontown Fair. The Duckberg, U.S.A. storefronts, shrub maze, and even Mickey’s house were all removed. Grandma Mickey’s Starland Duck’s Farm was repurposed, and its inhabitants moved Although most birthday parties only last a few hours, on to greener pastures at Disney’s Fort Wilderness Resort Mickey’s Birthdayland played host to them for almost & Campground. In fact, the only remnants from Mickey’s

45 · Celebrations Birthdayland and Mickey’s Starland were the founder’s stat- craft Terrier, to name just a few. Lessons were provided by ue of Cornelius Coot, the barn structures, and the striped the likes of flying aces “Amelia” Airedale, “Turbulence” Tabby, party tents, all of which make perfect sense with the fair “Orville” and “Wilbur” Weimaraner, “Cockpit” Katz, “Bold” Yeller, coming to town. Kitty “Hawk,” Charles Lindcat & Eddie Von Ricken-barker In 1993, Disneyland had merged the success of Who and, of course, the founder himself, “Fearless” Fido. Framed and the concepts of Mickey’s Birth- As for Goofy’s crop dusting venture, after he crashed his dayland and Mickey’s Starland to create its own version of biplane into the Wise Acre Farms’ water tower, he had no Mickey’s Toontown. The success of Disneyland’s Toontown choice but to go back to the drawing board. That draw- spread to the Magic Kingdom, where the bright and larger- ing board, by the way, was in his office and included plans than-life Mickey’s Toontown Fair proved that the squashed for the Multiflex Octoplane. After Guests made their way and stretched cartoon style could transition to the real through the farmyard and barn, they had the opportunity world. to board the Multiflex Octoplane as part of the family roller- The Walt Disney World Railroad station for Mickey’s Toon- coaster, at Goofy’s Wiseacre Farm. Strewn town, draped with a fair banner in honor of the festivities, about the compound were extra parts that Goofy felt he remained through the transition. Once reopened, didn’t need for his chipmunk-powered plane, including air however, Guests could also enter Mickey’s Toontown Fair by pockets, barrel rolls, landing gears, and parts that didn’t fit. foot through an entrance near the Mad Tea Party. The first Having survived the harrowing flight aboard Goofy’s structure to greet visitors was Pete’s Garage, named for its Multiflex Octoplane, Guests who were in town for the fair owner, the cheap, conniving Pete, who has been in every- could catch some of the exhibits at Cornelius Coot’s County thing from Walt Disney’s Alice Comedies to Mickey Mouse Bounty, where his statue remained intact in front of the Clubhouse. While the key for his restrooms may have been tent from its days as part of Mickey’s Birthdayland and Star- forgotten in the pump of Gulp Gas, the restrooms were al- land. Inside the tent, Guests could see blue ribbon winners ways open. Other highlights of Pete’s Garage included his Horace Horsecollar’s Best Tasting Apple or Clarabelle Cow’s Impound Lot, filled with a lot of strollers, an oil can water Best Bellbottoms, souvenirs, Buzz Bee’s Sewing Bee, and the fountain, and his Bumper Crop, which was actually a crop of Hall of Fame. Here Guests could also meet princesses and bumpers he’d stashed away. the fairies of Pixie Hollow. To Guests who knew Grandma Duck’s Farm, it first ap- Across the street, Donald had pulled into port and docked peared that nothing had changed. A second glimpse, howev- his boat, the Miss Daisy, in Toon Lagoon. According to the er, revealed that Goofy and someone named Red Barns had Ludwig Von Drake map that hung on the wall of Donald’s moved into the facilities. Relegated to the former chicken Boat, Toon Lagoon and the larger Quack Sea were 23 miles coop, Red Barns was a DJ that broadcast country music to south of the land’s original namesake, Duckberg. But can the residents of Mickey’s Toontown Fair on W-A-C-K-Y Radio. you really trust a map that depicts Donald Duck (Angry While the rowdy rooster could not be heard at the station, Duck Archipelago), feathers caught in a mousetrap (Mouse- he came in loud and clear on the radio in the living room of trap Point), with his hat (Sailor Hat Island) and sailor suit Minnie’s Country House. Surrounding the coop and the rest (Sailor Suit Shores) as legitimate landmasses? The Miss Dai- of the farm property that had been renamed Goofy’s Wise sy, complete with a clothesline drying one of Donald’s suits Acre Farms were several crops, including bell peppers that and a Daisy Duck figurehead, also appeared to have sprung bore a remarkable resemblance to a musical instrument several leaks in and around the boat to drench potential and squashed squashes. visitors, or heat crazed tikes. The barn from Grandma Duck’s Farm still housed some While drying off, the smallest of visitors could play in the chickens, (though these were of the Audio-Animatronic va- pint-sized playground known as Toon Park or visit the Toon- riety, having come from the former Epcot attraction World town Farmer’s Market. The grounds of Toon Park included of Motion), but otherwise the barn was converted for use by miniature residences, trees, and gazebos that had been Goofy for his crop dusting business and a flight school called fitted for climbing through, bouncing around, and sliding Fido’s Fearless Flight School. The school taught tail spin ma- down. The Farmer’s Market carried a wide variety of food- neuvers, how to land on all fours, and how to land on an Air- stuffs and snacks, and it was an especially nice spot to grab

46 · Celebrations Photos © Tim Foster 47 · Celebrations 48 · Celebrations a fresh piece of fruit. hall, recreational activities, including checkers and Ping- Back on the other side of the lane, Minnie’s Country House Pong mingled with sports memorabilia from Mickey’s was a full-sized fun house that showcased her innumera- more accomplished athletic days. Throughout the house, ble talents. Minnie’s living room featured a number of her Mickey Mouse’s love of his friends showed through in the collectibles and craftwork, and it also featured her take photographs, from the construction of Donald’s Miss Daisy on genealogy with a volume of Famous Mice in History on to Goofy’s baseball days. the coffee table, A MINNIE Course in Genealogy resting on Once outside, Guests could stop by Pluto’s doghouse, me- the bookshelf, and a collection of ancestors’ images filling ander through Mickey’s blue ribbon vegetable garden, visit the frames on the walls. The next room over exhibited Min- the big cheese in the Judge’s Tent, and continue on through nie’s artistic talents, including sewing, quilting, pottery, and his garage. The garage was filled with projects, such as a sculpting, and a selection of famous paintings that Minnie birdfeeder built as a replica of Mickey’s Country House, re- gave her own slant to. The hallway, along with to-do lists, fuse and recycling bins, how-to books, sports equipment, memos, messages, and notes from famous friends, showed Craftmouse tools, and even Mickey’s original mailbox from off the covers to ’s own publication, Minnie’s his first Magic Kingdom residence in Mickey’s Birthdayland. Country Living. Her kitchen included snacks for guests, a Meanwhile, the Judge’s Tent became the new meet-and- microwave ready to pop some corn, and a cake for Mickey in greet Mickey Mouse location. Inside the tent, visitors await- the oven that Guests could ing their audience with help bake, which served as the main mouse could a nod to the original Mick- enjoy a film festival being ey’s Birthdayland. The presented by the Toon- back porch was filled with town Historical Film So- gardening equipment, a ciety. The always current text on Clarabelle Cow’s selection, being projected Big Book of Pun Plants, onto a plain white sheet, and several award-win- was Mickey’s History of ning plants, such as daisies the Fair, with other film’s that resembled Daisy and from Minnie and Goofy feline-faced Tiger Lillies. being slated for other A tour through Minnie’s times. Country House was never Mickey’s Toontown Fair complete without a trip through the backyard gazebo. closed for good on February 11, 2011, as a part of the Fanta- Next door, Mickey’s Country House retained its yellow syland expansion project. According to current plans, the and red color scheme from the Birthdayland and Starland majority of the structures in Mickey’s Toontown Fair will versions, but it definitely adopted a more cartoon feel. be removed. The Barnstormer will be retooled as the Great Upon entering the residence, Guests could peruse Mickey’s Goofini, and Dumbo the Flying Elephant will double in size mail or view his bedroom, which had photos of Mickey as and move into the area, which will be known as Storybook a youngster, a wardrobe filled with suits, and a doggy gate Circus. Mickey himself will have a new meet and greet area that Pluto had crashed right through. The living room was on Main Street, U.S.A. at the new Town Square Theater, always ready for the big Duckberg University versus Goofy which will be located inside the current Exposition Hall Tech game, while the mantle was capped by a stuffed fish area just inside the park entrance. and fishing pole and decorated with stockings during the For several decades, Mickey occupied his own special holidays. As part of the fair, Goofy and Donald, along with place in the Magic Kingdom, overindulging at Mickey’s some help from the Chinny, Chin, Chin Construction Co., birthday party, celebrating his friends’ television programs, undertook the never-ending task of remodeling Mickey’s and presiding over the fair that came to Mickey’s Toontown. kitchen. Spilled paint canisters, half demolished walls, and For Guests who visited with him, he will continue to have a disheveled shelves were all part of the mayhem. Across the special place in our hearts.

Photos © Tim Foster 49 · Celebrations by Joe Essaf

50 · Celebrations Photos ©Tim Foster t’s a great American success story: Pixar, a small budding really blossoms. Iproject developed at to use digital computer 5. Foster a positive environment. An old business myth assistance in films grows to be a worldwide leader in cre- states that if you put two people who hate each other ating quality works of art. What’s the secret to Pixar’s suc- into a room, eventually some kind of creative spark will cess? Two things: the pioneering of computer animation ignite. That might be true, but the folks at Pixar believe and, more importantly, a firm belief that the story is king. many more creative sparks will ignite in a positive envi- For example, , who now oversees all films and ronment. associated projects from both the Walt Disney Company 6. Keep your bad vibes to yourself. If management chooses and Pixar Animation Studios, says that the success of his to impose bad vibes to others, it will endanger the maxi- award-winning short, Tin Toy, wasn’t due to the technology mum potential for creative thinking. The heads at Pixar behind it, but rather because it had a story that engrossed know that the overall creativity will dwindle if the high- the audience. er-ups decide that they want to spread their “bad day” to “Art challenges technology; technology inspires the art,” everyone. Even if a manager is in a bad mood, he shouldn’t Lasseter says. “That in a nutshell is how we work at Pixar.” inflict that upon his workers. 7. Hire trusted, talented, and influential people. Most man- Pixar’s Seven Creative Principles agers don’t do this, instead they hire people who will do Lasseter even went as far as to make a list of Seven Cre- what they say. When this happens, there is usually less op- ative Principles that run behind every Pixar film. These portunity to engage different ideas and to find the best principles outline everything solutions to whatever chal- that John and those at Pixar lenges face you. strive to follow. 1. Always come up with more Which Came First: The Sto- than one idea. In fact, come ry or the Technology? up with three solid ideas One of the many wonderful that are all so good that it’s things about Pixar is that its impossible to choose be- artists always put the story tween them. That way, your first. They use technology to best idea will have already their advantage, but they use competed against the best of it in a way that’s most ben- the best. eficial to the story. With every 2. Remember the first laugh. new feature film or short, Pix- After you work on a joke for ar introduces new technology. hours upon hours, you’ll eventually stop laughing at it, For example, , a nine-year veteran of the stu- then you’ll start to dislike it, and sometimes you might dio, came up with the idea for the short , which even end up hating it. You have to remember what it was tells the story of a miscommunication between a cloud and like when you first heard it, because that’s what the audi- a stork in delivering babies down to the world. When Sohn ence is going to experience when the film is released. pitched the idea to Lasseter, he didn’t realize the amount of 3. Know that quality is key to any work. “No compromises new technology that would be required to bring the short on quality, regardless of production constraints, cost con- to life. Despite all of that, everyone at Pixar supported Sohn straints, or a deadline,” Lasseter says. “If you get a better in making this film because it had a great story. A common idea, and this means that you have to start again from mindset at Pixar is to “trust the process,” meaning that as scratch, then that’s what you have to do. In any creative long as you follow through with the development of the industry, quality is the sole business plan that prevails in piece and accept the challenges ahead, the story will win the long run.” out and your vision can be realized. Sohn learned that al- 4. Work in teams. A team is usually a better outlet for cre- though there were technological challenges in determin- ative ideas. If each member of the team is given the ing how the short could be created, that wouldn’t prevent chance to promote his or her own ideas, then creativity it from being done.

Artwork © Disney/Pixar 51 · Celebrations What makes Pixar dramatically different from most Pixar has led the way in bringing over many of Miyaza- companies is their commitment to quality. It’s guided by the ki’s films to the West, and Lasseter and Miyazaki are actu- assertion that only top-notch quality will be accepted. If it’s ally good friends. Miyazaki has greatly influenced others at not there, the artists will keep working on the film, editing Pixar as well. it here and there, changing pieces from time to time, until Although Pixar is known for embracing and creating the film is completely ready to wow the audience. new technology, they are always looking back to traditional The way a film at Pixar gets created is always a long and methods of creating a film. A common belief at Pixar is that tough process, but each film actually begins the same way, the medium serves the story. So, computer-generated imag- with an idea. A simple sketch may be the only thing needed ery (CGI) is only used if it’s needed for the story. That’s why for someone to say, “We need to make this!” That’s how it Pixar is making more shorts using other kinds of animation happened with Up. A sketch was drawn showing an old cur- techniques, such as the hand-drawn techniques used in the mudgeon holding a bunch of very brightly colored balloons, recent Academy Award nominated short, Day & Night. and no one wanted to let the idea go. Many of the artists working at Pixar talk about their ma- Another legendary story tells how Lasseter, Andrew Stan- jor influences that push them to make films a certain way. ton, , and Joe Ranft were finishing up Pixar’s , for example, the director of Finding Nemo first feature film () and looking toward the future. and WALL-E, discussed that when developing WALL-E, he was Creativity was running high, and in only one meeting, they majorly influenced by sci-fi movies from around 1968 to created the basic foundations for A Bug’s Life; Monsters, Inc.; 1982, which include films such as Silent Running, Blade Runner, Finding Nemo; and WALL-E. As varied as these films were, they Alien, Star Wars, Close Encounters of the Third Kind, Star Trek, The all began with simple sketches or ideas that were so good Wrath of Khan, and Outland. To convey what kind of mood they had no choice but to see them through. WALL-E, for ex- and feeling he wanted the artists to create, he showed ex- ample began when Stanton imagined a little, lonely trash- amples from 2001: A Space Odyssey, Amadeus, The Station Agent, compactor! and The Black Stallion. He also showed a lot of Buster Keaton When many people think of Pixar, they think of 3D com- and Charlie Chaplin films. puter-animation, but Pixar is so much more than that. Las- Along the same lines, , the director of Toy Story seter began his career at the California Institute of the Arts 3, has a devoted love for The Shining. Unkrich paid homage (the premiere character animation school), which is also to The Shining in by naming the dinosaur on the where many of Pixar’s current directors and employees computer “Velocistar237,” because 237 is the hotel number in got their starts and where they learned traditional hand- the film. Other influences for Lee’s film work include 2002’s drawn animation. Lasseter worked at the Disney Company Punch-Drunk-Love, 1986’s Blue Velvet, 1991’s An Angel at My Table, on a few films, such as The Fox and the Hound and Mickey’s and 1987’s Raising Arizona. Christmas Carol. Lasseter left the Disney Company to found Pixar and to develop computer-animation, but traditional Many people might think that Pixar only looks at other hand-drawn animation always has a place in his heart. animated films, such as Disney’s, for inspiration or motiva- tion. But Pixar isn’t an animation company; it’s a film com- Learning from the Best pany, creating movies that are just as good as—or even Another thing that has helped to make Pixar so success- better than—most live-action films. Even though Pixar is ful is the company’s willingness to learn from and be in- a relatively young company, it’s already made its mark on spired by other successful companies. In addition to being the world, and it will continue to do so for many years to heavily influenced by the Disney Company, Pixar has also come. By following Lasseter’s seven creative principles, by been influenced by and his work at Studio understanding that even great films begin with one simple Ghibli, which is a Japanese company known for hand-drawn sketch, and by learning more about the companies they ad- masterpieces such as the Academy Award-winning Spirited mire, the creative talents at Pixar have found their spots as Away, as well as other classics such as Princess Mononoke and creative geniuses in the filmmaking world, and not just in the recently released Ponyo. Miyazaki is known as the “Walt animation. For many years to come, Pixar is sure to go to Disney of Japan.” infinity and beyond.

52 · Celebrations Artwork © Disney/Pixar Toy Story • 1995 The Films Notable Notes: • Of all of the characters in the film, Woody was the most complex to animate, requiring 723 motion controls, including 212 for his face and 58 for his mouth. • See if you can spot the names of some of Pixar’s earlier shorts (such as Adventures of Andre and Wally B. and ) on the books in Andy’s room.

A Bug’s Life • 1998

Notable Notes: • The story was partly based on Aesop’s fable, “The Ant and the Grasshopper”. • P.T. Flea’s name was inspired by P.T. Barnum, who owned a traveling circus in New York in the 1840s. • The film was released with the short, Geri’s Game, the first Pixar production to have a human main character.

Toy Story 2 • 1999 Notable Notes: • The film was initially released with the short film Luxo Jr. That was Pixar’s first ever short film, made in 1986, and is the origin of the famous lamp in their logo. • In a technological innovation, the dust in the scene where Woody meets Wheezy set a then-record for the most number of particles animated by a computer for a movie.

Monsters, Inc. • 2001

Notable Notes: • Sulley is quite a hairy beast! He boasts over 2.3 million individual hairs, which is quite a lot to animate. Because of that, it typically took 11 to 12 hours to render a single frame of Sulley in action. • Boo’s real name is Mary. You can spot her name on one of the crayon drawings she shows to Sulley when Boo is getting ready to fall asleep.

53 · Celebrations Finding Nemo • 2003

Notable Notes: • In the dentist’s office, look for the boy reading a “Mr. Incredible” comic book. • For the jellyfish sequence, Pixar’s Ocean Unit created an entire new system of shading called “transblurrency” to create the fogginess in the water. • Crush and his thrill seeking turtle pals were actually heading for Hawaii. Surf’s up dude!

The Incredibles. • 2004 Notable Notes: •  required 89 sets to be created. By comparison, Monsters, Inc. only had 31. • In order to give Dash a realistic out-of-breath voice, director made actor Spencer Fox run laps around the studio. • More than 95 different outfits are worn by the characters throughout the film.

Cars• 2006 Notable Notes: • Lightning McQueen’s number 95 is a nod to Toy Story, which was released in 1995. • Keep an eye in the sky and look for the occasional airplane. Notice that their contrails are tire tracks! • As Mack is heading to California, look in the distance for the birds from the Pixar short For the Birds perched on a telephone wire.

Ratatouille• 2007

Notable Notes: • Gourmet chefs in the U.S. and France were consulted to help the animators make the food look appetizing. • Pet rats were kept at the studio in the hallway for more than a year so that the animators could study the movement of their fur, noses, ears, paws and tails. • Remy’s father’s name, never mentioned in the film, is Django.

54 · Celebrations WALL-E • 2008 Notable Notes: • Original concept art for Tomorrowland was studied while developing the look for the Axiom spaceship. • WALL-E’s eyes were inspired by a pair of binoculars director Andrew Stanton was toying with while watching an Oakland Athletics baseball game. • The sound that WALL-E makes when he’s charged up is the startup chime on Macintosh computers.

Up • 2009

Notable Notes: • During the lift-off scene, 20,622 balloons are attached to Carl’s house. In actuality, it’s been estimated that it would take over 600 times that many to raise a house that size in the air. • Dug the dog actually made his first appearance in the film Ratatouille. It’s his shadow you see on the wall as Remy is escaping from the house.

Toy Story 3• 2010

Notable Notes: • Toy Story 3 was the first animated film to break the $1 billion barrier at the box office. • Ken wears a total of 21 different outfits throughout the film. • Sid Phillips, the bad kid who blew up toys in the original Toy Story, makes a brief appearance in Toy Story 3 as a garbage man.

Cars 2• To be released on June 24, 2011 Notable Notes: •  will follow Lightning McQueen and Mater as they head overseas to compete in the first-ever World Grand Prix. Along the way, Mater gets caught up in his own adventure: international espionage. • The accompanying short film will be , featuring the characters Barbie and Ken from Toy Story 3.

Artwork © Disney/Pixar 55 · Celebrations The Pavilion of the Rising Sun Exploring the Wonder of Japan at World Showcase by Amber Sewell

56 · Celebrations The Pavilion of the Rising Sun Exploring the Wonder of Japan at World Showcase by Amber Sewell

Photos © Tim Foster 57 · Celebrations cool breeze ruffles your hair, borne from the waters be- Guests are unaware of the cultural significance of the Goju A hind you. Everywhere you look, blue tiles, smooth gray No To. The five stories represents the five elements that, rocks, and dark green foliage meet your eye. With your first according to Buddhists, produced everything in the world. glimpse of the unique architecture, the koi pond, and the The first story represents earth, the second water, then fire, Zen garden, there’s no mistaking it: You’re in Japan. wind, and sky. Mounted atop the pagoda is a sorin, a spire Situated between the United States and Morocco Pavil- composed of nine rings each with its own wind chimes, ions, Epcot’s Japan Pavilion flawlessly captures a fusion of and topped by a water flame, carefully masking a lightning those elements which embody both traditional and mod- rod. Ironically, when making early models of the Goju No ern Japan. To¬, Imagineers based their concepts on photos of popular pagodas in Japan. When Japanese advisors saw the plans, Beautiful Architecture… however, they pointed out that these were not, in fact, tra- The Japan pavilion opened October 1, 1982. It was the re- ditional Japanese pagodas, but built in the Chinese fashion, sult of the combined efforts of Disney Imagineers and con- which was where pagodas originated! Thanks to those ad- sultants from Mitsukoshi, the pavilion’s sponsoring com- visors, the Goju No To we see today is purely Japanese. pany. One of the key features of the pavilion, and arguably Located behind the Goju-no-to pagoda is a serene garden. the most recognizable, is the torii gate, which is visible from A pond, home to dozens of large, brightly colored koi, is fed anywhere around the lagoon. This gate, modeled after the by a small stream that trickles down the rocks underneath one at the Itsukushima shrine in the waters of Hiroshima, a bridge. It’s a marvelous place from which to take in your serves as a striking frame, capturing the lagoon and Space- picturesque surroundings. Following the path above the ship Earth against the backdrop of the brilliant blue Florida pond will lead you to one of the most delicious quick-ser- sky. This “gate of honor” is a popular good luck symbol in Ja- vice restaurants in World Showcase. The Yakitori House (ya- pan, and Epcot’s version stands 36 feet tall and 50 feet wide. kitori is bits of meat or fish on a bamboo skewer), perched Torii gates were originally much smaller, and they served atop a hill overlooking the main thoroughfare through the as perches where roosters would welcome the sun god- pavilion, serves traditional Japanese fare, including teriyaki dess, Amaterasu. Over time, these roosts grew larger and chicken, sukiyaki beef, and sushi. With prices ranging from larger, and today they’re found outside most shrines in Ja- $7 to $10, the food is well worth trying, especially if burgers pan. By the torii gate, you’ll also find several small benches. no longer sound appealing! The Yakitori House is one of They serve as excellent places to people-watch while enjoy- the few counter-service locations around World Showcase ing a cup of sweet ice from the nearby Kaki-Gori stand. Try that offers indoor seating. An outdoor courtyard offers strawberry, honeydew melon, tangerine, or rainbow, which additional seating, and colorful paper lanterns add to the is a medley of all three flavors, or sample some sake or plum ambience. A wooden deck at the front of the Yakitori House wine. These benches also offer one of the best views of Il- offers a dry alternative when the Florida rain strikes and all lumiNations. of the indoor seating is taken. The next feat of architecture in the pavilion sure to catch the eye is the Goju-no-to pagoda, which was modeled after Meets Delicious Food… the eighth-century pagoda at Horyu-ji Temple in Nara. Tow- Like all other buildings in the pavilion, the Yakatori House ering five stories, nearly 83 feet above the rest of the pavil- is more than a restaurant. It’s a replica of the Katsura Im- ion, this building receives the most attention when it plays perial Villa in Kyoto and what’s considered the crowning host to Matsuriza, a percussion troupe formed by Takemasa achievement of Japanese architecture: a perfectly balanced Ishikura in 1998. This troupe performs Taiko (“great drums”), building. a traditional form of drumming that is said to reflect the Down the stairs at the front of the Yakitori House, you’ll spirit and essence of the Japanese people. Several times a find a small building. Within it are walls covered with Japa- day, the surrounding area resounds with the pulsing drum- nese snacks and candies, fans and wall decorations, drinks beats these talented musicians elicit from their handmade and even key chains that can be engraved with your name drums, which range in height from six inches to six feet. and other Japanese characters, such as music, love, or Although the building’s beauty is clearly apparent, most friendship. Directly across from this small building is a rep-

58 · Celebrations Photo ©Tim Foster 59 · Celebrations lica of the Shishinden, which is home to the Mitsukoshi de- Japan, from tea ceremonies, the language, geisha, archi- partment store and two table service restaurants, Teppan tecture, and modern Japan. A display showcases samurai Edo and Tokyo Dining. Shishinden, or the Great Hall of Cere- swords with gilded hilts and the cleverly intriguing (and of- monies, is part of the Gosho Imperial Palace in Kyoto, which tentimes frustrating!) puzzle boxes. Very few artists today was built in 794. Outside the main entrance to the Mitsuko- retain the ability to make these special secret-holders. shi Department Store is a small stand where the extremely A gong’s resounding noise traveling through this section talented candy maker Miyuki puts on her demonstration at of the store signals the discovery of a pearl by a lucky Guest. various times throughout the day. Mitsukoshi features a pick-a-pearl experience, where for The front of the Shishinden building features a massive just $15 Guests can choose their own oysters from a tank staircase that leads to the upper level of the structure. This and become a proud owner of any pearls found inside. is where you will find Japan’s two table-service restaurants. Guests can choose to keep just the pearl, or they can have Situated on the left side of the building is Teppan Edo. Here, it placed in any of the numerous beautiful settings, from groups will be seated around a grill, where the chefs will ac- cherry blossom necklaces to a pair of simple earrings. tually prepare your meal in front of you. Teppan Edo offers Have you ever wanted to own a pair of tabi socks (those sushi, seafood, steak, and chicken among other options, as two-toed socks some find so bizarre) so popular in Japan, well as a kid’s menu. The food is absolutely mouth-watering, or maybe a T-shirt with Japanese art or calligraphy on it? and the cooks are animated and extremely friendly, giving Unique clothing items appear in the next area, with every- the dining experience that extra spark of Disney magic. thing from tennis shoes to silk purses. In the room beyond Also on the top floor is the other table-service restaurant, is a spectacular area filled with kimonos. Books on the Tokyo Dining. Although the chefs don’t prepare your meal in art of tying obis, hair ornaments, and more are scattered front of you here, the view afforded by the floor-to-ceiling throughout, but the highlight of this room is without a windows makes up for it. As you enjoy a menu that offers doubt the vibrant silk kimonos lining the walls. Deep blacks, the same meals from Teppan Edo and more, including a stunning blues, brilliant reds: The richness of the fabric and Japanese-style grill with New York strip steak, breast of the intricacy of the patterns on them are simply breath- chicken, and salmon, an extensive sushi menu, and tempu- taking. The best part? Usually a Cast Member can be found ra combinations, you can survey the pavilion and even the wandering the area, and with some assistance, in no time lagoon from your table. If you time it just right, you might you’ll be wearing one of the brilliant kimonos. Be sure to even be able to watch IllumiNations while enjoying your bring a camera! dessert of chocolate ginger cake or green tea pudding. It’s Beyond the kimono room is a place where you can find in- hard to imagine a more perfect ending to a day! cense, Japanese music, calligraphy supplies, and even bonsai trees! Passing through yet another doorway brings you to Meets Super Shopping the food: spices, candy (Pocky sticks and the fruit gummies On the ground floor of the Shishinden is the Mitsukoshi are good for a sugary pick-me-up), dried fish and crabs for Department Store. Part of the international department the adventurous type, tea, and much, much more. You can store chain that was founded in Tokyo in 1673 by entre- buy tea sets, sake glasses, rice bowls, and other houseware preneur Mitsui Takatoshi, this enormous store is home here as well. They even have a wall devoted to a myriad of to everything from lucky cats to beauty products to pearl chopsticks! At the end of this section is a sake bar, where necklaces worth thousands of dollars. Just inside the main you can buy both shots of sake and bottles of the rice wine. entrance, you’ll find a plethora of anime merchandise; and What most Guests don’t realize when they enter this sec- of course, a wealth of Hello Kitty products. As you browse tion of Mitsukoshi is that they’ve actually left the Shishin- through the varied collections of books, action figures, den and are in another building. That’s right; you’re now shirts, and other items, don’t be alarmed if a robot emerges standing in a replica of the Shirasagi-Jo, or the White Egret noisily from a nearby display. No, that’s not an anime char- Castle, a 17th century fortress overlooking the city of Himeji. acter brought to life, it’s just an element of the Japan mis- Known as one of the most well-preserved castles in Japan, it sion in the Kim Possible adventure! provided homes for regional kings and a protective fortress Past the anime is a section devoted to literature about for the people in the area during times of war. It was desig-

60 · Celebrations nated a national treasure in 1931. audience through Japan’s early history. On the second stage, The entrance to the Shirasagi-Jo is much more conspicu- Guests would have watched the first emissaries sent to a ous from the outdoor pavilion than the subtle transition foreign country (Imperial China) and the arrival of Portu- that takes place indoors. Situated directly in the center of guese traders, who brought firearms to the country. The the pavilion, at the end of the main thoroughfare, a large third scene would have depicted the artistic and intellec- gate beckons you forward. Once you have passed between tual development of the nation in isolation. The arrival of the two statues of the mounted, armor-clad samurai and Commodore Perry sparked heated debates between expan- have crossed the small moat, you’ve officially entered the sionists, who were in favor of dealing with other countries, Shirasagi-Jo. and isolationists, who wished to remain separate from the The food and sake rest of the world. The are not the only fourth and final stage things found within would have shown a the White Egret Cas- resolution of these tle. This is where the arguments, demon- Kidcot mask station is strating the rehabili- set up, and to the left tation of the nation of the entrance is the and modern, caring Bijutsu-Kan exhibit citizens reaching out gallery. An often over- to other nations. No looked part of the pa- definite reason was vilion, this room dis- given for this attrac- plays various types of tion’s abandonment, Japanese art. The ex- but most would agree hibits do change occa- that it is an intriguing sionally; currently, the concept. gallery displays anime As with everything characters and their Disney has created, roots in Japanese cul- the Japan Pavilion is ture and history. much, much more than meets the eye. The Japan Pavilion’s It is an opportunity Lost Attraction for learning, whether The castle was also your interest lies in supposed to be home the various types of to another attraction. cuisine from Japan Entitled “Meet the or where the anime World,” this attraction characters of today was to be an overview of Japanese history, combining Au- originally came from. Ask a Cast Member how to speak a dio-Animatronics, live action film, and animated film. The little Japanese. Don’t be afraid to ask why something is so audience would have been seated in a carousel theater set important to their culture; they would more than happy to to revolve in front of four stages. Each of these stages would explain the meaning behind the rock garden at the front of have depicted a monumental change in Japanese history. the pavilion, or why it is that the lucky cat waves at passers- The first stage would have showed the volcanic origin of by. Walt Disney World is designed to be a fully immersive this island nation and introduced the narrators: two Japa- experience; the more questions you ask, the more you take nese children and a magical crane, which symbolizes good away from it—even if your new knowledge is simply just health and long life. These characters would then guide the how shrimp flavored chips taste!

Photo ©Tim Foster 61 · Celebrations What does it take to bring Walt Disney World’s Magic Kingdom to life every day? Dozens of rides and shows delight Guests, multitudes of restaurants satisfy their appetites, and a wide variety of shops in all corners of the park beckon. It takes thousands of Cast Members, many unseen, to run the park so smoothly. And of course a little bit of pixie dust. In a way, there really is magic at work in the Magic Kingdom. Underneath the wide expanses of sidewalks, pathways, and finely manicured greens lies a vast system of tunnels that allow Cast Members and supplies to easily move from one corner of the park to another, all without inconveniencing Guests. The tunnels serve another purpose as well, hosting the necessary infrastructure utilities of plumbing, electrical lines, and trash tubes. In the classic Disney sense of merged words, such as “Imagineer” from imagination and engineering, these tunnels were dubbed “Utilidors,” representing their dual purposes of utility use and personnel corridors.

62 · Celebrations o better understand how the Utilidors came about; let’s park and keeping the backstage elements away from the Treview some Disney history. Walt Disney reinvented the Guests’ eyes, Imagineers conceived of an elaborate series theme park and set the bar high for others to follow when of tunnels to be created beneath the Magic Kingdom. How- he opened Disneyland in 1955. To say that it’s a success is an ever, there was a serious problem with this approach. The understatement, but in the beginning there were some high water table of central Florida precluded digging much people inside the Walt Disney Company, as well as outside below ground level. However, proving that no problem was financial , who were somewhat skeptical. Walt insurmountable, Imagineers came up with a clever solution. scaled back his grand ambition for Disneyland to allow for They simply raised the park itself above ground level. The what the budget could accommodate. One casualty was the Utilidors were constructed on the present site of the Magic acreage Disney purchased for the park. Although the park Kingdom, consisting primarily of a ring around the park was planned meticulously, the size constraints provided a with a major branch underneath Main Street and a central number of logistical challenges. For example, the story goes corridor that bisects the ring running directly underneath that in Disneyland’s early days, Walt encountered a cow- Cinderella Castle. This corridor takes a noticeable dip in the boy—in Tomorrowland. The cowboy Cast Member, assigned middle to accommodate the moat around the castle. The to Frontierland, was returning from the employee cafeteria tunnels average 14 feet in height, and they run for more behind Tomorrowland. The Cast Member had no choice, but than a mile and a half in length. They were constructed of for Walt, this ruined poured concrete and the show. meticulously laid With the success of out to house the en- Disneyland came the tire necessary infra- desire to replicate the structure necessary park on the East Coast, to operate a Disney to tap into the vast park. Imagineers population that wasn’t then created the Sev- flocking to Anaheim. en Seas Lagoon, ex- In a parallel move, Walt cavating more than and his Imagineers 7 million cubic yards forged ahead with of soil and placing their grand plans for it on top of the Ut- a city of tomorrow, a ilidors, hiding the project so large that tunnels from public it would require vast view. The end result amounts of land. The is that the Utilidors Walt Disney Company surreptitiously purchased 43 square form the ground level of the Magic Kingdom, and the park miles of land in central Florida for Walt’s ambitious goals. itself is on the second floor. Parts of Fantasyland are higher The Magic Kingdom would of course be on the drawing still and can be considered the third floor. board, but that was just part of the story. Walt’s real desire for his “Florida Project” was the idea for an experimental The City Beneath Our Feet prototype community of tomorrow: EPCOT. Walt passed Cast Members arrive at the Magic Kingdom via the north away in 1966, after the public announcements of his plans entrance of the Utilidors, out of sight from Guests, directly but before any construction began. His brother and lifelong underneath the Pinocchio Village Haus restaurant. From business partner, Roy Disney, championed the develop- here, they can easily reach their work destinations while ment of Walt Disney World. And it was here that the lessons remaining offstage. The lands of the park are color coded learned from Disneyland could be applied. on the hallways so Cast Members can easily recognize their locations. For example, Main Street, U.S.A. is burgundy, Lib- Clever Construction erty Square is blue, and Fantasyland is purple. More than To address the logistical concerns of running a theme 20 stairways serve as entrance points into the park itself.

Main Photo ©Tim Foster Inset Photos ©Disney 63 · Celebrations However, Mickey’s Toontown Fair, now being incorporated tubes located in the Utilidors to a central processing point into the Fantasyland expansion, didn’t exist when the Magic outside of Frontierland where it’s sorted for recycling and Kingdom and the Utilidors were constructed, so Cast Mem- waste. The trash reaches speeds of 60 miles per hour within bers accessed that area of the park via an out-of-sight bus the tubes, making this the fastest “attraction” at the Magic stop. Kingdom. Space Mountain and Big Thunder Mountain Rail- The Utilidors are a mini-city, providing Cast Members road’s top speeds pale in comparison to AVAC! with break rooms, restaurants, and Kingdom Kutters, a hair The use of technology within the Utilidors has evolved salon. Some of the busier restaurants in the Magic Kingdom over time. Presently, the Magic Kingdom has a new Disney have additional prep kitchens deep within the tunnels. Operational Command Center, located beneath Cinder- The Utilidors transport more than just personnel. Park ella Castle. A high-tech room outfitted with oversized flat merchandise to be stocked on the shelves of gift stores and screen monitors and live camera feeds show the crowd food to be consumed in the restaurants arrive at their des- levels in the park and the wait times for attractions, cod- tination via the tunnels. ing the crowd levels red, yellow, or green. The goal is to rec- To assist with the movement of thousands of Cast ognize crowd patterns and to reduce gridlock before it can Members, bicycles and elec- happen. For example, if “it’s a tric carts are available. Gas small world” changes from powered vehicles are not green to yellow, ride manag- permitted in the Utilidors ers can be alerted to launch because the carbon monox- more boats to address the ide exhaust from the vehicle increasing number of Guests. would present a safety risk. On the other hand, the Com- The exception to this rule is mand Center can recognize a specially modified armored when an area of the park is truck, which is necessary to underserved. They can then transfer cash out of the park. dispatch a musical act or Dis- The truck can barely pass ney character to draw Guests through the narrowest sec- into that section of the park. tions of the Utilidors with Crowd levels in the restau- only four inches of clearance rants are also monitored, on either side. alerting managers to the Onstage in the Magic King- need of opening additional dom, Guests are entertained registers at the counter ser- by Audio-Animatronic per- vice restaurants if necessary. formers, such as those in the Although the Utilidors are Country Bear Jamboree and Pirates of the Caribbean. To functional in purpose and out of sight, you can check them manage this sophisticated technology, Walt Disney World out. The Keys to the Kingdom tour is available to Guests relies on the Digital Animation Control System (DACS). Lo- ages 16 and older. It offers a walking tour of the park, includ- cated in the Utilidors in a climate-controlled computer ing several backstage elements and even a portion of the room, DACS maintains the show for Guests by operating Utilidors. To inquire about tour availability, call 407-WDW- theater doors, controlling lighting, and directing the com- TOUR. plicated movements of the Audio-Animatronic performers. Walt Disney and the Walt Disney Company always be- DACS even controls the flow of parades on the computer lieved in leveraging technology to improve the final prod- chip-embedded streets of the Magic Kingdom. uct. was the first animated short to fea- Another innovative use of technology under the Magic ture sound, and the multiplane camera was created to add Kingdom is the Automated Vacuum Assisted Collection depth to Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs. The Utilidors (AVAC). All the trash collected from the bins in the park are another innovation in the long list of Disney technologi- is whisked away via AVAC’s 20-inch diameter pneumatic cal marvels and milestones.

64 · Celebrations Artwork ©Disney 65 · Celebrations Photos ©Tim Devine 66 · Celebrations n the mid-seventies, Imagineers proposed a new land for ney Company, Ron Miller, that a partnership between the IDisneyland called Discovery Land. Many interesting ideas two companies would be in Disneyland’s best interest. were developed for this land. One of the ideas featured Pro- fessor Marvel and his little pet green dragon that he bred as An Alliance Is Formed a hobby, who would be featured in Professor Marvel’s Gal- Miller flew up to his vineyard in Northern California lery of Illusion. According to an October 1976 press release, along with Baxter and for a meeting with Lu- the attraction would have been, “a fascinating visit with the cas, who lived in the area. The meeting went extremely well. foremost collector of the exotic, weird, and whimsical from Lucas had always wanted to do something with Disney, and all over the world.” he had been approached by others to develop a theme park The plan for Professor Marvel’s Gallery of Illusion was ride or even an entire theme park. But before any specifics that Guests would enter through a sideshow wagon and could be worked out, there was a major change in leader- find themselves in a Carousel ship at the Disney Company. of Progress–style revolving Fortunately, one of the new theater. There, an Audio-Ani- leaders, Michael Eisner, had matronics Professor Marvel a friendly relationship with would display the oddities Lucas from his days at Para- that he had collected. Sound mount Pictures and their in- familiar? These characters volvement with Raiders of the later became Dreamfinder Lost Ark. Eisner announced to and Figment in Epcot Center. the press that Lucas “was the Another project under con- next generation of…Walt Dis- sideration for Discovery Land ney” and that the Disney Com- would have been Disney’s first pany would bring the Star motion control simulator Wars and fran- ride. Guests would have gone chises to the Disney Parks. on a thrilling underwater Lucas was especially inter- journey with the fabled Cap- ested in the possibility of a tain Nemo of 20,000 Leagues hydraulically powered mo- Under the Sea. However, the tion control simulator be- technology at the time wasn’t ing used in the proposed at- advanced enough to match traction after he had seen the needs of the ride. (Later, a storyboard for such a ride there were also plans for on a visit to Imagineering. an interactive simulator at- The Star Tours team chose a traction based upon Disney’s United Kingdom firm called live action film The Black Hole Rediffusion Motion Platform [1979], but the high expense that had previously sold its and the lack of audience interest in the film derailed any equipment only for military and commercial air flight ap- further development.) plications. A combined group of Imagineers and Disneyland Imagineer Tony Baxter was a major force behind Discov- management braved a highly turbulent flight to London to ery Land. He also felt that Disney needed to partner with test ride the system. They were among the first non–pilot some popular outside creators to freshen the Disney parks. trained riders to experience it. Naturally, they were appre- In particular, he felt that the legendary , cre- hensive of how rough and powerful the simulator might be, ator of the Star Wars saga, had captured much of the excite- but ironically, the plane ride was worse! The strong warn- ment and sense of wonder evident in early Disney films. ings about seatbelts in the final attraction were actually Baxter was able to convince the then-president of the Dis- inspired by the London flight—not the simulator.

67 · Celebrations around the Star Wars universe in an out-of-control time travel trip, and even an experience in Jedi training. Lucas wanted to make sure that there was a mix- ture of comedy with the thrills. After much discussion, the attraction’s storyline was set just after the Rebel Alliance vic- tory in . As the backstory goes, to encourage tourists to visit and spend mon- ey in areas around the galaxy that were rebuilding after the conflict, a company called Star Tours offered sightseeing ex- cursions. Signs advertised trips to the forest moon of Endor, home of the lovable Ewoks, and other planetary destinations, including Hoth, Tatooine, and Dagobah. R2-D2 and C-3PO had left military service to work for this new company. However, the trip might not have been as safe as advertised. In the winding queue line, you might have spotted ominous blaster scars along the side of the SpaceSpeeder vehicle that the two chatty droids were repairing. They also seemed overly concerned about check- ing to see if the unreliable laser cannons on the vehicle were op- erational. At first, the guide escorting An Attraction Is Developed the guests was to be a shell-shocked veteran pilot from George Lucas, Dennis Muren (from Industrial Light & the Clone Wars nicknamed “Crazy Harry.” The inspiration Magic), and Imagineers Tom Fitzgerald and Tony Baxter de- was real-life war veterans who had gone into careers such veloped the final storyline. At one point, they had so much as offering helicopter ride tours around the beauty of the material that the flight would have lasted nearly 20 minutes, Hawaiian Islands. The plan was that Crazy Harry often had much longer than the attraction’s actual four-minute trip. flashbacks to his earlier life, and he would suddenly execute During the attraction’s development, the team con- crazy maneuvers, putting the guests into unexpected, dan- sidered many possible storylines, including an underwa- gerous flight situations. Imagineers feared that experience ter voyage beneath Dagobah’s murky swamps, bouncing might be too frightening.

68 · Celebrations The “cosmic bus driver and tour guide,” as he was origi- ney World are similar, the exteriors were vastly different. nally described, evolved into RX-24, also known as “Rex,” an At Walt Disney World, Guests were beckoned to Star Tours enthusiastic but inexperienced droid so fresh off the as- with an outdoor Ewok village and a 35-foot-tall AT-AT (All sembly line that his red “Remove Before Flight” warning tag Terrain Armored Transport) Imperial Walker. Interestingly, was still attached to him. Some Disney fans have speculated George Lucas dedicated the exterior area to the public on that not removing that tag might have been the source of August 28, 1989, months before the attraction opened. This Rex’s troubles. Lucas gave input into Rex’s physical design, area of the Disney-MGM Studios park was meant to suggest and he was voiced by , better known as Pee a working movie studio with movie sets. The front of the vil- Wee Herman. Why Paul Reubens? He was an outstanding lage was finely detailed, but the side not seen by the “camera” improvisational comedian, and as the attraction was being showed construction walls; a style duplicated in the nearby created he had coincidentally come to the Disney Studio to Sci-Fi Dine-In Theater and the Muppet Stage One Company voice an early version of Roger Rabbit. Store merchandise shop. Star Tours was shot on 70mm film at 30fps for clear, flick- The illusion that Guests were going onto a soundstage er-free images. The final version was one continuous take was reinforced with signs proclaiming “Stage 12—Filming in without cutting. The film was shot the “old-fashioned” way, Progress” and canvas-backed director’s chairs. with miniatures, models, motion control cameras, optical printers, and similar techniques that were popular before Star Tours Is Reimagined computer generated imagery. The forbidding, twisting ice In a 1987 press interview, George Lucas said, “One of the tunnel was constructed out of Styrofoam. Thin plastic was basic ideas behind this is that it’s reprogrammable. This will used for the icicles along with clear blue resin. It took more give us a big advantage in being able to upgrade the ride, than 28 hours to film the ice-teriod field sequence. It in- to improve it or change it or make it into something else.” cluded more separate elements than the most complicated At the time, Lucas offered four different story choices that shot in Return of the Jedi. could be used in the future. To properly synchronize the audio track to the move- One of the original ideas for the attraction was that sev- ment of the simulators, Imagineers used a joystick like eral films were going to be made; each one based a differ- those on popular videogames of the time. That way they ent film of the original trilogy. However, Guests would have could sync up the movements of the simulator motion to to travel to California to see the Star Wars attraction, then the point of view of the on-screen action. to Florida to see the Empire Strikes Back ride, and finally to Paris to see the Return of the Jedi version. Star Tours Is Born At a Star Wars convention in April 2005, Lucas told the Officially, the attraction opened to the general public audience that they were working on an update for the Star at Disneyland on January 9, 1987, but there had been soft Tours attraction, causing rumors to swirl for several years. opening testing before that date. Disney held an Imagineer- In 2010, the Disney Company revealed that the attraction ing open house in June 1986 to allow Imagineers and their would be closed and reimagined with a storyline taking families to test the ride. As a joke, the attendees were given place between Star Wars films Episodes III, Revenge of the Sith, “space sickness” bags similar to ones on airplanes. The joke and Episode IV, A New Hope. In addition, the updated ride sys- fell flat when some people actually had to use the bags! Af- tem will include high definition, RealD 3D, and an improved ter that, the attraction was readjusted. . Imagineers have hinted that tributes to Eisner announced that he was considering putting the the early version of the attraction, including a glimpse of ride in Tomorrowland at the Magic Kingdom at Walt Disney Captain Rex, will also be included. World in Florida, but he was persuaded to include it in the With much anticipation of a new, updated attraction, new Disney-MGM Studios theme park instead. It officially Star Tours closed at Disneyland on July 27, 2010, and at Dis- opened there on December 15, 1989, months after the rest of ney’s Hollywood Studios on September 8, 2010. It was an- the park. The gala opening ceremony was attended by many nounced that the attraction, reimagined as Star Tours: The Star Wars stars, including and Carrie Fisher. Adventures Continue, will reopen on May 20 at Disney’s Hol- Although the attractions at Disneyland and Walt Dis- lywood Studios, and on June 3 at Disneyland.

69 · Celebrations The coaster-based attraction would have featured a unique ride system, in which the coaster train’s bottom The Magic Kingdom would separate from the ride when the Fire Mountain volcano erupted. This “morphing” system would have left That Never Was guests “dangling” in their seats, as is the case with many modern roller coasters. The Orlando Business Journal re- hroughout Walt Disney World’s history, many attrac- ported, “Early word has it that the coaster would start out Ttion concepts were shelved prior to their construction. with riders standing up. As it climbed a hill, riders would be While some were more “Blue Sky” ideas, others were an- gently leaned back until they were essentially lying down. nounced as “coming soon” to the Magic Kingdom. If some of The coaster would then do a 180-degree turn, and lucky rid- these attractions had been built, the Magic Kingdom would ers would be flown over a pit of Disneyesque lava in the cen- be a very different place. ter of a volcano.”

Adventureland Frontierland One attraction that seemed destined to be built in Adven- Frontierland’s proposed Thunder Mesa and Western tureland (so much so that it was discussed in the Orlando River Expedition is legendary. Original plans for Walt Disney Business Journal in August 1999) was originally set to debut World didn’t include the Pirates of the Caribbean. Instead, in 2001, and later rumors pointed to a 2006 opening. This at- a new themed area, unique to Walt Disney World, was de- traction would literally have changed the landscape of Ad- signed by legendary Imagineer Marc Davis. ventureland. More than a single attraction, Thunder Mesa would have Fire Mountain, an attraction based around a giant vol- encompassed a large area and included at least three attrac- cano, was rumored to have been set for completion in time tions in a gigantic, four-story show building located where for, and serve as the centerpiece of, Walt Disney World’s 30th Big Thunder Mountain currently stands. Made to look like anniversary celebration. In fact, rumors had begun to swirl the mesas and deserts of Monument Valley, it would have about such an attraction as early as 1999, when the Fantasy- changed the Magic Kingdom’s landscape dramatically. The land/Tomorrowland Skyway was closed and terminal build- flagship attraction would have been the Western River Ex- ings in both lands were left empty. pedition, a “Pirates of the Caribbean in the Wild West.” Speculation as to Fire Mountain’s location put it between Early park maps and even souvenir postcards heralded Pirates of the Caribbean and Splash Mountain, or possibly its impending opening. In 1973, at the Walt Disney Story, south of Pirates, which would have forced the altering of Hoot Gibson, the wise old owl who was to serve as the host the rivers. Later rumors placed it in the for- of Thunder Mesa, described the attraction to Guests and mer location of 20,000 Leagues Under the Sea in Fantasyl- invited them to come back when it opened. But Guests’ and, although if it had been built there, its name and theme complaints that the legendary Pirates of the Caribbean at- would have changed slightly to Bald Mountain—with a traction was not present in the park combined with budget Disney Villains theme. It was also believed that the attrac- concerns quelled the development of Thunder Mesa. tion could have tied into and debuted in time for the 2001 release of the Disney animated feature film Atlantis. In 2006, Liberty Square rumors of the attraction being built surfaced again, this In Liberty Square, space limitations prevented new at- time to coincide with Walt Disney World’s 35th anniversary tractions from being built. However, the Haunted Mansion celebration. was going to have a very special ghost. Because Disneyland’s

70 · Celebrations Photo ©Tim Foster and Walt Disney World’s mansions were constructed at the ing of Tomorrowland in the 90s, not unlike Discoveryland in same time, two identical figured were created for each. The Disneyland Paris. Similar to the Adventurers Club in Pleasure legendary “Hatbox Ghost” was supposed to appear in both Island, the Astronomer’s Club was slated for Tomorrowland mansions. A somewhat frightening character, he appeared at the Plaza Pavilion. This would have been a themed din- only briefly (possibly only two days for Cast Member pre- ing experience where characters such as Leonardo da Vinci, views on August 7 and 8, 1969) in Disneyland, before he was Galileo, and H.G. Wells, as well as real astronauts and NASA removed; never to be used at all in Walt Disney World. Ru- scientists, would have talked with Guests. mor has it that the ghost in the attic scene would lean on a cane with one hand, while holding a hatbox in the other. Mickey’s Birthdayland/Starland/Toontown Fair The effect would have had his head vanish from the top Mickey’s Birthdayland, the “temporary” land created for of his body and appear in the hatbox. Because the effect, Mickey’s 60th birthday in 1988, reopened in 1990 as Mickey’s which relied heavily on lighting, never worked properly, the Starland. At the time, the birthday theme was replaced ghost was promptly removed from Disneyland. with the opportunity to promote the animated Disney Afternoon television stars. The popular DuckTales, which Fantasyland featured the adventures of Uncle Scrooge, premiered in Sep- Fantasyland, the land of Disney animated characters, tember 1987. A special-edition DVD set only available outside whimsy, and imagination, is known for its collection of clas- the United States purportedly reveals sketches of a Duck- sic dark rides such as Peter Pan’s Flight and Snow White’s Tales attraction that was possibly meant for this land. Scary Adventures. When the Magic Kingdom was first being planned, however, Fantasyland would have had quite a dif- Shadowlands ferent cast of characters. A rumored new land for the Magic Kingdom was to be Rather than following (or as it was originally built, “be- called Shadowlands. This land would have been themed to ing”) Snow White on her adventures, Guests would have the Disney Villains, in sharp contrast to the princesses and journeyed through a story involving Princess Aurora (Sleep- heroes in nearby Fantasyland. Located near Tomorrowland, ing Beauty). While Peter Pan’s Flight continues to be one of the centerpiece would have been an Ursula the Sea Witch the most popular attractions in all of Walt Disney World, attraction, which would have been a Dumbo-like hub-and- that location was originally set to be home to a Mary Pop- spoke ride. A second flume-based attraction to complement pins “Jolly Holiday” ride. the incredibly popular Splash Mountain was also on the Marc Davis, the animator and Imagineer responsible for drawing board. Guests would have entered Shadowlands attraction design and gags found in the Jungle Cruise, the through Fantasyland between Pinocchio’s Village Haus and Enchanted Tiki Room, the Carousel of Progress, the Country what was once Ariel’s Grotto. Shadowlands would have in- Bear Jamboree and countless others, also designed a con- cluded a cobblestone street lined by villain-themed shops cept for a snow-themed attraction in the late 1970s. A boat and restaurants. Villain characters would have wandered ride, the Enchanted Snow Palace, was originally conceived the streets. for Disneyland but also considered for Walt Disney World. It Unfortunately, many issues stalled the development of was one of Davis’s last creations for Walt Disney Imagineer- this land. One of the biggest problems was that a giant, ing, which was originally known as WED. bubbling mountain, set to be part of the new land, wouldn’t The blue and white glacier façade would have conveyed have matched with the theme of Fantasyland, nor the near- the feeling of a cool, placid attraction inside. Your blue by Toontown and Tomorrowland. bateaux would have carried you through the ice mountain filled with Audio-Animatronic characters and classical mu- Of course, no good idea in Imagineering ever goes away, sic—until you met the Snow Queen herself. so who knows if and when we might see some of these at- traction concepts in their original or modified form. Many Tomorrowland die-hard Disney fans still hold out hope for Thunder Mesa A Flying Saucers attraction was considered for the Carou- or a Villains-themed land, attraction, or park. Chances are, sel of Progress show building as part of a proposed rethem- some folks in Imagineering do as well.

71 · Celebrations hen we last parted ways, my companion and I public, but it wasn’t closed for good. Wwere being educated on the significance of the The Odyssey Center became a very popular location survey disks located within the parks. for special dining events. In fact, during the Epcot Inter- We decided that we had spent enough time on this national Food & Wine Festival, this location is host to a side of Epcot, so we headed toward World Showcase to lot of seminars, tastings, and hard-ticket dining events. partake of some yummy international cuisine. In addition to the seasonal Food & Wine Festival, the My companion and I pulled out our park map to plot space is used for a special dining event for Grand Gath- out the best course to take. We decided to take a path erings of eight or more Guests. In fact, that’s what all that took us past a building labeled the “Odyssey Center” the people were standing around waiting for. on its way toward Mexico. We had no idea what this The Guests were waiting to enjoy the International Odyssey Center was, but we’re all about taking the path Dinner and IllumiNations Dessert Reception where least traveled. they would have a buffet meal showcasing cuisine As my companion and I from five different countries. approached via a small foot- The evening is hosted by the bridge, I noticed the sign for well-traveled and adventur- the building. I thought it was ous Auntie Roz, who keeps cool that the sign was in the things lively with stories and style and theming of the 1980s jokes and highlights many of EPCOT Center. I’ve never seen the wondrous occasions peo- any activity around here, so ple happen to be celebrating I asked my companion if she during their Grand Gather- knew if this was a deserted ings. Part of the festivities for show building from a long bygone era. kids is a visit from members of the “Fab 5.” The evening As we were exploring the outside of the building, is topped off by IllumiNations and a dessert buffet in a we turned the corner and ran into something I wasn’t VIP-viewing location. expecting to see: people. A sizable group of people was All of that talk about special dining events whetted milling around a podium. I couldn’t resist the urge to our appetites, so it was time for my companion and I to find out what was going on. Apparently, the Odyssey continue our trek to World Showcase for some food and Center isn’t as deserted as I thought it was. more fun. As we were leaving, my companion turned to We came upon a Cast Member, who gave us a brief me and said, “Hey, there’s a baby care center. Maybe one history lesson on the building. When EPCOT Center day we can bring the kids and check them out.” That’s opened, the building housed a quick-service dining lo- an adventure for another day. cation, which sold what some Guests touted as the best So remember, my fellow wanders, never underes- hamburgers in the park. Later, when attendance start- timate what might lead you to a great new discovery. ed to wane, Epcot experimented with turning it into a A trip down what appears to be a less-traveled path character dining location. The Cast Member was pretty might turn out to be an educational experience. sure that it was the first character dining experience Until next time, this is Ray, and you’ve been Wander- in Epcot. Eventually, the building closed to the general ing the World. 72 · Celebrations Number of voice actors used in the film. (By comparison, the 7 next Pixar film, Up, utilized twice that many). Even though there are more than seven characters in the film, Sound Designer Ben Burtt provided the “voice” for many of the robots, including WALL-E himself.

Number of robots that were voiced by robots. Well, sort of. The 1 voice of Auto, the ship’s computer, was provided by MacInTalk, the text-to-speech program for the Apple Macintosh. OK, the Macintosh is a computer, not a robot, but you get the idea!

Number of sounds that Ben Burtt created for WALL-E. That’s 2500 double what Burtt created for another rather famous film, Star Wars! 700 WALL-E’s age, in years. Number of minutes it takes before the first human dialog is 39 spoken in the film. WALL-E and EVE did a little better, it only took them 22 minutes to start chatting. 0 Number of previous Pixar films to incorporate live action.

Artwork ©Disney 73 · Celebrations How Much Do You Know About Pixar? by Jennifer Bright Reich

1. Which of the following famous actors turned 6. After Sulley says goodbye to Boo, he closes down the role of Buzz Lightyear? the closet door. When Boo jumps out of bed, a. Billy Crystal she has grown 7% by the time she reaches b. Bill Murray the door. This wasn’t a mistake! Why did the c. John Ratzenberger programmers have to do this? d. Don Rickles a. Her bed would have looked too big. b. Her shadow was too short. 2. In A Bug’s Life, what is the restaurant at Bug City c. She was too short to reach the doorknob. made of? d. She ate her vegetables at dinner that night. a. A box of High Protein Hash b. A tin of Altoids 7. In Finding Nemo, Dory erroneously refers to c. A can of Low Fat Lard Nemo as which of the following? d. A carton of Chinese take-out a. Fabio b. Elmo 3. Which famous toy wasn’t licensed to Disney in c. Bingo Toy Story, but reconsidered for ? d. Chico a. GI Joe b. Play-Doh 8. In the tank gang in the dentist’s office, the c. Simon germophobic purple and yellow fish is the only d. Barbie one never mentioned by name. What was his name? 4. What type of car do Buzz and Hamm use to a. Gurgle find Woody? (Hint: It’s a pun on Toyota and a b. Bubble type of Asian dumpling.) c. Purell a. Gyoza d. Suds b. Toygo c. YouGo 9. In The Incredibles, Mirage’s toll-free phone d. Gyota number on her calling card is 866-787-7476. What do the last seven digits spell? 5. In Monsters, Inc., what is Boo’s real name? a. Incredib a. Hannah b. Disney6 b. Mary c. Suprhro c. Kate d. Smashem d. Bonnie

74 · Celebrations 10. What was the code title for The Incredibles, 14. In Wall-E, where else could you have seen the used in production? logo on Eve’s chest that appears after she a. Red obtains the plant? b. Tights a. Horizons logo c. Mask b. A former Symbosis logo d. SuperDooper c. A former Land Pavilion logo d. On Walt Disney World recycle cans 11. Which of the following was the original title to Cars? 15. How many balloons would it really take the a. I’ve Got Speed lift the house off of the ground in Up? b. Cruisin’ a. More than 5 million c. Speedin’ b. More than 8 million d. Route 66 c. More than 11 million d. More than 12 million 12. What is Lightning McQueen’s number? a. 95 b. 98 Scoring c. 76 1. A 9. C d. 97 2. C 10. B 3. D 11. D 13. In Ratatouille, because Anton Ego writes “killer” 4. A 12. A reviews, what is his room shaped like? 5. B 13. B a. A scull 6. C 14. C b. A coffin 7. A, B, C, D 15. D c. A cell 8. A d. A tombstone

ANSWERS STITCH’S SECRET CODE 1. There is an extra dot. MYSTERY QUEST (pages 82–83) KIDS KORNER (pages 78–81) 1. High Security 2. There is an extra pair of shoes. 2. Low Security Teleportation General 3. The books are missing. SECRET SYMBOLS WHO AM I? Rules 4. The post is taller. 1. The Joy of Tea kiosk in the China 1. The Enchanted Tiki Room: Under New 3. Crimes: Uses Her Rattle to Turn 5. The word “JUDGE” is a different color. pavilion Management Grown-ups Into Babies! 6. The sleeve is longer. 2. Via Napoli in the Italy pavilion 2. Pirates of the Caribbean 4. Dedication: This Galactic Federation 7. The lamp shade is bigger. 3. Outside the entrance to the Stave 3. The Haunted Mansion Prisoner Teleport Center is Hereby 8. The photo is backward. Church in the Norway pavilion 4. Spaceship Earth Dedicated to the Preservation of 9. The Mickey is upside down. 4. Above the entrance to the Biergarten 5. Carousel of Progress 6. Dinosaur Peace and Harmony Throughout the 10. There are three knobs on the drawer. restaurant in the Germany pavilion Galaxy by Protecting the Nice From 5. On a crate in the Refreshment PHOTO TWISTER the Naughty FIND THE DIFFERENCE BONUS ANSWER Outpost (er, Coolpost!) 1. Space Mountain The Grand Councilwoman Yellow with red shutters 2. The Great Movie Ride 2004 November 16 WHERE AM I? WORD SCRAMBLE 1. On the left wall of the lagoon-side gift 3. The Seas With Nemo & Friends BRAIN BUSTERS 1. Crystal Ball shop in the China pavilion 4, Kilimanjaro Safaris Toy Story, A Bug’s Life, Toy Story 2 5. 2. Doom Buggy 2. The pyramid in the Mexico pavilion 3. Ballroom 3. By the rear entrance of the Il Bel 6. The Haunted Mansion FIND THE DIFFERENCE 4. Raven Cristallo shop in the Italy pavilion 5. Piano 4. A mask at the Refreshment Outpost 6. Bride 5. Inside the Puffin’s Roost shop in the 7. Suit of Armor Norway pavilion 8. Graveyard 6. The ceiling in the entrance to the theater 7. A figurine in the Animales Fantasticos display in the Mexico pavilion 8. The Stave Church roof in the Norway pavilion

75 · Celebrations During my recent adventures I found myself in a strange place called Toy Story Mania. Strange because everything inside was monstrous, making me feel as if I were only a few inches tall. Apparently I was the size of a toy, which was quite interesting. There were many other toys about that belonged to a boy named Andy, but one immediately caught my eye: the Peter Pan View-Master disc! I remembered these discs from my younger years, and recalled the vivid 3D images that could be seen. I was all set to relive those memories, but try as I might I couldn’t find the actual View-Master. I was sure it must be around somewhere, so I set off on a quest to find it.

As I ventured deeper into the room I encountered a bin filled with yellow glasses. Donning a pair, everything looked a bit darker, Not having any luck inside, I exited to see but as I boarded a peculiar looking vehicle what I could find nearby. Peering up at the I discovered a series of whimsical three rooftops, I noticed a collection of green men dimensional scenes! As impressed as I was in hoisting a Scrabble board up the side of the learning that the imagery was powered by 150 building. Among the criss-crossed words PCs, it didn’t help in my desire to see the 3D was the phrase “you’ve got a friend in me” images on the View-Master disc I found earlier. (though the “me” seemed to be falling off). I took that to mean they would be able to help me, and indeed, one of the men held a device up to his eyes. Alas, upon closer inspection it turned out to be a standard army-issue pair of binoculars. But perhaps that meant my goal was in another park...

I decided to visit the Imagination Institute in Epcot since they promised to reveal the imaginative powers of the sense of sight. The Sight Lab was filled with clever optical illusions and the like, not to mention a fiendishly difficult eye chart, but I was most interested in the various optical devices lying about. Alas, none of them turned out to be the View- Master I was seeking, but I happened to notice a white board to the right filled with insightful notes. I thought the key may lie within, but I must admit the math was confusing. Perhaps a trip to Tomorrowland would help me decipher it.

76 · Celebrations Once I arrived, I decided the logical starting place would be the Carousel of Progress. However, I was immediately dismayed at the primitive state of technology to be found inside. But soon my eyes caught a glimpse of a fascinating object, one that instantly reminded me of my treasured View-Master! The object was called a Stereoscope, and a young boy was using it to look at someone called Little Egypt. I later learned that she was a star at the 1904 World’s Fair in St. Louis, held in celebration of the centennial of Thomas Jefferson’s purchase of the Louisiana Territory. I wasn’t totally sure what the “hootchie kootchie” was (and wasn’t sure I wanted to know), but in any event I was more interested in the device itself. It appeared that the stereoscope created a 3D image by presenting two offset images separately to the left and right eye of the viewer. In principle, that sounded like the same method used by the View-Master, but since the scene was obviously set in 1904, I knew that predated the invention of the View-Master by a good 25 years.

Moving ahead in time, I encountered this scene which depicted something called virtual reality. The technology looked fascinating, but sadly seemed a bit more advanced than the “no batteries required” View-Master that I was used to. I wondered if the boy and his grandmother had used a View- Master in the recent past; after all I had overheard that the television itself had been recently upgraded to a flat panel display, replacing the antiquated CRT large screen TV. It turned out that wasn’t the case, but I then learned of a nearby 3D show that featured Peter Pan, could this be it?

I successfully found Peter Pan in all of his 3D glory at the nearby PhilharMagic, and what a sight he was to behold! I once again had to don a pair of strange yellow glasses. A View-Master it wasn’t, but I was very impressed to learn that the action took place on the largest purpose-built 3D screen ever made, at 150 feet wide. As Peter Pan and Tinker Bell soared into the starry night sky, I suddenly had a revelation...

Space! I suddenly remembered that someone had told me that one of Andy’s favorite toys was a Space Ranger action figure, and I was pretty sure I had seen him nearby. I wandered over to a strange world called Tomorrowland and found the headquarters of Buzz Lightyear himself. I entered the futuristic building, hoping against hope that I would find my quarry here. After wandering around a bit I was suddenly stopped by Buzz himself, requesting that I join him in a quest to defeat the evil Emperor Zurg. I pretended to pay attention but I was more excited about the object to the left, the View-Master itself! There it was, as big as I expected (though much bigger than the one I had), and it was showing a series of images that seemed to reflect the battle that loomed ahead. But I couldn’t be bothered with that, I was trying to figure out how to get the View-Master back to Andy’s room! 77 · Celebrations On what attractions will you find these different characters? 1. Fritz 2. Jack Sparrow 3. Constance 4. Michelangelo 5. Cousin Orville 6. Dr. Grant Seeker

The photos below looks like they got stuck on the Astro Orbiter, can you figure out what they are?

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78 · Celebrations Those strange squiggles you may have seen in Stitch’s Great Escape are actually an alien alphabet. Using the code, can you figure out what the signs below say? You can also use the code to write your own secret messages!

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Answers on page 75 79 · Celebrations What were the first three full-length Pixar films?

Before Mickey’s Toontown Fair closed, someone managed to sneak into Mickey’s bedroom and rearrange some things. Can you spot the 10 differences in the photos below?

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BONUS QUESTION What color was Mickey’s Country House?

80 · Celebrations Unscramble these things you’ll find in the Haunted Mansion.

1. SLYTARC LALB 5. APION

2. MODO GYBUG 6. DREBI

3. MOBRALOL 7. TISU FO MORRA

4. VERAN 8. DEVYRAGAR

Answers on page 75

In each issue, our Kids Korner columnist will answer questions that are too tough for the grown-ups! If you have a question for her, send it to: [email protected]. What older (closed) attraction do you each time I visited, I’d see something that I had miss the most? missed before. Hopefully, the new Town Square Hmmm, that’s a hard question! I’ve been Theatre will have a lot of “Mickey-detail” to lucky enough that not a lot of attractions have make sure that Mickey, Minnie, and the rest of closed since I’ve been going to WDW. There the gang feel at home! has been a lot of updates, such as Pirates and Haunted Mansion, but the only two attractions If you could visit any Disney park I can remember that have closed are Mickey’s around the world, which would you Toontown Fair and Rocks! (I like Finding choose first? Nemo–The Musical so much more!) But even I would love to go to Disneyland Paris if I ever though I don’t remember it, I wish they’d open got the chance - I’m even going to learn French back up the Pavilion in Epcot. when I get to high school so that I’ll be ready It seems like it had some interesting attractions, to travel! The parks there seem to have so many like , and it doesn’t seem right that it cool attractions, including ones that I’ve never sits empty most of the time! seen such as Crush’s Coaster, Cinemagique, Animagique, or Indiana Jones and the Temple What do you miss most about Mickey’s of Peril. And, there are a lot of attractions that Toontown Fair? are like the ones at WDW, but different in their I’m looking forward to the Fantasyland own way - like Space Mountain, Big Thunder expansion, but I will miss Mickey and Minnie’s Mountain, and even Phantom Manor. But most houses. They were so much fun. :) It was like of all, I want to see Sleeping Beauty’s Castle...I walking into the cartoons you see on TV and hear there is a dragon living there!

81 · Celebrations The landscaping in the Mexico pavilion is designed The Hall of Prayer for Good Harvest in the China to make you feel as if you are in a Yucatán jungle! pavilion contains a great many details of important You’ll find a variety of exotic plants including significance. The 12 outer columns represent the Moreton bay figs, silver trumpet trees, Mexican fan 12 months of the year and the 12-year cycle of the palms, and orchid trees. Chinese calendar. 4 columns in the interior signify the four seasons, which in turn support a beam As you wander through the Norway pavilion that represents Earth. On top of this is a final, you’ll be able to marvel at four classic Norwegian rounded beam, which symbolizes Heaven. architectural styles. The Puffin’s Roost and Kringla Bakeri og Kafe are designed in the Setesdal style, As you enter the Italy pavilion, you’ll pass which features grassy roofs and logs that create underneath a detailed recreation of St Mark’s a rustic appearance. The Bergen style is evident Campanile located in Venice. Rising high over the in the Fjording Shop with its gabled windows and surrounding landscape, the tower is certainly tall, wood construction. Akershus Castle reflects the but it pales in comparison to the original, which architectural distinctiveness of Oslo (Restaurant soars 323 feet into the sky (that’s nearly twice as Akershus is named for a 14th century fortress high as Spaceship Earth!) which stands in Oslo Harbor), while the entrance to Maelstrom is modeled in the tradition of the Look for the pickle Christmas tree inside Die Alesund style which features white stucco and Weihnachtsecke (The Christmas Corner) in the stone trim. Germany pavilion. You can learn about the legend of the pickle ornament!

Where can you find these cryptic inscriptions?

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82 · Celebrations Answers on page 75 Can you determine where these photographs were taken?

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Only the best explorers will be able to figure this one out... 8 7 83 · Celebrations Top 10 Things You Didn’t Know About Woody

1. Sheriff Woody’s pal Buzz has a rather famous last name, “You’re my favorite deputy.” but throughout the Toy Story films Woody was only known “Reach for the sky.” by his first name. So does that mean the rootinest tootin- “Somebody’s poisoned the waterhole!” est cowboy never had a last name? Of course not! Sheriff “This town ain’t big enough for the two of us.” Woody’s full name is, get ready, Sheriff Woody Pride! The “Yee-ha! Giddy up, partner! We’ve got to get this wagon name is not a recent invention; it was his name from the train a-movin.” earliest days of development for Toy Story. “I’d like to join your posse, boys, but first I’m gonna sing 2. His name was always Woody, but he wasn’t always the a little song.” cowboy toy we’re all familiar with. Woody was originally And our personal favorite: “There’s a snake in my boot!” going to be a ventriloquist dummy, but director John Las- 7. Woody’s lips don’t move when his string is pulled, but how seter felt that his hinged jaw was, well, too “creepy.” Las- about when he talks for real? To create those movements, seter decided to transform him into a pull-string doll in- Woody’s face contains 229 animation variables, which the spired by his own Casper the Friendly Ghost toy. animators manipulate to create movement. 3. Woody was originally portrayed as abra- 8. Woody was named after actor sive and sarcastic. After receiving Woody Strode. Although Strode poor marks in a test screening, he appeared in many Westerns, was reworked into the happy-go- he’s probably best remembered lucky cowboy we all know and for his role in Spartacus, where love today. he played the Ethiopian gladiator 4. Woody might be the “big Draba. man” in Andy’s room, 9. Woody is voiced by Tom Hanks, and the but how big is he choice of Hanks was never in doubt. Lasseter really? Our favor- described him as having “the ability to take ite sheriff is 15.18 emotions and make them appealing, even if inches tall without his hat. the character, like the one in A League of Their And with the hat? Just a shade under Own, is down-and-out and despicable.” Toy 16 inches, not too shabby for a toy! Story was Hanks’s first role in an animated 5. As impressive as that is, it pales in com- film. parison to the six-foot-six-inch tall ver- 10. Tom Hanks performs the part of the sion of Woody that was created by LEGO Woody in all of the Toy Story films, but in when Toy Story 3 was released. The impos- most other media that part is played by ing likeness was built from more than Jim Hanks, Tom’s younger brother. If his 17,200 bricks and weighed 80 pounds! voice sounds familiar (well, in addition 6. Woody is certainly capable of giving a stirring to sounding like his big brother!), Jim speech when called upon, but what happens has also been the voice of Geoffrey the when you actually pull his string? You might hear Giraffe in the Toys”R”Us commercials any one of these memorable phrases: since 2001.

Keepsake Image: “Tranquility in Japan” Photography by Tim Foster 84 · Celebrations Photo ©Disney Back Cover Photography by Tim Foster

“When people laugh at Mickey Mouse it’s because he’s so human; and that is the secret of his popularity.” – Walt Disney