Found Disney: Mickey Mouse Visits Laugh-In

Posted on May 3, 2016 by Dis-LEE

Well, I’ve found some obscure and freaky Disney references in old television shows before, but this one has an extra dimension of creepy! And this installment comes from

Rowan and Martin’s Laugh-in was a comedy sketch show that ran for 140 episodes from January 22, 1968 to March 12, 1973 on the NBC television network. It was hosted by comedians Dan Rowan and Dick Martin:

If featured many later-to-be famous stars (like Goldie Hawn and Lilly Tomlin) and hosted many already-minted stars, like, er… Mickey Mouse.

WARNING: Please put the children to bed and the horses in the barn, as the following images are likely to scare both parties!

Mickey Mouse?

Nothing gets my attention faster than a man in a Mickey Mouse costume talking about toxic waste, in rhyme yet!

Creepy, ain’t he?

This strange Disney reference comes from Season Three of Laugh-In in case you want to troll YouTube and find it. That’s where I came across it.

For more television fun, please check out Mickey Mouse Meets Carol Burnett and Walt Disney Visits Studio 1 at NBC.

Posted in Found Disney, Humor, Television | Tagged Dan Rowan, Dick Martin, Found Disney, Humor, Laugh-In, Mickey Mouse, Rowan and Martin's Laugh-In, Television | Leave a comment

Found Disney – Mickey Mouse Visits Laugh-In

Posted on May 3, 2016 by Dis-LEE

Well, I’ve found some obscure and freaky Disney references in old television shows before, but this one has an extra dimension of creepy! And this installment comes from

If featured many later-to-be famous stars (like Goldie Hawn and Lilly Tomlin) and hosted many already-minted stars, like, er… Mickey Mouse.

WARNING: Please put the children to bed and the horses in the barn, as the following images are likely to scare both parties!

Mickey Mouse?

Nothing gets my attention faster than a man in a Mickey Mouse costume talking about toxic waste, in rhyme yet!

Creepy, ain’t he?

This strange Disney reference comes from Season Three of Laugh-In in case you want to troll YouTube and find it. That’s where I came across it.

For more television fun, please check out Mickey Mouse Meets Carol Burnett and Walt Disney Visits Studio 1 at NBC.

Posted in Found Disney, Humor, Television | Tagged Dan Rowan, Dick Martin, Found Disney, Humor, Laugh-In, Mickey Mouse, Rowan and Martin's Laugh-In, Television | Leave a comment

Mickey & Minnie Cookie Jar

Posted on May 2, 2016 by Dis-LEE

What’s red, white and blue all over? With mice on it? In your kitchen? Hopefully not your cookie jar, but there is a cookie jar that fits this description:

Modern Mickey and Minnie

This is another Value Village find that came to me from a friend and that was purchased for just one Canadian dollar! You can buy it on eBay today for just under $15.00 American.

It is approximately 7″ tall with the lid. The opening is approximately 3 1/2″ in diameter.

Mickey profiles, Mickey hands, and stars motif

This nice little cookie jar was probably sold in the late eighties or sometime in the nineties. It’s capacity is a tad small, but that should help the diet, eh? Apparently this was sold as a premium with the purchase of a Hallmark Keepsake ornament. There were matching mugs available.

Motif is repeated on the lid

Not it’s on the bottom of the cookie jar that we find the most intriguing feature:

Really?

Just the other day I was lamenting that my current cookie jar wasn’t microwave safe. But thanks to Disney, I can now warm up my cookies right in the jar!

Hmmmm! Warm cookies.

Posted in Food, Kitchen, Merchandise | Tagged Cookie Jar, Food, Kitchen, Merchandise, Mickey Mouse, Minnie Mouse, Value Village | Leave a comment

Muppets SWEDISH CHEF Cubeez Tin

Posted on May 1, 2016 by Dis-LEE

“Eeb duh bulio smork dim stacker boo!” – Swedish Chef

Famous quotes are plentiful, but few have as much meaning as the one above! The Muppets most culinary member, the Swedish Chef, has a knack for summing up the cosmos in just a few words of complete and utter gibberish.

If only we could see inside his head. Well, now we can, and it’s empty:

“Bork! Bork! Bork!”

Some have said that the Chef is a little square, but never has it been so literal as now. As a Cubeez character, he truly is a blockhead!

I’m running out of punny insults!

I have a few other characters done over in this merchandising style. You can pick them up at any Hallmark store. Of course, the offerings aren’t confined to Disney characters:

I have Buzz Lightyear and Woody from the Disney/Pixar line, and Dr. Bunsen Honeydew and Beaker from the Muppets line.

These are not a bad buy at just $7.95 CAN each. They are meant to be a stackable storage solution to organize your smallest treasures.

This Cubeez version of the Chef will find a home beside his plush version atop our refrigerator:

“Aahhh! De bork duh bork und twinny me-me!”

I think that means he is pleased that he will soon have some company up there! I don’t think he could have cooked up a better idea himself!

Posted in Kitchen, Merchandise, Plush | Tagged Cubeez, Gold Crown Exclusive, Hallmark, Kitchen, Merchandise, Muppets, Plush, Storage Tin, Swedish Chef, Tins | Leave a comment

Disney’s Read-Along Books and Records from the 1970’s

Posted on April 30, 2016 by Dis-LEE

Welcome to more of my record/book collection! This post will feature releases from 1973 and 1977.

Robin Hood

This is the only version I have from 1973. It now carries the tag line “Walt Disney Productions’ Story of” instead of the earlier “Walt Disney Presents” and “Walt Disney’s Story of” tag lines.

The coloring page is now gone with the extra page being used to finish the story. As with most record/books, the original story is pretty much in tact. It also includes two songs from the film: ‘The Phony King of England’ and ‘Oo-De-Lally’.

Now let’s visit 1977:

Pinocchio

This story is altered somewhat, with Monstro the whale not making an appearance, and that part of the tale being all-but ignored. The book simply says Pinocchio had adventures which taught him enough lessons to earn his transformation into a real boy.

The coloring page is back!

Bambi

A major story deviation happens in this reader! Bambi’s mother does not get shot by Man, but simply disappears from the storyline midway through the book.

The coloring page in this book is actually a continuation from the story, which is new for these readers.

The last record/book I have from the date of 1977 has a new tag line: “Authorized Walt Disney Productions’ Edition” of

The Rescuers

Disney decided to spare young readers from the grizzly end of the villain with this record/book. We do see Medusa climbing up the boats smoke stack, but only to yell about the loss of her diamond. In the movie, her alligators turn on her and are ready to eat her!

Unfortunately, the coloring page is again missing from this release!

I have a bonus record/book for you! I don’t know the date for it, but it does have a special feature:

101 Dalmatiens

Although I can’t read this French edition, I can tell from the pictures that the story has been significantly altered. Disney once again spares young readers from the horrible car accident that kills Cruella De Ville in the movie.

And no coloring page again!

If you love these old collectibles as much as I do, please see my other post entitled:

Disney’s Read-Along Records and Books: 1960’s

Posted in Books, Collectibles, Music, Soundtracks | Tagged 101 Dalmatians, Bambi, Books, Collectibles, Music, Pinocchio, Read-Along, Record Readers, Robin Hood, Soundtracks, The Rescuers | 2 Comments

20,000 Leagues Deep Sea Treasure Hunt Game

Posted on April 29, 2016 by Dis-LEE

I hate playing board games! But for some unknown reason I love collecting vintage Disney board games. I think it’s because of the beautiful artwork:

There are many versions of this game produced by Disney as this was a very popular property for the studio. This version is a standard board-playing style made in 1954 by Jaymar Games.

Speaking of the artwork, as usual, some artistic license was taken with the images used. For example, there are two different types of underwater suits depicted on the box cover, when only one style was used in the movie (Editor’s Note: Thanks to a knowledgeable reader, Nautilusnut, we have new information about these suits. Please check the comments to learn of their correct use in the film.) Also, this game is based on finding treasure, when only two characters in the movie sought treasure, and this was only a sub-plot in the original movie.

However, this in no way detracts from the fun of the game!

Game board label and playing surface

So what is the object of the Deep Sea Treasure Hunt game? Have a look at the official rule sheet from inside the box:

See a problem?

Again, some license had to be taken to make the game work. The object is to submerge your diver 20,000 leagues beneath the sea. This is impossible! Please see my earlier post entitled Disney’s 20,000 Leagues Electric Quiz Game for an explanation of why. The answer is in the Fun Fact at the end of the post.

Getting back to the game in this post, the spinner is quite nice:

That’s a very colorful Nautilus!

I picked this game up for just $15.00 CAN because it has some damage issues on the box. The rest of the game is in very good condition with all of the parts present.

I’m red!

I hope you enjoyed this post featuring a vintage Disney game. For more interesting games that have been released throughout the years, check out the post entitled:

Disney Game Night

You’ll find no less than 15 titles!

Posted in Attractions, Collectibles, Games, Movies | Tagged 20000 Leagues Under the Sea, Attractions, Collectibles, Games, Jaymar Games, Movies | 2 Comments

Disney-themed Shot Glasses or Toothpick Holders

Posted on April 28, 2016 by Dis-LEE

It really does depend on what era of Disney you grew up in!

Lots of taboo things used to be sold in the parks, like cigars and cigarettes, ashtrays, and the like. Today, you just don’t see these things on display. But you can find them at flea markets and in charity shops:

By volume, would these glasses hold more alcohol or toothpicks? (Trick Question) I found this set of three shot glasses at my local Value Village.

Let’s take a closer look, starting with the Leader of the Binge:

“You’re serving alcohol?” – Mickey Mouse

Pluto seems just as confused by the offering of spirits:

“Woof?” – Pluto

The only one who seems happy about the impending deluge of tequila shots is Minnie Mouse:

Minnie waits for her supplier during Prohibition

Each shot glass has the image repeated on the inside-bottom of the glass:

In case you can still see when your glass is empty!

I’ve searched far and wide for other Disney-themed shot glasses but they are few and far between in Canada, if not non-existent. My search will continue!

In the meantime, check out my post entitled Taboo Disney for more great old discontinued stuff (PC’ers need not click!)

Posted in Food, Kitchen, Merchandise | Tagged Food, Merchandise, Mickey Mouse, Minnie Mouse, Mugs, Pluto, Shot Glasses, Toothpick Holders | 2 Comments

Disney’s Zootopia FLASH the Sloth Plush

Posted on April 27, 2016 by Dis-LEE

‘Flash! Flash! Hundred Yard Dash!’ – Nick. Undoubtedly one of my favorite characters from Disney’s hit movie Zootopia. You can read my review by clicking the link.

I recently went to The Disney Store looking for merchandise from the new live-action Jungle Book, but found none (in case you’re wondering, TDS will not be getting any JB merchandise at all). But while looking around, I found the last in-stock plush of:

I like his tie! Apparently, he sold out pretty fast. Ironic.

His arms can be raised. His hands are attached together so you can hang him from something, much like a real sloth in the wild would hang from a tree.

Disney Store Exclusive

For more Zootopia character merchandise, check out my post entitled Zootopia ‘Mystery Minis’ Vinyl Figure.

To conclude, here is some trivia about Flash from Disney Wiki:

His actor Raymond S. Persi previously voiced Gene and Zombie from Wreck-It Ralph, and the Horn from Get a Horse!.
It is implied that Flash got his nickname due to his love of drag racing.
Ironically, Flash’s license plate is “FST NML”.
Flash’s hair cut is based on the hairstyle of co-director Byron Howard.
It takes Flash an hour to tie his tie.
Flash and Nick went to high school together and were both members of the track team.

Posted in Disney Store, Plush | Tagged Department of Mammal Vehicles, Flash, Plush, Raymond S. Persi, Sloth, The Disney Store, Zootopia | 1 Comment

Disney’s Read-Along Books and Records from the 1960’s

Posted on April 26, 2016 by Dis-LEE

1965 was a good year: The Beatles were at their creative best. The cars were amazing. I was born. And Disney was releasing awesome books with 33 1/3 rpm records for children. Each one was a Read-Along Book and Record:

The Three Little Pigs

This classic Short from 1933 is retold here with the story basically intact. Some details have been edited out but the hit song “Who’s Afraid of the Big Bad Wolf?” is also included.

Most of the record/books from this period had a coloring page at the back next to the record. For some reason, full artwork was included with this release.

Sleeping Beauty

Side A of the record has the story, with the traditional bell ringing to tell you when to turn the page. On Side B there are two songs from the film: “Once Upon a Dream” and “I Wonder”.

Again, the main story is basically intact for this release, and the coloring page is present, and uncolored (which is excellent from a collecting point of view!)

Lady and the Tramp

All three of these record/books from 1965 have the tag line ‘Walt Disney’s Story of’ before the title. In later years, this tag line changes.

The story for this film has been changed substantially. Let’s have a look:

Lady and Tramp meet early in the story, with Tramp warning Lady of the trouble to come from having a baby in the family.

Lady is muzzled, not because of her fight with the Siamese cats, but simply because Aunt Sarah doesn’t like her.

The entire love story is dropped with the couple returning to the house because Lady is homesick.

Another major change happens here, with the danger that gets Tramp accepted into the family being a fire instead of a rat looking for the baby’s milk. Perhaps a rat was deemed too scary for young readers?

Instantly, Tramp gets his collar and four pups!

The coloring page is present, but if you look closely, you’ll notice a mistake. Lady and Tramp have a pup in this image, but Tramp’s collar is missing, which he should have at this time.

I have one more record/book from close to this period, from 1967:

The Jungle Book

The tag line changes to ‘Walt Disney Presents’ now. The story follows the basic plot of the movie with only basic omissions for space considerations.

The coloring page is still being printed at this time. The record contains two songs from the film: “I Wan’na Be Like You” and “The Bare Necessities”.

So please wait for the sound of the bell. Upon hearing it, please click over to one of these other great posts about read-along records:

Alternate version of Sleeping Beauty

Disney’s Read-Along Books and Records: 1970’s

Posted in Books, Collectibles, Music, Soundtracks | Tagged Books, Collectibles, Lady and the Tramp, Music, Read-Along, Record Readers, Sleeping Beauty, Soundtracks, The Jungle Book, The Three Little Pigs, Western Publishing Company | 4 Comments

Monday Topics: Looking Back at Disney

Posted on April 25, 2016 by Dis-LEE

W E E K F O U R

LOOKING BACK AT DISNEY

Our friends over at Love Our Crazy Life have asked some of their blogging friends (like me) to participate in a Blogging Challenge. So for four weeks in April, on every Monday morning, I will be covering a different Disney-related topic. You can click the link above to find all of the other participants and their entries. Enjoy!

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The Back Side

I struggled with this topic, so it was fortunate for me that it came last in the series! I thought of doing a comparison of Disney then and now, but that would take too much time. I thought of doing a pictorial of me in 1972 at Walt Disney World versus me in modern times. But I have too few images for such a post. So what to do?

Why not do the unexpected, or inexplicable? So welcome to my post that looks at the back side of Disney!

Back Side of Sleeping Beauty Castle (Disneyland model)

Disney Legend and Imagineer Herb Ryman designed Disneyland’s iconic Sleeping Beauty Castle. Now, the infamous story of how this castle got turned around may be apocryphal, or it may be true, but it certainly is entertaining. Herb says:

“One thing that he (Walt) insisted upon was that there be a very, very conspicuous castle, because the castle is going to be the symbol of this whole place. Fred Joerger had done a beautiful model of this castle. When I saw it I said, ‘I don’t like it.’ So I took a look at the castle model, grabbed a hold of the upper portion of the model, and turned it around so that the back of the upper portion now faced the front. ‘Dick said, ‘Now, Herbie, quit playing with it. Put it back. He said ‘Walt’s going to be here any minute, and Walt won’t like it. Turn it around. Put it back.’”

But time ran out and Walt saw the altered version. And loved it! So the whole thing was built around the wrong way. So when you visit Disneyland and take a picture of the front of the castle, your picture will turn out backwards!

Back Side of Water (Jungle Cruise)

I’m constantly amazed at how many times Disney is able to get us excited about simple and common things. Millions of us take pictures of trash cans just because they are color-coded to the Land they are in. Many of us enjoy a bus ride, even though we have to wait too long to get on one and they take forever to get anywhere!

And then there is the back side of water.

A simple gag line from a corny attraction has caused more cameras to click and more people to groan than any other naturally occurring substance in the World!

Back Side of Disney Cruise Ships (Disney Wonder)

Each of the ships in the Disney Cruise Line have a distinctive character tableau attached to the back. Historically, most sailing ships would stick a figure on the front, such as Pirate ships. But Disney just had to be different!

They are almost impossible to see from the ship themselves, so take your pictures before you board. I guess Disney just wants to give those ocean-going tailgaters something to look at!

Back Side of Disney Clothing (Mickey T-shirt)

OK, that’s just rude! But I’m sure Mickey is just being playful as he takes a backwards peek at us. There are many different designs in this theme, showing us the back of characters instead of just another view of the more familiar fronts.

But be careful: You may not know if you’re coming or going when wearing one of these!

And there you have my look back at the back side of Disney. I wonder who else would have thought of this angle for Looking Back at Disney?!

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Be sure to check out all four of my posts in this series of Monday Topics:

Topic One – Disney Essentials

Topic Two – Disney Tutorial

Topic Three – Best Of Disney

Topic Four – Looking Back at Disney (You are here)

Posted in Attractions, Clothing, Disney Cruise Line, Disneyland, History | Tagged Attractions, Blogging Challenge, Clothing, Disney Cruise Line, Disneyland, History, Love Our Crazy Life, Monday Topics, Sleeping Beauty Castle | Leave a comment

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