Disleelandia

Where Is ‘The Best Seat In The House?’ at Disney

Posted on March 4, 2014 by Dis-LEE

When I first went to Walt Disney World, I thought I had to be at the head of the line for everything. So I arrived early for Shows. Huddled by the Entry Doors of Attractions. And ran to the Rides. Many have done this thinking that it will give them ‘the best seat in the house.’ But it doesn’t!

After my first visit, or what I now affectionately call my learning curve, I took a more leisurely approach. So in this article, I am going to share with you just how to get that ‘best seat in the house’ at each Attraction in the World. The same tips will work for those of you who frequent Disneyland, as many of the Attractions I will be mentioning are located in both Parks. Let’s start with:

Thrill Rides

These include: Space Mountain; Rock and Roller Coaster; Expedition Everest; etc. For these rides, you want to sit in the front car. However, you likely will have to ask to sit in the front car, and you may have to wait a little longer as others are let by you until all of the other seats are filled.

Tip: There is one Roller Coaster that you do not want to do this for. Big Thunder Mountain Railroad is much more exciting for those who sit in the back seat. This comes from a Cast Member who gave me the tip after I asked for the front seat. He told me that the Train slows after cresting some of the hills, letting the front cars down the other side gradually until the rear of the Train crests. Then the Train is released and the thrills return. So the riders in the rear of the Train get a better experience. I did this, and he was right!

Splash Mountain; Test Track; Soarin’; Mission Space; Maelstrom; Kali River Rapids; The Twilight Zone Tower of Terror; etc. all give a great ride no matter where you sit.

Live Shows

First off, you will be told by the attending Cast Member of these Attractions that all seats are the ‘best in the house.’ And they are right, to a point. Every seat does yield an adequate view. But the principle I will be applying is based on my personal Movie Theater preference, which is: Always sit two-thirds of the way back from the front and dead center.

Shows for which this principle should be applied are: Voyage of the Little Mermaid; Beauty and the Beast; Lights,Motors, Action! Extreme Stunt Show; Finding Nemo – the Musical; Fantasmic; etc.

Tip: Once inside, the Cast Member will ask you to move all the way to the far side of the Theater and fill all available seats. You will not be allowed to stop half way across! So the strategy has to start outside the Entry Doors. Don’t rush to be first in line. Hold back to about the center of the crowd and file in slowly. Once inside, locate a row that is about one-third filled and head for it. By the time you get there and move across, you will be in about the center of the Theater. Go in by means of the center Entry Door and you should get the ‘best seat in the house.’

Playhouse Disney and the Festival of the Lion King, among others, give you a good view no matter where you sit. In fact, it’s best to choose a new seat each time you go.

Staged Shows

Shows like: Muppet Vision 3D; Country Bear Jamboree; The Hall of Presidents; Mickey’s Philharmagic; Monsters Inc. Laugh Floor; Carousel of Progress; It’s Tough to be a Bug; etc. are all examples where the ‘hold back’ approach is not needed. Truly, any seat in the house is perfect.

Tip: Because all seats are good, you don’t need to rush to be the first in the door. You can relax and enjoy the pre-show or the queue area, or even mill around outside the attraction until just moments before the doors open.

Miscellaneous

These rides or shows: Main Street Vehicles; Walt Disney World Railroad; The Haunted Mansion; Jungle Cruise; Star Tours; The Enchanted Tiki Room; Peter Pan’s Flight; The Many Adventures of Winnie the Pooh; It’s a Small World; Buzz Lightyear’s Space Ranger Spin; Stitch’s Great Escape; Spaceship Earth; Universe of Energy; The Great Movie Ride; Dinosaur; Gran Fiesta Tour; Pirates of the Caribbean; etc. all give you a good view no matter where you sit.

And there you have it. Over five years of exhaustive research into Disney Seatology at your fingertips! So the next time you visit Walt Disney World or Disneyland, you’ll be sure to get the ‘best seat in the house!’

Posted in Attractions, Walt Disney World | Tagged Attractions, Beauty and the Beast, Country Bear Jamboree, Main Street Vehicles, Rock n Roller Coaster, Seating, Tips, Walt Disney World | Leave a comment

Donald Duck Figurines and Plastic Squeezy

Posted on March 2, 2014 by Dis-LEE

Mickey Mouse may have gotten his own club, complete with Mouseketeers, but Donald Duck certainly got his share of admiration! There was even a time when his popularity eclipsed his mousey cousin, appearing in more Disney films than any other character.

And he even got his own song. The Donald Duck song was the theme for his cartoons from 1947 to 1959. Today, it stands as the official theme song for Donald Duck. Here are the lyrics:

Who’s got the sweetest disposition? One guess — guess who! Who never never starts an argument? (Woman: Hmmmm?) Who never shows a bit of temperament? Who’s never wrong but always right? (Donald: Yeah?) Who’d never dream of starting a fight? (Donald: That so?!) Who gets stuck with all the bad luck? No one… (Donald quacks angrily) but Donald Duck! (Donald: Yeah!)

So in honor of our feisty little fowl, I thought I’d share a few of the figurines of him that I’ve collected over the years:

Who’s got the sweetest disposition indeed!

Many figurines depict Donald in one fix or another

These early figures show Donald’s musical side

Music just makes Donald do the Hornpipe

The hornpipe is any of several dance forms played and danced in Britain, Scotland, and Ireland from the late 17th century until the present day. It is said that hornpipe as a dance began around the 16th century on English sailing vessels. Movements were those familiar to sailors of that time: “Looking out to sea” with the right hand to the forehead, then the left, lurching as in heavy weather, and giving the occasional rhythmic tug to their britches both fore and aft.

Donald’s first appearance was in The Wise Little Hen (1934), but it was his second appearance in Orphan’s Benefit that introduced him as a temperamental comic foil to Mickey Mouse. The great Clarence Nash (December 7, 1904 – February 20, 1985) developed and supplied his signature voice for almost 50 years.

Our last figurine shows Donald in just one of the many roles he’s played over the years:

Donald says it’s time to stop!

Posted in Ceramics, Characters, Collectibles, Figurines | Tagged Ceramics, Characters, Clarence Nash, Collectibles, Donald Duck, Figurines, Hornpipe, Theme Song | Leave a comment

Where Have All the Disney Princes Gone?

Posted on March 1, 2014 by Dis-LEE

The camera pans to a large leather-bound book. It has gold leaf edges complete with a hand-painted scene on the cover. It depicts a beautiful maiden in the arms of a handsome Prince. The music swells as the cover of the book is opened to reveal the immortal fairy tale words: ‘Once upon a time, in a Kingdom far, far, away, lived…’

You know the rest. Snow White; Sleeping Beauty (above); Cinderella; they all got their start this way. Along with just about every other cartoon soon-to-be Princess! But this storybook opening isn’t the only constant to be found in feature-length animated fairy tales.

The other constant is the minimal role of the Prince himself. Usually he is a handsome young man (unmarried, this is very important) who just wants to find true love. He happens upon a peasant girl who sings beautifully, talks to animals, and is drop-dead gorgeous! Oh, and some very powerful person hates her and is bent on destroying her. If I was a Prince looking for my lady fair, I’d want to know this going in, but that’s just me.

Next comes the duet (how do they both know the words?) the loss, the chase, the harm/death sequence, all concluding with a kiss. Oh, and a marriage with the obligatory ‘Happily ever after’ tagline! But this entire plot manages to take place with the Prince getting about 10 minutes or less of screen time. When all is said and done, the Princess is in our hearts and the Prince is all but forgotten.

Until Disney decides to include the Princess in a parade or stage show in the Parks. Then she needs some eye-candy on her arm and our Prince is resurrected for a brief cameo. When a new Princess appears, her Prince fairs a little better. He gets to stick around for the Meet-and-Greet, but only for the first few months. Then he is ‘fired’ and sent back to the pages of the storybook he came from.

Enjoy it while you can, boys!

Why does Disney DO this?!?

I first started to ponder on this when I heard about the ‘firing’ of Flynn Rider from the Rapunzel meet-and-greet. When that happened, I tried to remember if there were any real Prince meet-and-greets. Answer: None. Nada. Zip. Not even one.

Well, Aladdin manages to hang on over at EPCOT, but usually on the arm of Jasmine. So we’ll call him Mr. Exception for now (but that’s still Prince Ali A Bu Bu whatever-whatever to you).

Aladdin was posing alone at Disneyland in 2013

With the popularity of the Bibbidi-Bobbidi-Boutique and it’s propensity for pumping out little Princesses by the carriage-load, am I the only one who sees the marketing and photo-op potential of a Prince meet-and-greet right next to the exit? And I don’t think it’s too much of a stretch to believe that a few of the little Princesses’ mommies would get a kick out of snuggling up to Prince Eric or Prince Charming themselves = Girls Day Out at the Prince Meet-and-Greet!

Come on Disney! Give the old Princes a new lease on life. Let them have their day in the sun. After all, some of them had to fight long and hard to get their lady fair (albeit, mostly off-screen), so the least you could do is give them some face time! OK, it’s true the ladies can find some beefcake to pose with while running the Princess Half Marathon, but making women run for miles until they’re hot and sweaty before you let them pose with gorgeous men might not be as appreciated as you think!

Of course, I’ve never heard a Prince complain about this. Maybe they’re at home in their Man Cave in the basement of the castle enjoying Pay-Per-View wrestling events and drinking mead. Maybe they’re laughing at how their Princess is out there getting mauled by long lineups of strangers for nothing but a ‘Thank You’. Maybe they’re thinking to themselves: “It’s good to be the Prince!”

This article was originally published on Disney Dispatch and has been edited and updated. If you’d like to read more articles of this kind, please visit Disney Dispatch and my column called Why Did Disney DO that?!?

Posted in Characters, Theme Parks, Uncategorized, Viewpoint | Tagged Aladdin, Ariel, Characters, Cinderella, Meet and Greet, Parades, Princes, Theme Parks, Viewpoint | Leave a comment

Walt Disney’s Fantasia VHS Box Set

Posted on February 28, 2014 by Dis-LEE

They say that lightning doesn’t strike twice, but I tend to disagree. I recently found, not one, but two VHS box sets at a local flea market. You can check out the first one here, and then feast your eyes on the second one here:

Stamped 1991

This set comes with two VHS tapes, one of the film, and the other containing a 41-minute documentary on the making of the film. It also comes with two CD’s containing the entire soundtrack.

Suggested Retail was $119.99 but I paid just $20.00

Of course, this set also includes a book. In this case, its soft cover and has 30 pages. It’s a beautiful 11″ x 14″ large-format high-gloss publication containing two pages of full-color reproductions of movie posters, and then each section of the film is given its own chapter. Very rewarding reading!

Only available with this set

Last but not least is the Commemorative Lithograph of an original concept painting from 1939:

Even the envelope it comes in is cool!

Fantasia might not be everyone’s cup of tea, but as a dabbler in the arts myself, I enjoy it as the ground-breaking piece of creativity it was, and still is!

Technically, lightning has struck for me three times, as I originally found a VHS box set of Aladdin while on vacation in Michigan a few years ago. But the box was so badly damaged, there was no point in trying to save it. But I still have the soundtrack, book, and lithograph that came with the set.

Posted in Books, Collectibles, Merchandise, Movies, Music, Soundtracks | Tagged Books, Certificate of Authenticity, Collectibles, Fantasia, Lithograph, Merchandise, Movies, Music, Soundtracks, VHS | Leave a comment

Photography Tips 101 for the Disney Parks

Posted on February 27, 2014 by Dis-LEE

Hello, picture-taking fans! Today, I thought I’d do a Photography 101 post for everyone who’s ever wondered what to take a picture of when visiting Disneyland or Walt Disney World.

Now you all know that I’m a non-award winning photographer with no real qualifications to write such a post, but if you’re all willing to push past that, let us begin. I will break this down into categories for you and show an example of each. Now pay attention and no gum chewing, please:

Close ups: An object out of context can be interesting

Look up: Unusual compositions are everywhere

Signage: Disney artists put a lot of thought into this stuff

Food: Or what it’s served on

Merchandise: Clothes as Art. Not just for Andy Warhol anymore!

Oddities: They’re everywhere

This is by no means an exhaustive list of options, but if I have to tell you everything, then you’re obviously not talented enough to benefit from my brilliance anyway! And if that sounds rude, well, what did you expect from a non-award winning photographer with no real qualifications???

Hello? Is anyone still there?

Posted in Humor, Photography, Tips | Tagged Disneyland, Humor, Photography, Signage, T-shirts, Tips | 2 Comments

Top 5 Disney Cast Members to Talk To

Posted on February 26, 2014 by Dis-LEE

Of course, we all talk to hundreds of Cast Members during our trips. But I don’t mean ‘talking’ as in asking where the bathrooms are or “Excuse me, is this the FastPass line?” I’m talking about the Top Five Cast Members to actually have a conversation with.

But let’s qualify this a bit more: By conversation, I don’t mean a sit-down one-hour share-your-life-story talk. Cast Members are busy people. However, some of them are available for some brief Guest interaction, and would love to chat it up with you.

Erin, from DCA

So with that in mind, here are the Top Five Cast Members to talk to during your next trip:

Chat No. 5

Cleaning staff. Very much a thankless job, these CM’s aren’t just there to sweep up and empty garbage cans. Most of them know the Park better than anyone and can give accurate directions to anywhere from anywhere! And I’ve never met one yet who wouldn’t give you the time of day. In my experience, they will even approach you if you look the least bit lost. Taking a few minutes to interact with these great people could just make their day, and yours!

Try asking them: Where would you go in the Park right now if you could?

Chat No. 4

Parade Route wranglers. Before any parade starts, there’s usually a lot of standing around. Many of the Cast Members who are there to keep you behind the ropes will also have time for a brief chat. They may even be wearing a Pin Trading lanyard, which is an indication they want Guest interaction. But these CM’s are busy, so make it quick.

Can you spot the Cast Member?

Find out who their favorite character is in the Parade, and why.

Chat No. 3

Attraction staff. These are the poor unfortunate souls you see standing in front of a ride that is not operating, or the person who operates the same thing over and over, like the Monorail Pilot below. They may get to stand for hours telling disgruntled Guests they can’t ride their favorite attraction today, or just push the same button. Sound like fun? Not much, so they could use a little interaction!

You can still talk to Monorail Pilots at DLR, but not WDW

Try asking for a piece of unknown trivia about the attraction itself.

Chat No. 2

Merchandise Cart staff. CM’s in stores are usually pretty busy and get lots of Guest interaction throughout the day. But the poor guys and gals stuck on some of the merchandise carts are all but ignored. For example, the ones outside the EPCOT main entrance, or any cart stuck in a deserted corner of a Park. These people are bored, to say the least!

If you really want to make their day, buy something during your conversation!

Chat No. 1

World Showcase staff. This is in the number one spot because it’s the no-brainer of the list. Each Pavilion has CM’s who are from that actual country. So if you’ve ever wanted to meet someone from Morocco or Canada (and who hasn’t fantasized about meeting a Canadian???) then that person is only a few steps away! Again, make sure they’re not too busy first, but then approach them for some nice conversation.

Nanni, from Norway, loading the Maelstrom

Topics: What city are you from? How long have you been here? What’s your favorite Pavilion, and why?

Any Cast Member who is standing around and looking bored is fair game! And part of their job is to interact with you anyway, so why not take advantage of that and have some great conversations. You can learn something new about the Park or Resort you’re visiting, and they can enjoy a Guest experience to make their job more worthwhile.

That’s what they call Win-Win?

Bonus Round

Who might be too busy to talk to you? How about:

Lightning McQueen Wrangler

Posted in Cast Members, Lists, Walt Disney World | Tagged Cast Members, Costumes, Lightning McQueen, Lists, Monorail, Parades, Top 5, Walt Disney World, White Rabbit | 2 Comments

Disney’s Beauty and the Beast VHS Box Set

Posted on February 25, 2014 by Dis-LEE

VHS tapes are so last-century. Flea markets can’t even give them away. But in my opinion, that doesn’t mean that they have no place in polite society anymore! For instance, many old movies haven’t been released on newer DVD or BluRay formats yet, so VHS is still the only way to see them.

And of course, if you keep a sharp look out like me, you may just find something like this:

Main box is approximately 12″ x 18″

I found this factory-sealed set at a local flea market for just $20 (original retail price: $119.99) and couldn’t resist it. It was exciting being the first person to open it! The sticker above was on the back of the packaging showing what was inside.

This is what’s inside

I own the Platinum Edition 2-disc DVD set of this movie, so the VHS tape in the above set won’t be opened. But the tape beside it will be. Before the movie was released, there was a test screening at the 1991 New York Film Festival. It was called Work in Progress. As the movie wasn’t finished yet, several scenes were only story boards or rough animation. This version of the movie has never been seen outside of that original test screening! But I now have a copy. Can you say ‘movie night with fellow Disney fans?’

Also included is the soundtrack on CD. But as they say on the infomercials: “But wait! There’s more!”

88 pages w/16 chapters

I love finding these VHS sets because they always contain a beautiful publication like this one. The book contains concept art, cast interviews, and extensive notes on the making of the film.

But I know what you’re saying, friends: “If only it had a framed Exclusive Commemorative Lithograph!” Well, friends, this is your lucky day:

This set is marked 1992

My only problem when I buy these kinds of things is whether to leave them intact in the box or open and enjoy the contents, framing and hanging the lithograph. Decisions, decisions.

Maybe you can help me: Would you keep it intact, or open and enjoy it? Let me know in the comments below.

Posted in Animation, Collectibles, Merchandise, Movies, Soundtracks, Videos | Tagged Animation, Beauty and the Beast, Books, Collectibles, Lithograph, Merchandise, Movies, Soundtracks, VHS, Videos | Leave a comment

The African Queen Inspired Disney’s Jungle Cruise

Posted on February 24, 2014 by Dis-LEE

The African Queen is a 1951 adventure film adapted from the 1935 novel of the same name by C. S. Forester. The film was directed by John Huston and produced by Sam Spiegel. The screenplay was adapted primarily by James Agee. It was photographed in Technicolor by Jack Cardiff. The film stars Humphrey Bogart (who won the Academy Award for Best Actor – his only Oscar) and Katherine Hepburn.

Set below includes 8 Still Cards like this one

I just picked up an amazing Commemorative DVD Box Set about the movie:

Senitype representing The African Queen (boat) as filmed in the Technicolor Process

You may recognize the style of boat from the above picture? It should remind you of a famous Disney attraction vehicle!

For Disney fans, the most interesting fact about The African Queen film is that it’s reported to have inspired The Jungle Cruise! Actually, there are said to be two sources of inspiration for the attraction, one being the 1955 True-Life Adventure film entitled “The African Lion,” about a pride of lions, and the film The African Queen. Imagineer Harper Goff referenced the African Queen frequently in his ideas; indeed, it appears his designs of the ride vehicles were inspired by the steamer used in the film.

The small steam-boat used in the film to depict the African Queen was built in 1912, in England, for service in Africa. Let’s compare it to its Theme Park counterpart. First, let’s look at the steering:

In the movie, Ms. Hepburn steers the boat from the rear using a tiller, but in the attraction, the Skipper uses a wheel in the front of the boat:

Uniform color seems the same though

At one time the original boat used as The African Queen in the movie was owned by actor Fess Parker, giving us another Disney tie to the movie. In December 2011, plans were announced to restore the boat. Restoration was completed by the following April and the African Queen is apparently now on display as a tourist attraction at Key Largo, Florida. So if true, this would make an awesome side trip for any Disney fan!

One more cool comparison is found in the 5′ long model used for filming in the movie:

Any scene in the movie where the boat is filmed in a long shot, and in danger, it is actually this 5′ model. And if you like to play with toy boats, you can get your fix just outside The Jungle Cruise in Walt Disney World:

So both The African Queen and The Jungle Cruise have little models of the boats made, but admittedly, WDW’s versions are smaller!

The boat in the movie is called ‘African Queen’, but the boats in the Jungle Cruise attractions have a variety of names. In Disneyland, the queue and station are themed as the headquarters and boathouse of a River Expedition Company, located in a (presumably British) colony of the 1930s. And I believe the names presently in use are:

Amazon Belle
Congo Queen (nudge, nudge)
Ganges Gal
Hondo Hattie
Irrawaddy Woman
Kissimmee Kate (nudge, nudge a.k.a. Katherine Hepburn?)
Nile Princess
Orinoco Adventuress
Suwannee Lady
Ucayali Una (Wheelchair equipped)
Yangtze Lotus
Zambezi Miss

Names decommissioned in 1997:

Magdalena Maiden
Mekong Maiden

At Walt Disney World, the Jungle Cruise is set up as a depression-era British outpost on the Amazon river, operated by the fictional company, The Jungle Navigation Co., and their boats are named as follows:

Amazon Annie
Bomokandi Bertha (Wheelchair lift equipped)
Congo Connie
Ganges Gertie
Irrawaddy Irma
Mongala Millie
Nile Nellie
Orinoco Ida
Rutshuru Ruby
Sankuru Sadie
Senegal Sal
Ucyali Lolly
Volta Val
Wamba Wanda (Wheelchair lift equipped)
Zambesi Zelda

Retired boat

Kwango Kate (nudge, nudge a.k.a. Katherine Hepburn again?)

Keep in mind these lists are as accurate as I could make them. But now, onto the last bit of Jungle Cruise lore: Is there going to be a live-action movie of the attraction? Let’s read a Disney Press Release:

The Walt Disney Studios is excited to be in development with Mandeville Films and writer Roger S.H. Schulman on a feature film based on the Jungle Cruise, one of the most iconic attractions in Disney theme park history. The film will pair up Tim Allen and Tom Hanks in their first live-action project, after their previous collaborations in the Toy Story trilogy.‬ (Original announcement in 2012, source updated in 2014)

Since this original announcement, talk has died down with no new, er… news. If it does go ahead, it likely will take on a much lighter tone than The African Queen film (set in the first World War) opting instead for comedy, more in line with the Jungle Cruise attraction speils and jokes. And with Tim Allen and Tom Hanks on board (pun intended) that seems logical.

Reproduction of book by Hepburn

This great little reproduction (the size of the DVD box) was included in The African Queen Commemorative Box Set and chronicles Ms. Hepburn’s adventures while filming the movie. In a nutshell: It… was… Hell. Actually filmed in Africa, the cast and crew had to deal with disease, injury, and a total lack of comforts and amenities. Let’s hope that if Disney does go ahead with a Jungle Cruise film, it will go better for all involved!

So what do you think: Are there enough similarities to justify a connection between The African Queen and The Jungle Cruise?

Posted in Attractions, Movies, Viewpoint | Tagged Attractions, Commemorative Box Set, DVD, Humphrey Bogart, Jungle Cruise, Katherine Hepburn, Movies, The African Queen, Viewpoint | 4 Comments

Review: The Pizza Press in California

Posted on February 22, 2014 by Dis-LEE

1534 S. Harbor Blvd. Anaheim, CA 92866

714-323-7134

Typical interior

In January of 2013 my wife and I visited California for the first time. We stayed at the Howard Johnson on S. Harbor Street just up the road from the main entrance plaza for Disneyland and DCA. Now, although we did do most of our eating on property, I couldn’t help notice The Pizza Press restaurant just across the street.

If it were any closer, it’d be IN Disneyland

Sometimes you just need great pizza… and beer! And it doesn’t hurt if the prices are less than Park prices, if you know what I mean. I left California knowing that I wanted to return to Disneyland again. But I also left knowing that I wanted to return to eat and drink some more of this:

Build your own pizza for just $10.00 USD

Unlimited toppings (so I went with every meat they had) extra cheese, mushroom, onion and drizzled with BBQ sauce. Pizza Perfection! And a stout ale to wash it down with didn’t hurt the taste buds either. They offer a wide selection of popular, mainstream beers, but also a nice selection of micro-breweries and regionals.

Hand-Crafted Beer? Yes, please!

So if you’re planning a trip to Disneyland, you won’t have far to go for some of the best pizza on the planet (not “Pizza Planet” pizza, just the best… oh, you get it!)

Be sure to click the link to their official site to view the entire menu and prices. One last note: NO Gluten-free options as of 2013.

Posted in Disneyland, Food, Reviews | Tagged Beer, Disneyland, Food, Pizza, Pizza Press, Restaurants, Reviews | Leave a comment

Bradford Exchange ‘A Disney Original’ Collector Plate

Posted on February 21, 2014 by Dis-LEE

There was a time when anything the Bradford Exchange slapped on a plate sold for $50.00 or more and promises of great increases in value filled collectors heads with dreams of big profits in the future. But the reality became that the bottom dropped out and now you can pick these same plates up for $10.00 each at almost any flea market. Sometimes framed!

But that doesn’t mean that plates aren’t still a great thing to collect. Especially Disney-themed plates like this one:

Walt Disney: December 5th, 1901 – December 15th, 1966

Commencing December 5, 1986, we celebrate the 85th Anniversary of the birth of Walt

Disneyland artist Charles Boyer, known for his many years of creating beautiful paintings and sculptures commemorating special Disney milestones, did the illustration for this magnificent plate. This particular one is number 783 of 25,000.

It comes complete with a box, box cover, explanatory pamphlet, and because the lady I bought it from was diligent, the original sales receipt!

Enlarge and enjoy the reading!

This particular plate was bought on Main Street in The Magic Kingdom (WDW) on November 18th, 1988 at 7:09 p.m. Debbie, the lady I recently purchased it from, bought it to decorate her then young daughter’s room. But now that the daughter is grown and has left the nest, the Disneyana had to go.

Original selling price: $40.00 USD, plus tax

But like I mentioned at the outset, the value of these plates is hard to maintain, and so I paid only $25.00 CAN to obtain it for my collection.

As with any collectible, if you have the full story of how it was purchased, where it has been, and who has owned it, you can rightly lay a claim to increased value. But for me, it’s never the money that matters: I just love a good story!

Posted in Collectibles, Merchandise, Walt Disney World | Tagged 85th Anniversary, A Disney Original, Charles Boyer, Collectibles, Comemmorative Plates, Merchandise, Plates, Walt Disney, Walt Disney World | Leave a comment