Disleelandia

Vintage Disney Collectibles featuring Post Toasties

Posted on February 20, 2014 by Dis-LEE

I’ll be showing you some Vintage Disney Collectibles:

I thought I’d start by looking up the word ‘vintage’ and see what it actually means. I’m happy to report that I’m not vintage… yet!

Definition One: If one is referring to an old car, a vintage model would be one produced between 1919 and 1930. So if I was to apply this time period to Disney Collectibles… there wouldn’t be any.

Definition Two: Representing the high quality of a past time, being the best of its kind. OK, now we’re on topic!

I’m going to share three Vintage Disney collectibles with you today. One is from the 1930’s, one from the 1970’s, and the last from the 1980’s. You’ll have to tell me if you feel they are high quality, or the best of their kind:

POST TOASTIES Cut-Outs

In the late 80’s, I owned and ran a small picture-framing store. One day a customer brought in a framed picture and asked me to redo the backing, matt, and glass, with an upgrade to acid-free products. I asked if she wanted the old backing and glass and she said ‘No’. Upon removing the old backing materials, I found among the layers this Post Toasties cereal box panel from the 1930’s!

Yes, I did a ‘happy dance’ and promptly framed it, as you see above. These panels are fairly rare but still attainable, especially in the form of a single panel, that is, the cut-out characters being separated from the rest of the box. Complete boxes are more rare, of course. But to find a character set that was not cut-out… Priceless to me!

WALT DISNEY WORLD COIN, circa 1970’s

Original storage case

This one has deep personal meaning for me because it was bought by my family during one of our first trips to Walt Disney World, either in December of 1971, or around that same time of 1972. This coin has been lost and found again so many times over the years, I’ve simply lost count! But it is now found and in my possession where it will stay henceforth.

With any collectible, the story is as important as the object. I’m glad that each of these collectibles featured today have a connection to my life! It’s no exception with this last piece:

EPCOT CENTER Special Edition Commemorative Ticket (259233)

This was given to me by a friend who used to spend every winter in Florida and so had an Annual Pass each year. She and her husband each received a ticket like this to attend the Grand Opening (or at a later time, if they so chose) of Epcot Center! It came in this great silver envelope:

October 1st, 1982

Unfortunately, the actual admission portion of the ticket is gone, showing that they did actually use it to attend the festivities. But what remains becomes a great vintage collectible! In fact, any collectible that you have that holds meaning for you, is of high quality, or could be considered the best of its kind, is vintage.

I for one am glad that age is not a criteria!

Posted in Advertising, Artwork, Ephemera, Walt Disney World | Tagged Advertising, Artwork, Cereal, Coins, Cut-outs, Epcot, Epcot Center, Ephemera, Mickey Mouse, Pluto, Post Toasties, Tickets, Vintage, Walt Disney World | 35 Comments

More Artwork from the Disneyland Hotel

Posted on February 17, 2014 by Dis-LEE

We’ve only visited The Happiest Place on Earth once and didn’t get to stay in the original Disneyland Hotel. Instead, we stayed at one of the Good Neighbor hotels just across the street. But we couldn’t leave without at least walking the halls and visiting the lobbies of this famous Disney landmark!

What we found most inviting was the artwork that seemed to cover almost every wall. And of course, I couldn’t resist the opportunity to photograph some of it:

Picture-perfect history

These three pieces show some of the great history behind this iconic hotel including one devoted to the many celebrities who have visited or stayed there over the years.

You can find this artwork in the lower lobby of the Fantasy Tower (I believe) at the base of the stairs/escalators just across from Goofy’s Kitchen.

Posted in Artwork, Disneyland | Tagged Artwork, Celebrities, Disneyland, Disneyland Hotel | Leave a comment

Top 5 Mistakes Walt Disney Made

Posted on February 16, 2014 by Dis-LEE

Did Walt Disney ever make a mistake? The answer is a resounding ‘Yes’, but then, who wouldn’t have when taking so many risks to create great entertainment?

So what follows is a list of some of those mistakes, or lost opportunities:

Oopsy Number 1

Oswald the Lucky Rabbit. The character was a hit. The deal was a dud. Walt failed to retain the rights to a character that his studio created from scratch and so had it taken away from him, along with most of his studio! But never one to stay down, Walt learned from his mistake, and vowed never to repeat it. And with the creation of Mickey Mouse, he built an empire all his own that no one ever took from him! So who had the last laugh, Mr. Mintz?

Of course, long after Walt’s passing, Oswald returned to the Disney family! Last laugh: Disney.

Oopsy Number 2

The Animator’s Strike. May 29, 1941. A day that will live in Disney infamy and that would forever change how Walt interacted with his staff. Said to be over wages and credit, there is obviously more to the story than we will ever know! Would things have turned out differently if Walt had stayed to negotiate instead of heading for South America to gather material for future features? We’ll never know. What we do know is during the strike, Walt called the strikers ‘Communists’ and they burned him in effigy. Yikes!

Following the strike, irreparable damage to the psychology and mood of the studio had been done. Before the strike, the number of employees had been about 1200, but after it ended, it was reduced to 694. One letter of the period quotes Walt as saying, about the strike, that “it cleaned house at our studio” and got rid of “the chip-on-the-shoulder boys and the world-owes-me-a-living lads”. Ouch.

It’s a shame this couldn’t have ended better.

Oopsy Number 3

Doreen as the Patchwork Girl and Bobby as the Scarecrow

Rainbow Road to OZ. Walt had always loved the stories of OZ and eventually bought the rights to the books. He planned to make an animated film but then later decided to do a live-action version using the talented kids from the Mouseketeers. You can see a short clip of what it may have looked like on the Walt Disney Treasures collection entitled Your Host, Walt Disney.

This would have been a great vehicle for the Mouseketeers and a way to thank them for all of their hard work. Also, it would have made a fine companion to movies like Babes in Toyland, also starring a (by then) former Mouseketeer: Annette Funicello.

It may have taken until 2013 to pull it off, but Disney did finally realize Walt’s dream and put Oz on the screen with the major motion picture Oz, the Great and Powerful.

Oopsy Number 4

Zorro/Mickey Mouse Club. Why? That’s all I can say about the cancellation of two of the best and most popular, not to mention watched, programs in Disney history. WHY? The short answer is that Walt got into a bitter series of legal challenges with ABC over the ownership of both series. Unable to come to terms, it was decided to pull both shows from the air. With high ratings and viewer loyalty at all time highs, I think there must have been some way to resolve the dispute. This lost opportunity cost us perhaps years of quality entertainment.

Oopsy Number 5

Not hiring Lee Beatens. OK, I was only about 1-year-old when Walt passed, but that’s no excuse for overlooking great talent!

Bonus Round

Disney’s California Adventure. Not Walt’s fault, but certainly a swing and a miss by the company that bears his name! The concept of a theme park dedicated to California arose from a meeting of Disney executives in 1995. Construction of the park began in 1998, and was completed by early 2001. But the crowds never really came. After all, who’d want to fly to California and pay to enter a Theme Park about… California? Why not just… oh, I don’t know, tour the real California? The other problem that I can see was that the Imagineers filled it with rides that were reminiscent of the rides that Walt rejected for Disneyland! Epic fail.

But now with the re-Imagineering of the Park and the addition of Carsland, it’s finally on the right track, and attendance figures show it.

Disney PhotoPass Stock Photo

So we’ve seen that not all of these mistakes, or lost opportunities, were fixable. But most of them were addressed in some way years later, with a nice resolution.

Posted in Lists, Viewpoint | Tagged Disney's California Adventure, Mickey Mouse Club, Mouseketeers, Oswald, Rainbow Road to Oz, Strike, Top 5, Viewpoint, Zorro | 7 Comments

Walt Disney’s Tintype Portrait from Greenfield Village

Posted on February 15, 2014 by Dis-LEE

My wife and I live in the Windsor area, just across the border from Detroit, and hold an Annual Pass to The Henry Ford Museum in Dearborn, MI. But our favorite part of that great institution is Greenfield Village!

Here you can go back in time to when the electric light bulb was only installed in one house, the Model T was just getting started, and living was simpler and more wholesome. And you can even ride in a real Model T, just like we did here:

But if that’s not enough to get you to make a trip to Michigan, how about visiting a site where Walt Disney himself visited? Now if that’s got your interest piqued, then you need to visit this building:

Unassuming, ain’t it?

While on business trips and family vacations, Walt Disney was in the habit of visiting fairs, expositions, and tourist traps to research if there was a better way to do things. He would eventually discover that there was with the creation of Disneyland! But before that happened, one of the places Walt visited was Greenfield Village in Dearborn, MI.

His first visit was on April 12th of 1940. It was said that he was very interested in all of the mechanical exhibits, examining them closely. He posed for a tin-type with a Mr. Charles Tremear in the very building you see above, and can still tour today! The opening image of this post is a replica of that image. Walt’s next visit to the Village was on August 20th, 1943. He visited one last time, this time with Ward Kimball, on August 23rd of 1948. According to a memo from August 31st of the same year, notes were made about the layout of Greenfield Village, the use of a train, and other telling details that would be repeated by Walt. All three visits were well ahead of the building of his signature Theme Park in 1955.

Note Walt’s pose in the bottom left corner

So if you live in the States but a trip to California just isn’t going to happen, than perhaps a trip to the other Park that Walt walked in might be more within your reach!

Footnote: Many sites are featuring Springtime photos of Disneyland and Walt Disney World showing how beautiful these Parks are this time of year. Well, Greenfield Village doesn’t have to settle for runner-up in any beauty contest, as these parting shots will show:

Posted in Attractions, Photography, Theme Parks | Tagged Attractions, Greenfield Village, Henry Ford Museum, Photography, Theme Parks, Tin Signs, Tintype, Walt Disney | Leave a comment

OUTLAND Comic Strip featuring Disney and Mickey Mouse

Posted on February 14, 2014 by Dis-LEE

In the immortal words of Monty Python: “And now for something completely different.” In other words, if you’re easily offended, please scroll down to an older post (actually, it’s not that bad!)

One of my hobbies as a self-professed Amateur Disney Historian is to find odd bits of Disney minutia wherever they may be found. And in whatever form they may take. Even if that form is a little… out there:

Does anyone remember Opus, the puffin?

How about Bill, the cat? These characters are well known (in some circles) for their political satire and biting commentary on… just about everything. So it isn’t surprising that Disney would come into the crosshairs, which it does in the first collection of the Outland comic strip:

The Mortimer Mouse story (sort of)

The joke is that Disney is going to sue Outland for using Mickey Mouse without permission, so these two pages are supposed to explain that it is actually Mortimer Mouse being depicted, and not Mickey. And it also purports to tell just how Mortimer left Disney to join the gang over at Outland.

Innocent enough fun but also a bit edgier than Disney would ever be!

But being a fan of animation, comic strips, and such, I just couldn’t leave this book on the shelf once I noticed a Disney reference. And two things really made me sit up and take notice:

A credible pic of Walt Disney

I thought the artist did a great job of not only doing a great rendering of Walt himself, but also of making an image that could come from 1938.

The Earful Tower!

I just can’t get enough of this Disney Icon! I hope Disney’s Hollywood Studios starts to give this neglected wonder some of the love it deserves.

In my defense (for writing such a post) I direct your attention to an interesting article called The Blogging Food Groups: A Well-balanced Diet of Content by Jason Miller. There he postulates that a blog should have a variety of content to maintain the interest of a readership. This post would (or may) fall under the heading of a ‘condiment’ in that it contains content that provides ‘a bold statement with a strong point of view.’ Or it may be ‘meat’, but you’d have to click on the link, read the definitions, and decide for yourself.

In any event, this Outland strip caught my eye, and for what it’s worth, I present it to you.

Posted in Artwork, Characters, Humor | Tagged Artwork, Berkeley Breathed, Bill the Cat, Characters, Comic Strips, Earful Tower, Humor, Jason Miller, Mortimer Mouse, Opus, Outland, The Blogging Food Groups | Leave a comment

Chevron Autopia Die-Cast Model Cars

Posted on February 13, 2014 by Dis-LEE

I’ve never failed to ride the cars in Tomorrowland’s Speedway when visiting Walt Disney World, and so it was a no-brainer to ride the cars of Autopia when I visited Disneyland for the first time in January of 2013. To steer one of the original attractions was awesome!

Of course, I wished they didn’t have the guide rails that kept you on track (which they didn’t have on opening day) but we can’t have everything.

So I was delighted while on vacation in Florida this year to come across these great Chevron Autopia cars:

DUSTY and SPARKY

CLASSIC

The Classic car I already had and I still need the fourth car of the set, SUZY.

Chevron entered into an agreement with Disney to sponsor this attraction in 1998, as this Press Release announces. Unfortunately, with the rising price of gas and for other reasons, Chevron is no longer sponsoring Autopia. Currently, the attraction has no official sponsor.

But the real fun comes from all of the great advertising stuff! These sets were released in 2000 to commemorate Disneyland’s 45th Anniversary. You could enter to win a Magic Disneyland Vacation:

If I wasn’t a completest, I’d scratch the card just to see what it says!

Same with the stickers: Can’t use them!

I will never stop searching for this playmat!

The same postcard is included in all four of the Autopia Cars

Disneyland Autopia Yesterday and Tomorrow booklet

Now this is by far the most awesome inclusion of the sets. It’s a foldout flyer-style publication with seven pages detailing the history of the Autopia attraction, and seven pages containing a story about the Chevron Cars called Road Rally to Autopia at Disneyland.

It doesn’t get any better than that! The history side contains archival pictures and concept art from the original ride in 1955, the redesign of 1967, and finally the Chevron makeover in 2000. The story side chronicles the Chevron Cars’ trip to Disneyland where they continually ask ‘Are we there yet?’, and finally arrive just as Disneyland is closing. But they are let in to play with their Autopia cousins all night long until morning comes and the Park opens again.

This inclusion is superb and so I will be doing a post on each of the stories later.

Simply pull the cars back and they will speed away

Figures are removable

To quote Disneyland Autopia Yesterday and Today: “Cars are the ultimate vehicle for our imaginations: get behind the wheel and the world is ours. With a car and an imagination, we can go anywhere.”

Well, on the Autopia track, you can’t go anywhere, but you can let your imagination drive away with you!

Posted in Attractions, Collectibles, Disneyland, Merchandise | Tagged Attractions, Autopia, Cars, Chevron, Classic, Collectibles, Disneyland, Disneyland Autopia Yesterday and Tomorrow, Dusty, Playmat, Postcards, Road Rally to Autopia at Disneyland, Sparky, Stickers | Leave a comment

Pixar’s Toy Story JESSE Dolls from Mattel

Posted on February 11, 2014 by Dis-LEE

One of the stand-out characters from Toy Story 2 was Jesse, the Yodeling Cowgirl. It was amazing to see her introduce Woody to all of the vintage merchandise from his marionette TV show! Right from the first blush, I’ve wanted to add her to my toy collection.

The Roundup Gang merchandise

But here’s the thing: Almost all of the dolls produced of Jesse look… freaky. The manufacturers seemed to pattern her expression off the scene where Woody first meets her and she is closing in on him. Remember?

“It’s you! It’s you! It’s you!” – Jesse

Since then, I’ve been able to buy one deluxe version (with real wool hair and normal expression) and now these two great dolls from Mattel:

COWGIRL JESSE

SQUARE DANCE JESSE

There’s a Lots of Looks Jesse but the vendor only had these two of the set. I was able to get them for $10 US each plus tax, which I thought was quite reasonable. Both go for over $30 US on eBay, plus shipping. He had three of the Square Dance Jesse doll and two of the Cowgirl Jesse doll. This was good as I was able to take the ones in the best condition.

Mattel marketed these in 2001 as part of the Toy Story and Beyond! line. This opened up the merchandising of the movie to feature costumes and props that weren’t in the original movies but were merely inspired by them.

Well, I reckon it’s time for this cowpoke to two-step out of here, so git along little bloggers!

This post was brought to you by: COWBOY CRUNCHIES

Posted in Collectibles, Dolls, Merchandise, Movies, Pixar | Tagged Collectibles, Cowboy Crunchies, Cowgirl, Dolls, Mattel, Movies, Pixar, Square Dancing, The Roundup Gang, Toy Story 2, Toy Story and Beyond, Yodeling | Leave a comment

Top 5 Ways to Chill Out at Disney

Posted on February 10, 2014 by Dis-LEE

In honor of both winter and our new Disney friend, Olaf, I would like to present the Top 5 ways to chill out at any Disney Park or Resort.

Cup Topper from Frozen, the movie

Sometimes we get a little stressed and in too much of a hurry during our Disney vacations. What with rushing to get our FastPasses, running to get in a looooong line-up, or trying to plan hours ahead to get the best Parade viewing spot, we might miss the simple pleasures available to us.

Such as:

Chilly Tip Number 5

Hammocks. Most Resorts that have a beach front also have a hammock or two swinging around somewhere. And even if you’re not staying at that Resort, but just Resort-hopping like I do, no one is going to stop you from relaxing for a few moments while you watch boats go by. And if you pick the right hammock in the evening, you may even be able to watch the Electrical Water Pageant.

Stock Photo of the Electrical Water Pageant

Want to know some of the best places to watch the Pageant across the Walt Disney World Resort? Locations include:

Disney’s Polynesian Resort – Beginning at 9:00 PM
Disney’s Grand Floridian Resort & Spa (including Narcoossee’s) – Beginning at 9:15 PM
Disney’s Wilderness Lodge – Beginning at 9:30 PM
Disney’s Fort Wilderness Resort and Campground – Beginning at 9:45 PM
Disney’s Contemporary Resort – Beginning at 10:10 PM; in instances when Wishes Nighttime Spectacular takes place at 10:00 PM, the Electrical Water Pageant will begin shortly following its conclusion
Right outside the entrance of Magic Kingdom park – Beginning at 10:35 PM, during Extended Theme Park Hours only

Chilly Tip Number 4

Dole Whip or Mickey Bars. Most of us can’t resist a frosty treat and these two (among others) are WDWorld-renowned for helping weary and hot Guests chill! Rather than bore you with details here, I’ll let my fellow blogger over at Disney Musings thrill you (or should I say ‘chill you’?) with details at this link.

Picture from Disney Musings

Chilly Tip Number 3

Water. Not just for drinking anymore! If you’re like me, and who isn’t, you likely seek out free chill opportunities wherever they can be found. Well, let me recommend getting a little damp as a great way to chill!

Here are a few places to get a free splash of water: World of Disney at DTD (Stitch will ‘spit’ on you for free); Splash Pad also at DTD (just outside the Disney Design-a-Tee store); Outside Star Tours in Disney’s Hollywood Studios (an Imperial Walker will ‘shoot’ you for free); Test Track Cool Wash at Epcot (see pic below).

Stand and prepare to be misted!

There is simply no end of places where you can get misted, squirted, sprayed, or ‘spit’ on for free at WDW!

Chilly Tip Number 2

Beverages. Sometimes you need to chill from the inside and so only an ice-cold drink will do it! Again, there is no end to the places that serve frosty beverages, but Club Cool is perhaps one of the most fun! Located at the Innovations Pavilion at Disney’s Epcot, this store features Coca-Cola merchandise as well as several fountain drink stations where you can sample some of the world’s more unique flavors of Coca-Cola products, such as:

Krest Ginger Ale from Mozambique
Fanta Kolita from Costa Rica
Beverly from Italy
Vegeta Beta from Japan
Kinley Lemon from Israel
Lift Apple from Mexico
Smart Watermelon from China
Mezzo Mix from Germany

Of course, flavors may change from year to year or visit to visit. Not adventurous with your sipping? Then find your drinking comfort zone just over the bridge in World Showcase. Pick your country and enjoy a regional beverage of your choice!

Chilly Tip Number 1

Water Attractions. OK, no more fooling around! If you really want to chill out then it’s time to get WET. Hit the Kali River Rapids or Splash Mountain and leave the rain poncho in the stroller! The only rules here are no hiding behind another body and never wear white. Other than that: Bring on the Chill!

The temperature was 50 degrees and we got soaked = CHILLED OUT

Bonus Round

Water Parks. This is a no-brainer so… water parks.

Ice Gator from Blizzard Beach

Of course, my wife found another way to chill out during one of our visits to Disney’s Fort Wilderness Resort and Campground. Simply get caught in one of Florida’s sudden thunder showers:

Each to her own, I guess.

Posted in Lists, Viewpoint | Tagged Attractions, Chill Out, Dole Whip, Electrical Water Pageant, Hammocks, Mickey Bar, Olaf, Top 5, Viewpoint, Walt Disney World, Water | 2 Comments

Full Trip Report of the Brevard Zoo in Florida

Posted on February 8, 2014 by Dis-LEE

Being as we spent three weeks in Florida this year (technically part of last year and this year) we had more time to explore the natural wonders of the State. I’ve always enjoyed the scenery in Florida and it was a treat to see more of it during this trip.

The Brevard Zoo – Melbourne, Florida

A nice attraction that we visited gave us a chance to walk amongst the natural habitat of the State while also seeing many indigenous species up close. The entry fee was reasonable and they offered family rates. The excelling factor about this zoo over others is that the enclosures are carved out of the existing Florida landscape instead of simply being manufactured concrete bunkers. One could see the advantage to the well-being of the animals.

As I walked around I couldn’t help but be reminded of Discovery Island at Walt Disney World. This attraction is long gone thanks to the building of Disney’s Animal Kingdom, but for this then-6 year old boy, it left a lasting impression. My cherished memories came flooding back to me and made me miss that little island in the man-made lake!

Especially when I saw this guy:

Solitary Flamingo with no Yo-Yo

The strongest memory I have from my one visit to Discovery Island is the Flamingos. To this day I remember the pathway around the pen and how I felt at seeing so many birds pushed in together. Years later, the memory prompted me to write this poem:

One Song

… the night is touched by many a call / of sunken spirit, not yet willing to fall…

Walking only waters of controlled flow / it stands on one leg and then the other / a beauty on its own but never so… / a bird of beak, claw and clipped feather.

Pink Flamingo

Imagining times of plentiful streams / where flocks summered together in splendor, / is hard when roaming free is a passing dream / that keeps getting harder to remember.

Pink Flamingo

No release in sight brings thoughts of despair / from which few can hope to escape, / but in the odd one… a distant stare, / seeing some far away, majestic landscape…

… one Pink Flamingo sings.

Very beautiful birds

Of course the zoo was filled with many other animals and was divided up into three main sections. You could also zip line and walk among the tree tops, which we didn’t do this time around.

I have to go see a man about a Wallaby

A good view of an animal in his habitat

Like most attractions now, they have a train that circles the zoo and takes you through the inner habitats not viewable from the paths of the zoo proper:

This had the feel of Kilimanjaro Safaris at Disney’s Animal Kingdom, although on a much smaller scale.

Camel Contortions… Ouch!

So the next time you travel to Florida for a Disney vacation, remember there is more to the State than just Mickey and his friends. But don’t tell him I told you!

Posted in Trip Report, Vacation Planning, Zoos | Tagged Brevard Zoo, Discovery Island, Florida, One Song, Poems, Trains, Trip Report, Vacation Planning, Zoos | 4 Comments

Movie Review: Fork and Screen SAVING MR. BANKS

Posted on February 5, 2014 by Dis-LEE

By now everyone who wants too probably has seen Saving Mr. Banks. In our area the movie was not released so we had to wait until we went to Florida to see it! But that was a blessing.

We went to the AMC Theatres in Downtown Disney and watched it as part of the Fork and Screen experience. This I would highly recommend.

Please visit My Dreams of Disney to read my review:

http://www.mydreamsofdisney.com/2014/01/saving-mr-banks-amc-fork-screen/

Food pricing was fair and they had a large Gluten-free menu, which makes this a must-go-to restaurant for anyone with Celiac Disease.

Posted in Food, Movies, Restaurants, Reviews | Tagged AMC Theatres, Celiac Disease, Downtown Disney, Food, Fork and Screen, Gluten-free, Movies, Restaurants, Saving Mr. Banks | Leave a comment