Fantasia New Digital Motion Picture Soundtrack

Posted on June 7, 2022 by Dis-LEE

Fantasia was a revolutionary experiment that combined classical music and free-flowing animation that was released by the Walt Disney Studios back in 1940. The first soundtrack to be released had to wait until 1957 (more on that later). But this post features a later release, Walt Disney’s Fantasia new digital motion picture soundtrack, from 1982.

And why would someone need a two-disc album when they already own a three-disc album of the same music? Because it’s digital! And that means better, right?

Former head of the Disney Archives, Dave Smith, writes the liner notes for this release. He concludes his thoughts by extolling the virtues of this new recording: “The new digital soundtrack thrusts the film once more into contemporary acclaim by combining the timeless animation with sparkling, stat-of-the-art sound reproduction.”

Ron Miller, then-president of Walt Disney Productions, went further with the reasoning behind the project: “Technology has progressed so far since Fantasia’s initial release as the first stereophonic motion picture that the sound no longer matched the extraordinary visuals.”

And so started the effort to rerecord the soundtrack in digital sound for a new release to theaters in Dolby Stereo. To do this, the entire musical program had to be recorded again by a live orchestra, this time conducted by Irwin Kostal. A 121-piece symphony orchestra along with a 50-voice choir was used.

The labels for this LP are clearly Buena Vista Records but Disneyland Records is also credited. All four sides are in good shape.

Being as this album was released in the 1980s, some changes were made to the artwork. Most notably, the female centaur (above, right) is now wearing a bra made of flowers, whereas in the original film, these free-spirited fillies were topless!

As stated earlier, I own the original 1957 three-disc version of this soundtrack. As well as an excerpt LP released in 1963 called The Nutcracker Suite (both shown above).

The Big Question: Is there a noticeable difference between the 1957 original and the 1982 digital version? Unfortunately, we may never know! Remember, these are vintage vinyl recordings, subject to degradation over time. Number of plays, dirt, scratches and neglect make a true comparison difficult, if not impossible. And then there is this disclaimer from the 1957 liner notes: “It will be immediately apparent to critical stereophonic enthusiasts that this by no means represents modern stereophonic recording, and no such claim is made.” Well, alright then! I will lower my expectations.

I have listened to all of these recordings and they are beautiful! But then, I’m no classical music aficionado. Your enjoyment may vary.

If you love Fantasia as I do, I know you will enjoy checking out my Fantasia VHS Box Set, complete with a CD version of the soundtrack. I wonder if it’s better than the vinyl versions? That might be sacrilege. Into sequels? Then you’ll appreciate my Fantasia 2000 Press Kit. Have at it, clickers!

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Disney Glass Souvenir Ashtrays/Candy Dishes

Posted on June 6, 2022 by Dis-LEE

Collectors will understand that the hunt is almost more rewarding than the having. Once you have a complete set of something, the hunt is over, and the fun is gone. But that’s not to say that there isn’t still enjoyment in the having! I just recently found the forth Disney glass souvenir ashtray/candy dish to complete my Disneyland/Walt Disney World set. It’s been years of owning only three and missing the last one.

For each Park, I now have an earlier version and a later version. In the image below, I show the earlier version on top with the later version below:

The gangs all here!

How do I know which is earlier and which is later? Usually you can tell by the level of detail. But in this case, it’s mostly from the makeup of the glass itself. As is the case with both the Disneyland and Walt Disney World versions, the earlier piece has a textured back, or bottom, and the later version has a smooth back, or bottom.

As a souvenir item is continued over many years, Disney seeks to find ways to produce the item more cheaply while raising the cost to the Park guests. This increases the profit margin. So not having a textured backing would make the glassware easier and quicker to manufacturer, thus less expensive for Disney to buy, thus more profitable to sell in the Parks.

Earlier Version

Later Version

The only other difference in the pieces above is the darker golds of the earlier version due to the darker backing. As for the content and order of the imagery on both versions, they are identical in every way.

While we’re on the topic of the backing, let’s have a look at the entire set from the back:

The Back Side of Glass

Again, the two earlier versions (top left and right) have textured backs while the later versions (bottom left and right) have solid colours and smooth surfaces.

Now let’s look at the Walt Disney World versions:

Earlier Version

Later Version

The content and order of the imagery on both versions is identical, but the later version has the addition of gold accenting. Also, the later version changes the use of blue and green for some details in each of the seven images.

So this set is complete! It’s time to turn my attention to other sets in my collection that are still missing pieces. As ever, the hunt is still on… for something!

FUN FACTS: Disney used to have no problem selling shot glasses and ashtrays in the Parks. Drinking and smoking was just a part of life back in the day. But now we have toothpick holders and candy dishes. At least that’s what we’re expected to believe!

Posted in Attractions, Collectibles, Disneyland, Merchandise, Souvenirs, Theme Parks, Walt Disney World | Tagged , , , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

Precious Moments Mary Poppins & Bert Musical Figurine

Posted on June 5, 2022 by Dis-LEE

Precious Moments is an enduring line of merchandise sold at most greeting card stores and novelty shops. They feature childlike versions of popular characters enacting famous scenes from movies or literature. In today’s post, we’re having a look at the Mary Poppins and Bert musical figurine from 2015.

This figurine captures the endearing moment when Mary and Bert sing a duet while on a Jolly Holiday in… a chalk painting! Yup. It’s the movies.

But… you’re still in the ‘Friend Zone’!

I don’t know if you noticed this point, but after gushing about how wonderful Mary is, Bert is quite politely put in the dreaded ‘Friend Zone’! He sings: “It’s a jolly holiday with Mary, no wonder that it’s Mary that we love!” And does Mary return his affection? Sort of, but not in the way he’d like. Here is a snippet of Mary’s lyrical response: “Oh, it’s a jolly holiday with you, Bert. Gentlemen like you are few… You’d never think of pressing your advantage. Forbearance is the hallmark of your creed, a lady needn’t fear, when you are near. Your sweet gentility is crystal clear!“

Poor Bert! ‘Forbearance’ means to exhibit patient self-control and restraint, as in ‘forbearance from taking action’. Translation: Get off wit ya!

This is part of the larger merchandising line from Disney Showcase Collection. In this case, Disney has partnered with Precious Moments to create a very magical cinematic moment! For us. Not for Bert.

The music for this figurine is based on Jolly Holiday from the movie, Mary Poppins. However, it is a very short loop that is simply repeated over and over again. I’ve included two loops below:

Jolly Holiday

The original song was written by long-time Disney collaborators, Richard and Robert Sherman. For more of my Disney related Precious Moments collection, check out the link.

And away they go!

While Mary and Bert march off hand in hand, let’s conclude with the final lyrics to the song of the day – Jolly Holiday:

It’s true that Mavis and Sybil have ways that are winning
And Prudence and Gwendolyn set your heart spinnin’
Phoebe’s delightful, Maude is disarming
Janice, Felicia, Lydia charming

Cynthia is dashing, Vivian’s sweet
Stephanie’s smashing, Priscilla a treat
Veronica, Millicent, Agnes and Jane
Convival company, time and again

Drocas and Phyllis and Glynis are sorts
I’ll agree are three jolly good sports
But cream of the crop, tip of the top
It’s Mary Poppins and there we stop

Okay, now I might just understand Mary’s position. Just how many women does Bert know?!?

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Mattel Donald Duck Talking Airplane Toy

Posted on June 4, 2022 by Dis-LEE

“You know it’s Mattel, because it’s swell!” I bet it’s been a long time since you heard that during a toy commercial! But it does describe this Donald Duck talking airplane toy, for sure.

I picked this up at a charity shop for just $2.99 CAN the other day and didn’t realize it had sound until I got it home. The price sticker was covering the battery compartment. I was beside myself when I actually had batteries ‘in stock’ for it and that it worked when I put them in!

Ready for takeoff!

This was made by Mattel in 2014 and uses three button, or watch, batteries. To activate the sound, you simply push the toy along a hard surface. Donald will bob from side to side and the propeller spins. Then our feathery aviator’s beak starts to open and close and you are treated to quite a few funny sayings.

For being a child’s toy and almost 10 years old, it has held up remarkably well. It’s a testimony to how well, or swell, Mattel builds their stuff!

Just another fly by!

So I think we’ve waited on the runway long enough. Donald has done his pre-flight checks. Please make sure your seats and trays are in the upright positions and prepare for takeoff! You are flying with Air Donald Duck:

Donald Duck Airlines Spiel

Here is a listing of the sayings, in case you couldn’t quite make them out:

“Hang on to your (feathers – ?)“

(Honk Honk)

“Fasten your seatbelts!“

(Putt Putt Putt)

“Feathers, don’t fail me now!“

“Faster! Oh oh! Oops! Honest to Goodness!“

“Whoa! Talk about a tail wind!“

“Oh boy, oh boy!“

(Boing) “Hey! What’s the big idea?“

“Thanks for flying Air Donald Duck!“

No one would claim that Donald is the best pilot, but I think we can all agree he is a better option than Goofy!

I hope whatever little kid who got this toy back in 2014 had lots of fun with it! I would think it was originally made for preschool children, or grown men with toy collections.

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Orange Bird Florida Souvenir Plate

Posted on June 3, 2022 by Dis-LEE

The Little Orange Bird with the orange thoughts and musical tweet sure got around! I’m back with another piece of merchandise from the heyday of the little fella: An Orange Bird Florida souvenir plate:

The Florida Citrus Commission definitely got it’s money’s worth with this exclusive creation. It was a walk-around character in Walt Disney World for a time before going into retirement for decades. The promotion ended but he didn’t fly off into the sunset… for, well… he can’t fly. But don’t mention it to him, he’s sensitive about it. It’s okay though, he’s back with a merchandising vengeance now!

However, before his recent resurrection, he just hung around on pieces of merchandise like this plate. This one still has the original string attached, which is fairly rare, as they usually broke or were simply taken off and lost.

Again, Walt Disney Productions stopped being used as a trademark after 1986, so this product is likely from the 1970s or early 1980s.

For more of this adorable promoter, check out my wife’s Pandora Orange Bird Charm by clicking the link. Or if it’s plates you’re into, check out my Walt Disney World 25th Anniversary Plate from The Art of Disney. It has the Birthday Cake Castle everyone likes to hate on. You don’t want to miss your chance to get in on that!

Posted in Ceramics, Characters, Collectibles, Merchandise, Souvenirs, Theme Parks, Walt Disney World | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

Disneyland Resort Large Beach Towel

Posted on June 2, 2022 by Dis-LEE

I have been to the Disneyland Resort in California once, but I don’t remember buying this large beach towel when there. It’s more likely I picked it up in the now-defunct Disney Store chain where liquidated Theme Park merchandise was sold.

It’s never been to the beach. It’s never been displayed or draped over a couch. It’s been stuffed in a drawer for years, as the creases in the photos attest:

30″ x 62″

I love this blocky style of artwork! Rendering the iconic Park attractions in simplistic imagery is always pleasing to the eye.

Sleeping Beauty Castle & Partner’s Statue

In the center of the towel is Sleeping Beauty Castle with the Partner’s Statue out of place in front of it. This statue should be several hundred yards away in the Hub. But who’s complaining? Have at it, Artistic License!

And of course, there has to be fireworks!

To the left of the Castle is the Matterhorn Mountain with the Disney Train chugging along right in front of it. Again, this doesn’t happen in the actual Park, as the mountain is nearer the center of the Park, well away from the outer berm where the train runs.

To the right of the Castle is a quick depiction from Disney’s California Adventure along with the Monorail. More imagery from DCA can be seen closer to the center of the towel just behind the Castle.

Although branded as Disney Parks merchandise, it’s pretty obvious this towel would only have been sold in Disneyland. It is 100% Cotton and was Made in Brazil.

Maybe the next time I go to the beach, I’ll take this towel along and wrap myself in Disney nostalgia!

Posted in Artwork, Attractions, Disney Parks, Disneyland, Merchandise, Theme Parks | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

Pocket POP! Keychain Mickey Mouse at Space Mt.

Posted on June 1, 2022 by Dis-LEE

Thanks to worldwide events, the 50th Anniversary of Walt Disney World was less than it could have been! About the best thing that came out it was the excellent line of merchandise with its gold foil shimmer. You can see that on the packaging for this Pocket POP! Keychain featuring Mickey Mouse at the Space Mountain Attraction.

The Castle Logo on the side of the box shimmers when you turn it to the light. It’s a nice touch that adds a lot to the presentation!

‘Walt Disney World 50’ is printed liberally on the box. As is usually the case with most Funko figures these days, this one was Made in Vietnam.

The finish quality is a bit crude. You can see shaky lines defining the features of the character and poor paint application. But given its size and price point, just $8.95 CAN, you can’t really go wrong.

I don’t use keychains as I have way too many to carry around due to my business. It just adds more weight and unnecessary bulk in my pocket.

So it may surprise you to know that I do own quite a few keychains! One of the most unique finds in my collection is this Pixar Set featuring no less than 24 of the studios most famous characters. They are definitely worth a look!

Posted in Anniversaries, Attractions, Characters, Figurines, Merchandise, Theme Parks, Walt Disney World | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

Vintage Walt Disney World Souvenir Hanging Plate

Posted on May 31, 2022 by Dis-LEE

In the early days of the Parks, Disney used to release an image and use it on just about every piece of merchandise imaginable. If it was ceramic, it would have said image on it, and it would be sold as a take-home keepsake. This vintage Walt Disney World souvenir hanging plate is a prime example.

This plate likely dates from the 1970s or very early 1980s, as the collectability of plates was on the wane after that.

The level of detail on this plate is very nice. The gold trim and accents really set off the image. The sculpted edges of the plate itself is also very attractive. And who wouldn’t love that Castle?

The old school ‘Disney D’ logo is also something that dates this plate, as I have seen (and believe I have, somewhere) examples that are identical but missing this logo.

The plate is branded as Walt Disney Productions (so pre-1987) and as being made in Japan. Later plates and merchandise were made in other countries, most often China.

This example still has the original string used to hang the plate on a wall. And the original price tag of just $4.00 US is still affixed! Now, that might seem pretty cheap until you adjust it for inflation and you see that today it would sell for $22.00 US for a 7 1/2″ plate.

It appears that Theme Park merchandise was just as expensive when it all began!

Posted in Ceramics, Collectibles, Merchandise, Souvenirs, Theme Parks, Walt Disney World | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , | 2 Comments

Disney Loungefly Blind Box Pins

Posted on May 30, 2022 by Dis-LEE

Loungefly is usually associated with Mini Backpacks. But Disney isn’t satisfied with just one SKU but likes to add additional products to every line of merchandise. And so we have the Disney Loungefly Blind Box Pins.

I wasn’t too interested in most of the variations in either of the two box collections I’m featuring here. But I thought I’d take a chance at getting the one or two pins I wanted, and failing that, at least I’d have a post for the blog!

For the classic Disney Characters set, almost any character other than Daisy Duck would have been fine, with Mickey and Goofy being preferred. So of course I got Daisy!

For the Animated Animals set, I really wanted Thumper with the flower or, failing that, Flower the skunk. I got Flower the skunk, so, a bit of a win there.

Each box has a simply black plastic bag inside that contains the pin. Now let’s rip’em open and see the pins:

These are definitely Disney Pin Trading quality pins. The high lacquer finish is beautiful and the level of detail is stunning!

These pins are set apart from the official Disney Pin Trading pins by both the lack of the proper branding on the back and the addition of the Loungefly crown logo.

I’m not sure if you could trade these at the Parks. Likely no one would check, and I don’t think you’d be ripping anyone off, as they are excellent quality.

I probably wouldn’t have bothered buying these blind boxes at the price of $8.90 US but the one was on sale for $5.00 and the other was buy-one get-one 30% off. So all together I think I paid under $13.00 US for both boxes.

My wife has claimed the Flower pin to use as a brooch and I gave the Daisy pin away to one lucky reader of this blog. At least I know she went to a good home!

Posted in Animation, Characters, Collectibles, Fashion, Pin trading, Pins | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , | 4 Comments

Book Review: Mickey Mouse – My Life in Pictures

Posted on May 29, 2022 by Dis-LEE

Publisher: Disney Press

Year: 1997

Pages: 66

Type: Hardcover

ISBN: 0-7868-3150-2

“Three thumbs up! Way up!” – The Three Little Pigs

This is a cute little book that gives a good primer to any new Disney enthusiasts while also giving quite a few interesting likely unknown details for the hardcore Disney fan. The writing is done in Mickey’s own voice, as in it’s written as if he himself is penning an autobiography of sorts. The book also has over 200 illustrations, original animation drawings, photographs, film stills, and special publicity art. Much of it has previously been unpublished as of the 1997 release date for this volume.

Mickey starts the introduction off by retelling the story of how he ‘met’ Walt Disney on a train, which you can see pictured above. This image is a wonderful depiction of this event which I have never seen before!

Following Mickey’s opening letter to his dear friends, the book is divided into sections by years. It starts with the 1920s:

This section is four pages long and gives a brief account of the early days of the Mickey Mouse Shorts, starting with Steamboat Willie. There are two pages of images depicting several of these first animated Shorts.

Next we enter into the 1930s:

This section is fourteen pages long and covers what the Disney Studio was doing during the Great Depression. There are eight pages chronicling the Shorts and animated films of Mickey and company. Another two pages details the development of the Mickey Mouse newspaper strip which was handled by Floyd Gottfredson. The last two pages of this section show a few examples of the Studio Christmas cards that were produced for friends and family of the employees.

We now move out of the Depression and into the rebounding 1940s:

This section has twelve pages. Disney is on the move to a new Studio in Burbank while World War II breaks out! Four pages show some of the more memorable full-colour productions undertaken by the Studio at this tumultuous time. Another four pages are dedicated to how Disney contributed to the war efforts. The last two pages of this section show the attempts that were made to climb out of the financial slump caused by the limited distribution of the war.

The time of prosperity was on in America in the 1950s:

This section has ten wonderfully illustrated pages covering Disney’s foray into television with the Mickey Mouse Club and his building of Disneyland. There is also a nice page listing all of the different names that Mickey Mouse is known by from around the world (above, left).

Now we slide into my decade of the 1960s and also the 1970s:

This section has only six pages. They start off with the sad news of Walt Disney’s passing and the effect it had on the company and the world. Three pages are devoted to the 50th Anniversary of Mickey Mouse himself.

Lastly, the book goes into the decades of the 1980s and 1990s:

This last section has ten pages all together. Walt Disney’s World on Ice debuts and Mickey segues into longer full-colour theatrical Shorts. Michael Eisner takes over as CEO and things really start to take off for the company! Mickey’s Toontown at Disneyland opens, allowing visitors to walk right into the homes of some of their favorite Disney characters. A brand new building for Walt Disney Feature Animation is built during this time period. Also, Mickey’s first cartoon in over forty years premieres to great acclaim, that being the Runaway Brain! The 1990s also saw the installation of the Partners statue in the Hub of Disneyland. Wow! A lot happened in this section.

Mickey had been going for almost 70 years upon the release of this book. It concludes with a heartfelt thank you to all of the people who made it possible.

It’s hard to make out, but if you take the cover sleeve off the book, you will find an embossed imprint reading ‘Walt Disney’s Mickey Mouse’.

The real writer, Russell Schroeder, does a good job of making it appear that it is Mickey Mouse telling the story. The book is light on text and long on images with informative captions. There are so many images I hadn’t seen before, which is incredible, given how many books on Disney I own!

I would give this book a 4.5 out of 5 Stars. It sold for $19.95 CAN back in 1997 which when adjusted for inflation becomes $33.13 today. That seems a little steep for a book of this size. It is still available on selling sites for about $20.00 US or less for a used copy.

Posted in Animation, Artwork, Books, Characters, History, Movies, Reviews, Theme Parks | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | Leave a comment