Sam Gennawey's Blog, page 27
January 5, 2012
MICECHAT: THE RETURN TO MINERAL KING
READ MORE AT MICECHAT
January 4, 2012
Notable Walt Quotes
"Disneyland is a thing that I can keep molding and shaping. It's a three-dimensional thing to play with. But when I say, 'play with it', I don't mean that. Everything I do I keep a practical eye toward its appeal to the public."
January 3, 2012
January 2, 2012
HAPPY NEW YEAR (2005)
HAPPY NEW YEARMICKEY MOUSEROSE PARADE GRAND MARSHALL2005
January 1, 2012
December 28, 2011
Notable Walt Quotes
"I've never believed in doing sequels. I didn't want to waste time I have doing a sequel; I'd rather be using that time doing something new and different. It goes back to when they wanted me to do more pigs."
December 27, 2011
The 2007 International Pow Wow
Sometimes there is nothing more fun then digging into the boxes of stuff that I have collected over the years. Such inspiration. For example, somebody asked me once what was the most unusual event I ever attended at Disneyland. For me it had to be the 2007 International Pow Wow.
The International Pow Wow is a huge event put on the U.S. Travel Association. This event is described as the "premier international marketplace and the largest generator of Visit USA travel." Representatives from more than 1,000 U.S. travel organizations meet with more than 1,500 buyers from more than 70 countries. The Pow Wows have been taking place since 1969 but this was the first time it was held in Anaheim. That is because it was Disney executive Jay Rasulo was the President of the organization that year and he wanted to show off the resort.
The conference took place at the Anaheim Convention Center and the opening night event took over the entire west side of Disneyland. It was a cold and drizzly night on April 22, 2007. According to Jason's Disneyland Almanac, Disneyland closed at 4:00 pm in order for them to prepare for the event. The attendance was limited to less then 4,000 people. I can't imagine what the food and beverage bill was but it must have been huge.
Disneyland put on quite a show for the opening night party. We had access to an exclusive party in three lands: Frontierland, Adventureland, and New Orleans Square. All of the attractions were opened and plussed just for the event. For example, when I went to the Haunted Mansion I was the only guest in the stretching room and throughout the attraction, ghostly butlers silently moved along the edges. It was very surreal and still haunts me to this day.
Guests walked down a deserted Main Street toward the Frontierland arcade. Once through the gates we were greeted by dozens of servers handing us glowing drinks, those obnoxious lighted necklaces, and a small treat. Billy Hill and the Hillbillies were kicked out of the Golden Horseshoe Saloon to a stage out front. Not a big crowd. It was drizzling. There was myself plus a couple of travel agents from Japan in the audience. The band kept commenting about the real alcohol that was being served in the Saloon. It was sort of the adult version of a Billy's show and that is something quite special.
Big Thunder Mountain Railroad was open and the banks of the Rivers of America were lined with tents that featured an unlimited quantity of food and drink. The menu for each of the lands was chosen to reflect the culture being projected upon the environment. Frontierland featured Grilled Beef Short Ribs with Smoked Chipotle BBQ Glaze, Thunder Ranch Prime Rib Chili and Miniature Corn Muffins, and Mini-Blue Corn Chicken Tamales with Mole Sauce. Dessert consisted of a selection of Fruit Empanadas, Tia Maria Shooters and Miniature S'Mores Pies.
Over in Adventureland they turned Aladdin's Oasis into a very comfortable club and café. A wandering band provided the area entertainment. The Jungle Cruise and Indiana Jones Adventure were open. Only the best skippers were allowed so it was like a floating comedy club. As you would imagine, the food was a bit more exotic with Pankot Palace Lamb & Beef Souvlaki Served Rotisserie Style with Fresh Naan Bread and Tzatziki Sauce, Shankara Ostrich Spear Grilled on a Sugar Cane Skewer with Chili Anise Glaze, and Mola Rama Grilled Lobster Tail Served with Thai Tamarind Sauce. One had to try the Chocolate Fountain with Exotic Fruits, Macaroons and Hand-Dipped Berries.
One of my favorite moments was the visit to the Haunted Mansion in New Orleans Square. Pirates of the Caribbean was open as well as The Disney Gallery. What a view from the Gallery balcony. Am I the only one who really misses this space? Raise your hand if you do as well. The Dixieland band sounded sweet, which help to balance the bitter that came with the "Blue Bayou Karaoke." Think drunk international guests entertaining each other with the Disney hits. The food was a whole other thing. They served Crayfish Fritters with Cajun Remoulade, Louisiana Blue Crab Cakes with Fire Roasted Garlic Aioli, and Po' Boil Shrimp with Spiced Bourbon Barbeque Sauce. You finished this off with Bananas Foster Flambe with Pound Cake, Southern Peach Crisp, and miniature Key Lime, Pecan & Sweet Potato Pies.
At 9:30 pm, guests were invited to stand in the hub for a private fireworks show. Of course, we were loaded down with drinks and food. There have been many special private events at Disneyland over the years. What was one of your favorites?
December 26, 2011
[Sam has] captured much of the attitude and events of the...
[Sam has] captured much of the attitude and events of the times and hits on much of Walt's drive and inspiration. [His] research into materials and people who were important in one way or another is exemplary. The notes from Buzz Price, John Hench, and Marvin Davis for example...the apparent influence of Victor Gruen's theories...a relationship that developed with James Rouse - all insightful. It is clear, well researched, useful, and thoughtful to anyone studying urban planning.Disney Legend Marty Sklar
A Walk Through the Walt Disney Family Museum
Fans of Walt Disney had two destinations where they could get closer to the magic– Disneyland and Walt Disney World. Now there is a third - The Walt Disney Family Museum (WDFM) in San Francisco.
The WDFM opened to critical acclaim on October 1, 2009. The museum is located in the historic Presidio near the Golden Gate Bridge. The former military base has been around for over 220 years and guards one of the most beautiful spots on earth. The architects for this imaginative award-winning project, Page & Turnbull, reimagined one of five identical Army barracks built in the 1890s that flanked the parade grounds. The refurbishment of the building was done with great care, elegant but not pretentious, much like the man. In addition to the museum are a gift store, small café, and a movie theater. Additional display and conference space and the administrative offices are located in separate buildings. You can take public transportation or park out front on the former parade grounds.
You enter the museum through a large lobby with plenty of seating to gather your party. Along the walls are some of the 900 awards given to Walt Disney including the Presidential Medal of Freedom (1964). On display are some of the thirty-two Academy Awards® given to Walt including the Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs statue with one large Oscar and the seven miniatures. The furniture from the family apartment above the fire station at Disneyland is also on display.
The museum is organized around ten galleries that take you chronologically through Walt Disney's professional and personal life. In each gallery we hear Walt's own voice telling us his story. Researchers have clipped from hours of interviews to find relevant material that support the graphic displays.
We start with Walt's "Beginnings" in Gallery 1. There is the Disney family tree; his memories of his boyhood home in Marceline, Missouri, and his earliest artworks. A reproduction of the ambulance Walt drove in Europe during the end of World War I is on display and a reminder that this experience fueled his ambitions and when he returned to Kansas City he partnered with Ub Iwerks to form Laugh-O-Gram. After learning about the early history of animation, including books by Eadweard Muybridge and animated cartoons by E.G. Lutz, you move to the next chapter in Walt's young life.
It is this elevator ride to the second floor galleries that provides an early, emotionally powerful moment. The elevator is dressed as the interior of a railroad passenger coach on the way to Los Angeles from Kansas City. Walt's company went bankrupt and we hear him talk about the need for a good hard failure when you are young. But he would not be stopped and was motivated to move to Hollywood with $40, a "coat and a pair of trousers that didn't match," and his 1923 film Alice's Wonderland.
The elevator doors open to Gallery 2 and you enter "Hollywood" from 1923 to 1928. Walt moved Los Angeles, founded the Disney Brothers Studio, got married, and tasted his first drink of success with the Alice shorts and Oswald the Lucky Rabbit. The Oswald series was successful but it was the loss of the character to his distributor that taught Walt and Roy many lessons. The fateful telegram from Walt to Roy telling him DON'T WORRY EVERYTHING OK WILL GIVE DETAILS WHEN ARRIVE is on display. Talk about the ultimate optimist. Most men would have been crushed. Walt became inspired.
These events led to the creation of Mickey Mouse. From this point forward, Walt would always be in control of his intellectual properties, which has been at the core of the Disney organization success. The gallery features the earliest documented drawing of the future superstar and corporate symbol. Along one wall is a cell-by-cell reproduction of a scene in Steamboat Willie. Also included is Walt and Lillian's wedding certificate and the beginning of the great love shared between them.
Walt was exploring "new horizons in the 1930s" with the success of Mickey Mouse. Mickey was quickly becoming one of Hollywood's brightest stars (just look at the display with all of his merchandise) and the Disney roster kept growing with the addition of characters that display true personality such as Minnie, Pluto, Goofy (aka Dippity Dog), and Donald.
The gallery explores the world of the Silly Symphony series. Walt would use these new cartoons to expand the vocabulary of the art, experiment with the nature of color, and depth. Many of the artists who made this magic possible are featured. One powerful exhibit is the side-by-side comparison of two versions of The Ugly Duckling, one from 1931 and the other from 1939. This is also the time when Walt was blessed with two new daughters, Sharon and Diane.
The focus of Gallery 4 is the "Move to Features" with the box-office smash Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs, a defining moment in Walt's life and career. Walt suggested that when you are going to take a risk, go big and do it right. If the film was going to be a failure it needed to be a spectacular one. Everything about the concept and production of the film is detailed.
The success of Snow White allowed Walt to design and build the ultimate animation studio in Burbank and he said now, "We were in a new business." Gallery 5 takes a close look at the studio facilities as well as the production of Pinocchio, Fantasia, and Bambi. There is an original animation desk as well as one of the original multi-plane cameras, which allowed for added depth and reality.
But not everything would be golden. After such incredible success, Gallery 6 tells the story of "the toughest period of my whole life." Walt was dealt the double blow of his animators going on strike and World War II. He did adapt and the studio turned to help the war effort by producing the most incredible training films. There were also bright spots including Dumbo and the "El Grupo" expedition to South America that gave birth to The Three Caballeros and Saludos Amigos.
Gallery 7 is focused on the "Postwar Production" period. This was one of the most productive times at the studio. The gallery is filled with innovative interactive technology and multimedia displays. The upper perimeter is wrapped in a wavy video screen. There are video stations with "bubbles" projected on a desk-like panel that you touch to manipulate. Tap a bubble and it expands and an image is projected on a screen in front of you. Fans of Mary Blair and 20,000 Leagues Under the Sea will find much to enjoy.
One of the most dramatic architectural moments comes when you enter Gallery 8 "Walt and the Natural World." As I stated earlier, the museum is contained within the old Army barracks building. However, Gallery 8 and 9 are part of a new 20,000 square foot addition. As you enter the gallery the familiar globe from the True-Life Adventure series greets you. Along one wall are televisions playing clips from the series. On the other wall is a floor-to-ceiling glass window with one of the most spectacular views of the Golden Gate Bridge you will find anywhere.
For me, the highlight of the museum is Gallery 9; "The 1950s and 1960s: the big screen and beyond." The gallery contains a long ramp that leads from the second floor to the ground floor. Along the way you see the building blocks that led to the creation of Disneyland. It begins with Walt's backyard railroad with the original Lilly Belle model steam locomotive on display. His fascination with miniatures is highlighted. His early involvement with television is also on display including Zorro, The Mickey Mouse Club, the Man In Space series, and Davy Crockett.
However, the real highlight is at the bottom of the ramp. Here you will find the model of the Disneyland that never was and always will be. It contains virtually every idea Walt had for the park including existing attractions, extinct attractions, and the ones that never got off the drawing board. The model is rich in details and many of the elements are animated. It is packed with eye candy including John Hench's original concept for Space Mountain, the 1967 version of Tomorrowland, and the Conestoga wagons riding over the berm in an expanded Frontierland.
The gallery goes beyond Disney with displays for Sleeping Beauty, The Shaggy Dog, Toby Tyler, Old Yeller, Darby O'Gill, Mary Poppins, the 1960 Winter Olympics in Squaw Valley, and the 1964-1965 New York World's Fair featuring models, sketches, and artifacts. The EPCOT display was very special to me. During this period, Walt's family also grew with two sons-in-law and seven grandchildren.
For many, making it through Gallery 10 entitled "December 15, 1966" is going to be tough. We begin with Walt talking about his final project – the Mineral King Ski resort high up in the Sierra Nevada mountains of California. He looks old and tired in the press conference video. Nearby are personal objects that were collected by his children and grandchildren.
In the next room is a television playing the announcement of his death while the adjoining walls are plastered with editorial cartoons covering the event. Just about the time you bring out the tissues you enter the final room; a brilliant white chamber with video screens displaying all of the things Walt accomplished with quotes from those who knew him best.
The entire museum is a fitting tribute to the most influential entertainer of the 20th Century and a must do for any Disney fan.
