When it comes to DVDs, there are special features and then
there are special features.
Case in point: That virtual castle walkthrough that you’ll
find on the 2-disc Platinum Edition of “Sleeping
Beauty
” that Walt Disney
Studios Home Entertainment released back in October. That special
feature actually played a crucial role in the re-opening Disneyland‘s
long-closed Sleeping
Beauty Castle exhibit.
To hear Tony
Baxter — Senior Vice President of Creative Development at Walt Disney
Imagineering — tell the tale, there has been such a changeover in Mouse
House management in the 7 years since this Fantasyland favorite had closed,
that many of the executives who now work at the Disneyland Resort weren’t
even aware that there had once been an exhibit like this located inside
of Sleeping Beauty Castle. So the virtual castle walkthrough on that “Sleeping
Beauty” DVD proved to be a great visual aid when it came to convincing
these execs to allow WDI to rehab and then re-open this attraction.
Which was proved to be quite a challenge. Given that Baxter and his team
wanted to preserve the charm of the Sleeping Beauty Castle walkthrough
while — at the same time — bringing this Fantasyland attraction technologically
up to date.
This is why the Imagineers took an almost surgical approach to this project.
Folding in new effects only where they would actually improve the Sleeping
Beauty Castle walkthrough. Like the now-animated versions of Flora, Fauna
and Merryweather who wave their wands and put King Stefan’s court to sleep.
As for the rest of the changes … To bring this Fantasyland attraction
more in line with the look of the original 1959 film, the Imagineers first
removed all of the dolls that had been added to the Sleeping Beauty Castle
walkthrough during its 1978 redo. They then changed all of the displays
to dimensional paintings, which did a far better job of reflecting Eyvind
Earle’s distinctive art direction for this animated feature.
Photo by Shelly Smith
Mind you, the real challenge here was fitting all of these story scenes
into the existing structure. Which often took all of the Imagineers’ ingenuity.
Like that scene in the Sleeping Beauty Castle walkthrough that manages
to suggest a lengthy hallway in just one foot of space.
Of course, given that this Fantasyland attraction’s twisty series of
stairs aren’t all that wheelchair-friendly, the Imagineers addressed Sleeping
Beauty Castle’s ADD issues by creating a special viewing area for Disneyland’s
physically challenged Guests. This brand-new space features a throne built
for three, where visitors can then sit and watch the very same virtual
castle walk-thru that ultimately convinced Mouse House managers to allow
this redo to proceed.
The end result is a revamped version of the Sleeping Beauty Castle walkthrough
that’s already drawn high praise from both Disney diehards as well as
casual visitors to the Park. They marvel at both the brilliant new theatrical
lighting that’s found throughout this attraction as well as how little
seems to have changed inside of this iconic Disneyland structure.
That’s perhaps what makes Tony Baxter proudest of this project. That
he and his team were able to do so much work within the walls of Sleeping
Beauty Castle (Disney insiders have suggested that the Imagineers have
spent as much on the castle walkthrough redo as Walt spent building all
of Disneyland back in 1955) without having any obvious impact on the outside
of this structure.
But — then again — Tony has a talent when it comes to cramming a lot
of show into a very confined space. Which is why this veteran Imagineer
scoffed when Disney CEO Bob
Iger — during the company’s most recent quarterly earnings conference
call — was heard to remark that Disneyland was “built out.”
Says Baxter: “There’s plenty of land left to build on here at Disneyland.
Out behind Big Thunder Mountain Ranch, there’s room for an entirely new
land at this Park.”
Hmmn … Maybe Tony should talk with the folks at Walt Disney Studios
Home Entertainment. See if they’d be willing to add a “Discovery
Bay” virtual walk-thru to that “20,000
Leagues Under The Sea (Special Edition)”
Blu-ray that WDSHE reportedly has in the works. A special feature like
that might a hell of a sales tool when it comes to selling Disneyland
Resort execs on the idea of adding a new “land” to that theme
park.
I’m just saying …