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Exploring WDW’s Contemporary Resort Hotel

It’s Try-out Tuesday here at JimHillMedia. Which is why we’re spotlighting JHM guest writer, Scott Liljenquist of Mouseketrips.com. Scott’s written a column that we’re considering as a possible regular feature here at the site. One that gives in-depth information about the various Disney hotels.

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Jim Hill here. Given that it’s the start of a new year, I thought that it was high time that we actually tried a few new things around here. (More importantly, given that JimHillMedia.com has spent the last 10 days beating up on the Walt Disney Company for its mishandling of the closure of Feature Animation Florida, I thought that it was also high time that we actually said something nice about the Mouse again). Which is why we’re trying out a possible new feature at the site. One that would regularly give in-depth reports of various resorts at the Disney theme parks.

Now let me tell you a little background on the author of today’s JHM guest column: He’s Scott Liljenquist, one of the co-owners of Mouseketrips.com. A company that Scott says is “the web’s best Disney-only travel agency.” Liljenquist and I actually met back in December at Mousefest 2003. Scott seemed like a very nice guy who did seem to know an awful lot about Disney’s theme parks and resorts. So I decided: “What the hey – why not give Scott a shot?”

So the following in-depth article about WDW’s Contemporary Resort is kind of a test run, folks. By that I mean: I like what Liljenquist has put together here. But I’d like to hear what YOU think about this article as well. As is: would you like to see more articles like this at JHM? Possibly as a regular feature?

So — after you read Scott’s story (which I think really does a nice job of summing up the assortment of activities one can enjoy while staying at the Contemporary Resort) — could you please drop me a line or/and heave a note up on the JHM discussion boards? Letting me know if you’d like to see more stories like this up on JimHillMedia, com, okay?

Okay. That’s enough prologue for today. Now — ladies and gentlemen — please give a warm JHM welcome to Scott Liljenquist of Mouseketrips.com!


 

Disney’s Contemporary Resort

Facts and Figures

The first of the two original Walt Disney World resorts, Disney’s Contemporary Resort opened on October 1, 1971. With the monorail running directly through the middle of the A-frame structure’s 10-story atrium, the Contemporary is arguably the most famous and well-recognized of all Disney hotels. The resort is actually comprised of three large buildings: the large A-frame tower building, and two garden wing buildings located on the eastern side of the property. The focal point of the resort is, of course, the tower building, in which are located the lobby, restaurants, shops, arcade, health club, and monorail station.

The Contemporary resort, more than any other, illustrates Walt Disney’s passion for the newest designs and latest technology. Designed by WED (forerunner to Walt Disney Imagineering) and architectural firm Welton Beckett and Associates (who, by the way, threatened to pull out of the project for a time if the Imagineers continued to insist on running their “carnival ride” through the middle of the structure), the Contemporary was built as a completely modular hotel.

Each main building was constructed as a steel skeleton frame on a concrete foundation. Individual hotel rooms were assembled separately at an on-site location by US Steel. The hotel rooms were built as completely “unitized” self-supporting modules, and could be stacked three high with no external support. Each room was completely built, painted, carpeted, wired, plumbed, and furnished at the US Steel site. Once an individual room was completed, the door to the room would be locked and not opened again until the room was transported to the hotel site and hoisted by crane into the steel building structure, slid into its spot like a dresser drawer, bolted down, and connected to the water, sewer, and electrical systems.

The original intent of this building method was to facilitate very rapid renovations and maintenance. A supply of “extra” rooms would be maintained which would be periodically refurbished with updated decor and furniture. Once these new rooms were ready, the existing outdated or damaged rooms could simply be unbolted from the frame, disconnected from the utility services, and removed from the structure. The new room would then be inserted into the empty space, reconnected, and the renovated or repaired room would be ready for occupancy in a matter of hours. Unfortunately, due to settling and shifting of the main steel frame, the original rooms have become immovably bound into the structure and can no longer be easily removed. The rooms originally inserted in the structure remain in the resort to this day.

Lodging

As mentioned earlier, the Contemporary’s 1041 guest lodging rooms are located in either the tower building or in one of the two garden wing buildings. Rooms in the tower building are the most popular, and, of course, the most expensive. All of the rooms in the resort, like those in the Polynesian, are among the largest of any Disney property. Guest rooms are decorated in bright, vibrant colors and have somewhat funky, futuristic decor and furnishings.

Tower building rooms are located on floors 5-14 (no 13th floor), with floors 12 and 14 being reserved for concierge service and suites. Rooms in the tower can face either the Magic Kingdom or Bay Lake and provide spectacular views. These rooms all have private balconies with a couple of chairs and a small table.

Garden wing rooms are located in either the north or south garden wings. These rooms have views of Bay Lake, the garden/landscaping area, or the parking lot. First floor rooms have a small patio with furniture similar to that of the tower balcony rooms. Second and third floor rooms do not have balconies. The entire north garden wing building and the second floor of the south garden wing building have been designated as non-smoking.

Rooms in the tower building are closest to the restaurants, shops, monorail, and bus stops. Nearest to the tennis courts, Magic Kingdom (to which you can easily walk) and monorail station in the tower are the rooms in the north garden wing building. South garden wing buildings are nearest the pools, marina, and convention center.

Dining

Restaurants at the Contemporary are all located in the tower building. Located on the 4th floor of the tower building, which is known as the Grand Canyon Concourse, is Chef Mickey’s. Here diners enjoy one of two Disney character meals each day. The breakfast buffet is very popular, and features an all-you-can-eat selection of breakfast foods, accompanied by visits from Chef Mickey himself, Goofy, Pluto, Chip and Dale, and others. The same characters also pay a visit to a daily dinner buffet, which features salads, seafood, pasta, and prime rib.

The Concourse Steakhouse, located on the Grand Canyon Concourse right next to Chef Mickeys, offers full-service breakfast, lunch, and dinner service. The specialty here, of course, is steaks and prime rib, both of which are excellent. This is one of my favorite low-key places to dine at WDW. It’s not usually too crowded, the food and service are invariably good, and you can watch the monorail glide past just above your head as you dine.

At the top of the tower building is the California Grill, undoubtedly my favorite restaurant in the World. Located on the 15th floor, the California Grill serves dinner only, accompanied by spectacular views of the Magic Kingdom, Seven Seas lagoon, Bay Lake, and the surrounding landscape for miles in every direction. California-style cuisine is featured here, with outstanding salads, seafood, steaks, and pasta dishes. The desserts are all delicious and near-decadent — the creme brulee is absolutely the best I’ve had anywhere. The lights are dimmed each evening for the fireworks show over the Magic Kingdom, and the same music that accompanies the fireworks in the park is piped over the restaurant’s speaker system.

Counter service is offered at the Food ‘n Fun Center located on the first floor of the tower building. This restaurant is open 24 hours, and serves the usual assortment of burgers, fries, chicken, salads, hot dogs, pizza, and other fast-food fare. Breakfast items are offered daily from 7am – 11am, and the grill is open from 7am – 11pm.

Transportation

The focal point of the transportation options at the Contemporary is, of course, the monorail. The monorail station is accessible via escalator or elevator from the Grand Canyon Concourse on the 4th floor of the tower building. The resort monorail makes a stop here before continuing on to the Ticket and Transportation Center, the Polynesian, the Grand Floridian, and the Magic Kingdom. Epcot is easily accessible by riding the monorail to the Ticket and Transportation Center, then switching there to the Epcot monorail.

Buses to Disney-MGM Studios, Animal Kingdom, and Downtown Disney depart from the bus stop area located near the lobby entrance area on the west side of the tower building. Other areas of WDW can be accessed by boarding a bus to Downtown Disney and transferring there to the appropriate destination.

Boat service has been offered between the Contemporary and the Wilderness Lodge and Fort Wilderness campground in the past, but this appears to have been reduced to seasonal operation, and is available only during peak periods of demand.

Activities

The Contemporary is home to two swimming pools, six tennis courts, a beach volleyball court, a health club, a marina, and a large arcade.

There are two swimming pools located east of the tower building and in between the two garden wing buildings. The main swimming pool features a large deck area and a waterslide. The bay pool is located right on the shore of Bay Lake, and is a smaller, shallower quiet pool.

The six tennis courts are located near the north garden wing building, and are home to the Walt Disney World Racquet Club.
A large health club/fitness area is offered to resort guests and features a wide variety of fitness machines, free weights, and exercise area.

The arcade at the Contemporary is fantastic. By far the best arcade anywhere in WDW, it is large, brightly lit, clean and well maintained, and fully stocked with the latest arcade games and entertainment. You may very well lose your teenagers here and never see them again.

Available at the Contemporary’s marina are a wide variety of boating and watersport options. Sailboats, pontoon boats, water mice, and waterskiing boats and equipment can be rented here. In addition, the Sammy Duvall Watersports Center is located here, and offers waterskiing rentals and instruction, parasailing, wakeboarding, and, for the first time at WDW, personal watercraft rentals.

Located on the Grand Canyon Concourse are several great shops and boutiques. Men’s and womens’ fashions and beachwear, jewelry, Disney merchandise, gifts and souvenirs, and snacks and sundries are among the offerings. I’ve found several unique items at the shops in the Contemporary that I’ve never been able to find anywhere else on WDW property.

Insider’s Tips and Tricks

If you’re going to pony up the $$ for a tower room, be sure request a Magic Kingdom view. Some of my favorite WDW memories are sitting on the balcony of a Contemporary tower room after a long day at the parks with a cool beverage and watching the evening’s activities. As the sun sets you can watch the pathway torches light at the Polynesian and see the lights come on at Cinderella’s Castle, and watch the monorail glide around the Seven Seas lagoon. As the night wears down you ultimately have a front-row, uncrowded, comfortable seat for the nightly Magic Kingdom fireworks show.

However, for you early risers, don’t discount a Bay Lake view room in the tower. Located on the opposite side of the tower building, these rooms offer absolutely stunning views of the sunrises over Bay Lake.

If you choose instead to save some green and select a garden wing room, be sure to request a ground floor room a the end of the hall. Unlike other garden view rooms, these rooms have a private patio and are a little larger than the other rooms. Views from the room are also generally better because there are two exterior walls with windows.

Take some time from your park-commando itinerary to enjoy the watersports offerings at the Contemporary marina. This is the only place at WDW where personal watercraft can be rented. In addition, waterskiing, wakeboarding and parasailing activities and instruction are offered here at the Sammy Duvall Watersports Center. If you enjoy any of these activities at all or want to learn, it’s a great deal of fun to be out on the water (or above it if you’re parasailing!) surrounded by the resort hotels and the Magic Kingdom. The instructors are top-notch and very friendly, and will make you feel comfortable no matter what your expertise level.

If you’re a light sleeper, be forewarned that the rooms in the tower can be very noisy. The interior of the Contemporary tower building is a 10-story atrium decorated mostly in stone, concrete, stucco, and other hard surfaces. The restaurants and shops on the 4th floor Grand Canyon Concourse are open to the atrium above, so any noise from people, music, monorails, etc., seems to echo and reverberate in this large atrium space.

The Contemporary is the only resort hotel at WDW where you can comfortably walk to the Magic Kingdom. A dedicated walkway is available and is accessed just outside the north garden wing building. It’s just a short walk down the pathway, across a very busy intersection, and then right up to the gate of the Magic Kingdom. It’s almost always faster to walk than to take the monorail to the Magic Kingdom, as the resort monorail that departs from the Contemporary first has to make stops at the Ticket and Transportation Center, the Polynesian, and the Grand Floridian before arriving at the Magic Kingdom.

Request a late priority seating at the California Grill for dessert. After a busy day at the parks there’s nothing better than to be comfortably seated at your table, enjoying a fantastic dessert, and watching the Magic Kingdom fireworks from your seat. You can also venture outside to the observation deck for a spectacular view (if it’s warm enough, of course!)

The observation deck outside on the north end of the 4th floor Grand Canyon Concourse is a fantastic place for fireworks viewing if you don’t want to get a table at the California Grill. As at the California Grill, the music from the fireworks show is piped into the area’s speakers.

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Theme Parks & Themed Entertainment

From Aladdin to Indy – How Did We Get an Indiana Jones Stage Show at Disneyland?

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Be sure to check out Part One: How Did We Get “Aladdin’s Oasis” at Disneyland?

The Tahitian Terrace – a Polynesian-themed restaurant which had operated in the Adventureland section of Disneyland Park for 30 years – was shut down in the Spring of 1993 to “ … make way for Prince Ali.”

“Aladdin’s Oasis” (the dinner adventure) only operated for 14 months. This show closed in August of 1994.

“Aladdin’s Oasis – The Restaurant”

Just to clarify here, though. The “Aladdin’s Oasis” show closed after a brief 14 month run. But because the Park had spent so much money building this new Adventureland restaurant (Remember it had been a rush job – going from concept to throwing open its doors in just 5 months – on Michael Eisner’s expressed orders) … That – in an effort to recover some of that money – “Aladdin’s Oasis” (in 1995) re-opened as just a restaurant in Adventureland that didn’t offer a show. People oohed & aahed at all the exquisite detail inside (the in-laid ceramic tiles in the floor. That 15 foot-tall tiger’s head that sat at the center of the stage at the front of this restaurant. FYI: This served as the Cave of Wonders in the “Aladdin’s Oasis” show).

This Adventureland restaurant was admittedly a beautiful venue. But Disneyland visitors in the mid-1990s weren’t all that adventurous. At least when it came to food. And a restaurant that served Americanized Middle Eastern fare had trouble attracting customers back then. Which is why the only-a-restaurant version of “Aladdin’s Oasis” closed in 1995.

The way theme parks operate financially … Well, Disneyland couldn’t just tear “Aladdin’s Oasis” down and start anew. They’d spent far too much money building the thing. Strictly for tax purposes, this big chunk of Adventureland real estate now had to just sit there, empty as it depreciated.

“Storytime with Aladdin & Jasmine”

Disneyland would periodically try & find other uses for this space. For a time, there was a “Storytime with Aladdin & Jasmine” show staged inside of this now vacant restaurant. Two Cast Members dressed as Aladdin & Jasmine would first tell the story of the “Aladdin” movie. Then – as this show’s finale – the Cave of Wonders would suddenly come roaring to life. And – in a puff of smoke – the Genie would magically appear by leaping out of this giant stone tiger’s open mouth. And then … Well, it was time for the Guests to line-up and get their picture taken with these three characters from “Aladdin.” Maybe grab an autograph or two.

But “Storytime with Aladdin & Jasmine” was only presented at the Park on a seasonal basis. Only during those times of year that Disneyland was busiest. For the most part, this Adventureland eatery stood empty for the better part of a decade. Until word came from Lucasfilm in 2007 that they were about to begin production of a new “Indiana Jones” film.

Indiana Jones Back in Theaters and Promotion at Disneyland

Given that the previous “Indiana Jones” film (i.e., the third in the series, “Last Crusade”) had come out back in May of 1989 … To finally be getting a new “Indy” film after 18 years was a very big deal.

FYI: The gap between the release of the fourth film in the series (i.e, 2008’s “Kingdom of the Crystal Skull” and “Indy” film No. 5 (i.e., 2023’s “Dial of Destiny”) is almost as long. 15 years & change.

Given that Disneyland obviously had its “Indiana Jones Adventureland” attraction (which opened in March of 1995) … Well, they saw the upcoming release of “Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull” as a synergistic opportunity. So Disney reached out to Lucasfilm and proposed a bit of cross promotion that would involve Disneyland Park.

Just to be clear here: This was back in late 2007 / early 2008. The Walt Disney Company’s acquisition of Lucasfilm wouldn’t happen ‘til October of 2012. That’s more than 4 years off in the future.

Translation: It was Lucasfilm – with the highly anticipated movie that Disney now wanted to capitalize on —  that had all of the power in this situation. NOT the Mouse. Keep that in mind as we move ahead with our story here.

“Indiana Jones and the Secret of the Stone Tiger” – Disneyland Show

Anyway … In March of 2008, Disneyland announces that it will be holding auditions for a new show that will soon be presented in the Adventureland section of that theme park. They’re looking for performers with stage combat experience to fill the following roles:

  • Indiana Jones: Male, 40’s; a rugged adventurer, great physical shape; can play drama, toss off comic lines and throw a punch all with equal ability; must interact well with children.
  • An archaeologist: Female, late 20’searly 40’s; English accent; starts out kind and helpful but eventually reveals a villainous side; will interact with children and lead them through a series of activities.
  • The Bad Guy: Male; imposing stature; physical agility and stamina a must; pursues Indiana Jones through the crowded streets of Adventureland, ending in a series of balcony and rooftop confrontations.

This supposedly kid-friendly attraction – which goes by the name “Indiana Jones and the Secret of the Stone Tiger” – is supposed to be alive-action adventure that will be staged several times a day all over Adventureland. The idea here is that – over the Summer of 2008 (coming right on the heels of the theatrical release of “Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull.”  In fact, this new show at Disneyland would begin presenting performances at that Park on the very same day “Indiana Jones 4” was released to theaters. Which – again – was May 22, 2008) – Disneyland Guests could join Doctor Jones and solve mysteries, battle evil villains and uncover ancient mysteries.

Credit: davelandweb.com

On paper, this three month-long cross promotion (which – because it was only going to held at Disneyland over that theme park’s Summer months – went by the title of “Indiana Jones Summer of Hidden Mysteries”) was a great idea. In their heart of hearts, the Entertainment team at Disneyland Park was hoping that the centerpiece of this three month-long seasonal event (That would be the “Indiana Jones and the Secret of the Stone Tiger” show. Which we’ll get to in a moment) would be such an enormous success that they’d then be able to turn this kid-friendly show into a permanent attraction at Disneyland Park.

Indiana Jones Themed “Jedi Training Academy”

Let me explain what was really going on here: Disneyland’s Entertainment team was hoping that they’d be able to turn the “Indiana Jones and the Secret of the Stone Tiger” show (which – given its title – was obviously going to be staged inside of the now-empty “Aladdin’s Oasis” with that 15-foot-tall version of the Cave of Wonders serving as the centerpiece of this show) into another “Jedi Training Academy” -like show.

Just so you know: The “Jedi Training Academy” started out as a kid-friendly offering at the very first “Star Wars Weekend” at Disney-MGM in February of 1997. This show was so hugely popular with the under-10 crowd that it was eventually pulled out of this seasonal event at the Parks and turned into an audience-participation experience that was then offered multiple times at Disney’s Hollywood Studios as well as out in Anaheim at Disneyland Park.

Anyway … That was the template that Disneyland’s Entertainment team was using. The Jedi Training Academy. So what they were shooting for here was a 15-minute-long audience participation experience themed around the adventures of Indiana Jones that could then be presented inside of the old “Aladdin’s Oasis” restaurant.

Again, a great idea on paper. But harder to pull off in the real world then you might think.

“The Secret of the Stone Tiger” Stage Show Premise

Why? Okay. The villain in the “Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull” was Irina Spalko, a Soviet scientist played by Cate Blanchett.

So to keep some sort of continuity between the “Kingdom of the Crystal Skull” movie and “The Secret of the Stone Tiger” stage show, it was decided that the villain of this kid-friendly audience participation show at Disneyland Park would also be a female.

Okay. So this 15-minute-long show would start out with a Doctor Rachel Flannery standing in front of the Cave of Wonders inside of the old “Aladdin’s Oasis” restaurant. Only – according to Rachel – these supposedly long-abandoned ruins were now the Bengalese temple of Sherdil, the tiger-god.

As Dr. Flannery explains, Indiana Jones had recently rediscovered this temple and gone inside. Indy was supposedly searching for the Golden Rod of Sherdil, an ancient object which is rumored to have great mystical power. But it had now been days since anyone had last seen Doctor Jones.

Anyway … Rachel recruits the help of the kids in the audience. And by using various clues scattered around “Aladdin’s Oasis,” they figure out how to re-open the now-sealed temple of Sherdil. Whereupon Indiana Jones comes stumbling out of the Stone Tiger’s mouth clutching the Golden Rod of Sherdil.

As Indy is thanking the kids in the audience for getting him out of that sealed ancient temple, he puts down the Golden Rod of Sherdil. Dr. Flannery now picks it up and seemingly suddenly gets possessed by the demonic spirit of Kartikeya, the Hindu God of War.

Just a quick reminder here: “Indiana Jones and the Secret of the Stone Tiger” is supposed to be a kid-friendly audience participation show for the under 10 set.

Indy now realizes that Doctor Flannery is holding the Golden Rod of Sherdil and is possessed by Kartikeya, the Hindu God of War. He first tries to wrestle this ancient artifacts out of her hands, but Rachel (because she’s possessed by the Hindu God of War) is super-powerful. She punches Indy a few times, so he punches her back.

Credit: MousePlanet.com

Stage Show Complaints

It was at this point that the mothers of Orange County got upset. That’s a man beating up a woman in a show at Disneyland. To which the Entertainment team at that theme park said “Actually, no. That’s Indiana Jones battling with an fellow archaeologist who’s just been possessed by Kartikeya, the super-powerful Hindu God of War. Indy’s battling with a female character, just like he does in ‘Kingdom of the Crystal Skull.’ Which just opened at a theater near you.”

That explanation didn’t matter. The mothers of Orange County were outraged. They marched en masse to Disneyland’s Guest Relations Department to lodge their complaints. Which is why – just days after the “Indiana Jones and the Secret of the Stone Tiger” show opened at that theme park, in an interview with the Orange County Register – Disneyland’s PR team announced that “Secret of the Stone Tiger” would now be altered. Indiana Jones would no longer throw direct punches at the woman character (Doctor Flannery) in this supposedly kid-friendly show, he would simply dodge.

And speaking of dodging … What also upset the mothers of Orange County (as well as a significant number of Disneyland Guests) was … Well, in the agreement that Disney had cut with Lucasfilm to have the Indiana Jones character appear at that theme park during “The Summer of Hidden Mysteries,” the Cast Member playing Indy was not allowed to meet with park guests in your typical meet-and-greet format. This meant that no one came away with a photo of or an autograph from their favorite archaeologist.

This meant that a lot of little kids walked away from the “Indiana Jones and the Secret of the Stone Tiger” show in tears. Not because Indy beat up the lady. But because Dr. Jones wouldn’t sign their autograph book.

Irony here: Remember that scene in “The Last Crusade” where Indy accidentally bumps into Adolph Hitler at a book-burning rally. And the Fuhrer then signs Doctor Henry Jones, Str’s grail diary.

So sure. Adolph Hitler gives autographs. But not Indiana Jones.

Fate of “The Secret of the Stone Tiger” and “Aladdin’s Oasis” – Disneyland “Tropical Hideaway”

This is why the “Indiana Jones and the Secret of the Stone Tiger” show didn’t become the next Jedi Training Academy. By the Fall of 2008, the only Indy-related things that was left in Adventureland was the “Temple of the Forbidden Eye.”

More to the point, this is why – some ten years later (after “Aladdin’s Oasis” had experienced enough depreciation that it could now be taken off of Disneyland’s books) – this long-empty Adventureland venue was torn down in early 2018 and then turned into the “Tropical Hideaway.” Which soft-opened in December of that same year.

Kind of appropriate that this new Adventureland eatery soft-opened. Because they serve several different types of Dole Whip here. Along with Bao Buns & Sticky Pork.

Full circle. Kind of back to what the Tahitian Terrace offered.

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Theme Parks & Themed Entertainment

How Did We Get “Aladdin’s Oasis” at Disneyland?

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Disneyland had what it thought was a solid expansion plan for the early 1990s.

  • “Fantasmic!” – this theme park’s new nighttime show – would open in May of 1992.
  • Then – in January of 1993 – Mickey’s Toontown (Disneyland’s first new “land” in over 20 years) would open just seven months later at the very back of the Park.
  • A year after that (January of 1994), Roger Rabbit’s Car Toon Spin would throw open its doors
  • And then – 15 months after that (May of 1995) – the Indiana Jones Adventure come online at this theme park.

This plan meant that – for four years – Disneyland Park would have something new to help drive up attendance levels. Which – given that the Happiest Place on Earth relied heavily on the annual visits of millions of Southern Californian locals in order to meet its annual attendance goals – seemed like a great idea. So budgets were approved, schedules were set. Mouse House managers seemed happy.

But then Disney’s “Aladdin” opened in theaters on November 25, 1992.

Success of Disney’s Animated Film “Aladdin”

This hand-drawn animated feature quickly became the highest grossing film of the year. This Ron Clements / John Musker movie also became the very first full-length animated feature to sell over a half a billion worth of tickets worldwide.

More to the point, “Aladdin” turned out to be an attendance driver at Disney-MGM Studio theme park in Florida. When the “Aladdin’s Royal Caravan” parade debuted at that theme park on December 21, 1992 (some four weeks after this film had first bowed in theaters), people lined up along Hollywood Boulevard hours in advance to claim a great viewing spot for this twice-daily presentation.

Likewise the Soundstage Restaurant at that theme park was doing turn-away business for its “Breakfast with Aladdin.” Which did not go unnoticed by the folks back in Burbank.

They turned to the team at Disneyland and said “ … have you seen what’s going on in Orlando with all of the ‘Aladdin’ stuff?” To which Disneyland managers said, “Yes, that’s nice. But have you seen our already scheduled / budgeted expansion plan for the next four years?” To which the folks back in Burbank would say “ … Mr. Eisner really wants to see some stuff in Disneyland that celebrates Aladdin.” To which the people who work in the Team Disney Anaheim building said “Yes, sir. Right away, sir.”

“Aladdin’s Royal Caravan” Parade

The first thing they did was order up a clone of Disney-MGM’s “Aladdin’s Royal Caravan” parade. Even with a rush order, this 5 unit parade (which was supported by a cast of nearly 100 performers) didn’t begin rolling through Disneyland Park ‘til April 2, 1993. Nearly six months after this animated feature first arrived in theaters.

Credit: Flickr

Interesting side note here: Because the parade route at Disneyland is so much longer than the one that runs through Disney-MGM, the Entertainment team in Anaheim decided to expand the cast of their version of the “Aladdin’s Royal Caravan” parade. It featured three new sets of characters:

  • peacock girls
  • silk maidens
  • and harem camels.

Trust me on this, people. You do NOT want to Google “Harem Camels.” This walk-around characters from the “Aladdin’s Royal Caravan” parade will haunt your dreams.

Dining with Aladdin – Transforming Disneyland’s Tahitian Terrace

Which brings us to the food component of today’s story. Because Disneyland really wanted its own “Aladdin” -themed restaurant that would then do the same sort of turn-away business that Disney-MGM’s Soundstage Restaurant was doing with its super-popular “Breakfast with Aladdin” offering.

On a parallel track, the folks who ran the Tahitian Terrace at Disneyland Park (which had first opened back in 1962 and – I’m now quoting from the flyer that they used to hand Guests as they came through the turnstiles at the front of the Park – served “ … unique Polynesian specialties served in an exotic setting bordering the Rivers of the Jungle Cruise”) realized that this Walt-era restaurant really needed some TLC.

By that I mean: The waterfall curtain (This was one of the defining features of this Adventureland eatery. As Guests dined on teriyaki steak and Australian lobster tail, this waterfall curtain would suddenly part. And then performers would come out and spin fire torches or pull people up onstage & teach them to hula) was looking kind of raggedy. And the Park’s Maintenance Team had a sit-down with the Imagineers about how …

“While You’re Fixing the Jungle Cruise, can you….?”

Well, given that the Jungle Cruise was scheduled to undergo a reinvention the following year (The idea was that all of the boats in this Adventureland attaction’s fleet would then lose their signature red & white awnings and then become far grubbier, more beat-up looking. So that Disneyland’s Jungle Cruise and the soon-to-open “Temple of the Forbidden Eye” would then appear to be telling one consistent, cohesive story), the folks in charge of the Tahitian Terrace were like “ … Hey, you’re making all of those changes to the Jungle Cruise next year. While that work is going on, can we please get some guys come by and fix the waterfall curtain at our restaurant? Cause it’s looking kind of raggedy.”

To which the Imagineers replied “We’ve got an even better idea. We’re now going to gut the Tahitian Terrace and turn it into ‘Aladdin’s Oasis.’ Which will feature animatronics & elaborate special effects that happen right at the dining table in front of the Guests and a big cast of performers. And … “

To which the folks in charge of the Tahitian Terrace said “ … We just need the waterfall curtain repaired.”

How Long Did it Take to Build “Aladdin’s Oasis”?

It didn’t matter. After nearly 30 years in operation (and 40,000 performances of the show which was offered with dinner at this Adventureland eatery), Disneyland’s Tahitian Terrace closed on April 17, 1993. Only to then re-opened just three months later as Aladdin’s Oasis.

To say that this was a rush job was putting in mildly. I got to talk with some of the folks who worked construction on this project. They talked about how – on the usual Disneyland restaurant redo – there was typically  a full year between when a concept was first developed and when the finished eatery then opened its doors. In the case of “Aladdin’s Oasis,” from the moment where people in Burbank initially suggested this idea to when this new Adventureland restaurant then opened was five months.

Things were moving so fast on this project … Well, they initially didn’t have any finished blueprints on site. So – to get a sense of what an Aladdin-themed restaurant might look like – one of the construction foreman went down to Main Street and purchased a copy of John Culhane’s “Disney’s Aladdin: The Making of an Animated Film” with his own money. The construction team then regularly consulted Culhane’s book when it was crafting props right there onsite.

Credit: D23

“Aladdin’s Oasis” Shows and Presentation

The plan here was that “Aladdin’s Oasis” would present eight shows a day starting at 11 a.m. (Three lunch-time performances and then five dinner-time presentations). With the final show getting underway at 10 p.m. every night.

As for the old Tahitian Terrace space with its waterfall curtain, it had been reimagined as this grand Persian Palace which has been built right at the edge of the Rivers that Disneyland’s Jungle Cruise plies. “Aladdin’s Oasis” is – for lack of a better term – a sixth century supper club. 250 people at a time would be seated & then greeted by Kazim, the owner of this now-ornate establishment. Which was now festooned with hanging brass lanterns, colorful canopies and Oriental carpets.

As Guests eyeball the menu (trying to decide if – for their entrée – they’re going to have the chicken shish kabob served with a herb yogurt sauce, the beef shish kabob with ride, or the vegetarian offering), Aladdin suddenly runs into this restaurant clutching a loaf of bread. He’s then pursued by Jafar’s henchmen. And – as these performers race up & down the aisles of this café – they then sing the “One Jump” song for the “Aladdin” film.

That moment pretty much established the style & tone of the show presented in “Aladdin’s Oasis.” It’s not a beat-for-beat recreation of the storyline of that animated feature. But – rather – kind of a greatest hits. With the idea that – whenever possible – the storyline of this sixth century supper club show would then circle back to a food-based moment.

Take – for example – when “Friend Like Me” was performed in this Adventureland eatery. Before this song got underway, Guests were encouraged to rub the magic lamp which was right in the center of their table. It would then begin to smoke. And as the song began, servers would then come out and deliver dessert. Which was a chocolate lamp filled with chocolate mousse and a berry topping.

And did I mention the Audio-Animatronic version of Iago (which Gilbert Gottfried recorded all sorts of new dialogue for?) Or how Jafar actually performed magic tricks onstage, with he & an assistant jamming swords into the top & the sides of a box that Princess Jasmine was supposedly hiding in? Or the ”Three Wishes,” which was this scantily clad trio of girls who belly-danced and often sang back-up for Aladdin & Kazim.

There’s a number of videos of the “Aladdin’s Oasis” show up on YouTube right now. So it’s easy for you to go see how elaborate & ambitious this Disneyland supper club experience once was. What’s not easy to understand is why – even though “Aladdin” was a hit movie (and would then go on – in September of 1993 – to sell millions of VHSs) – why this Adventureland eatery then closed its doors in the late Summer of 1994 (Just 14 months after it first opened).

Was “Aladdin’s Oasis” Successful?

To be blunt, everything at a Disney theme park is considered its own profit center. It has to make a certain regular return-on-investment in order to justify the ongoing cost of staffing the place. And that just wasn’t the case with “Aladdin’s Oasis.”

As it was explained to me … This Disneyland project had been so rushed (in order to make Michael Eisner happy. He reportedly insisted that “Aladdin’s Oasis” had to be up & running at Disneyland Park before the VHS version of “Aladdin” became available for purchase in September of 1993) and the Company has spent so much money getting this sixth century supper club up out of the ground … Well, the only way this place could ever recover its construction costs was if every single seat at all eight seatings every day were filled. And especially during Disneyland’s off-season (when fewer people went to the Park each day. Especially mid-week), that just wasn’t possible.

Disneyland did what it could to boost advance reservations at “Aladdin’s Oasis.” For a time, if you booked a dinner package at this Adventureland eatery, you not only got a reserved viewing spot for the “Aladdin’s Royal Caravan” parade, you also got a prime viewing spot for “Fantasmic!” thrown in for free too.

After “Aladdin’s Oasis”

A few months after the very last presentation of the “Aladdin’s Royal Caravan” parade rolled through Disneyland in June of 1994, “Aladdin’s Oasis” shut its doors over in Adventureland. For a time, the Park’s Entertainment team would use this space for a storytime meet-n-greet experience with Aladdin, Jasmine and the Genie.

More recently, this space along the Rivers that make up Disneyland’s Jungle Cruise was gutted so that the Tropical Hideaway could then be built. This quick service restaurant opened in Adventureland back in December of 2018. Its primary appeal is that you can get a variety of flavors of Dole Whip here, plus Polynesian themed nibblies.

More Supper Club Experiences

Just so you know: The failure of “Aladdin’s Oasis” back in 1993 & 1994 exacted a price. The Imagineers had two other supper club experiences in the works back then. One that was supposed to be built at Disney’s Boardwalk and was supposed to have been Little Mermaid-themed, and another that was supposed to have been built inside of Disney-MGM as part of that theme park’s Sunset Boulevard expansion. That one was supposed to have replicated the South Seas Club from Disney’s June 1991 release, “The Rocketeer.”

Did any of you get to experience “Aladdin’s Oasis” in person? What do you remember of this short-lived dining experience at Disneyland?

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Theme Parks & Themed Entertainment

Get Your Hands Dirty with Disney-MGM Studios “Star of the Day” Program

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Not so long ago, we got a query from a “Disney Dish” listener about some of those concrete slabs that Guests can see over at the Theater of the Stars at Disney’s Hollywood Studios. These are the ones that feature the handprints, footprints & signatures of various celebrities. I believe the two slabs that we specifically asked about were the ones for Monty Hall & Bob Denver.

These were done back when Disney-MGM (Now Disney’s Hollywood Studios) used to have a “Star of the Day” program. Which …

Well, to tell this story properly, we really have to go back to when the original Grauman’s Chinese Theater (the building that the Chinese Theater – now home to “Mickey & Minnie’s Runaway Railway” – was modeled after).

Celebrity Handprints in Concrete – Grauman’s Chinese Theater Tradition

This ornate structure was built on the really-for-real Hollywood Boulevard back in the mid-1920s.

Mind you, this massive structure – which originally had seating for 2,200 people inside of one giant theater (but has since been subdivided into six smaller theaters. Which only have seating for 932 people now) – took 18 months to build. And as the story goes, Sid Grauman – the guy who originally funded the construction of Grauman’s Chinese Theater – was taking movie star Norma Talmadge on a tour of this still-under-construction massive movie palace (which cost $2 million to build. A huge sum back in the day).

Anyway … Norma isn’t really watching where she’s walking. And as she’s touring this still-active construction site, Talmadge accidentally steps in some wet cement. Sid – who was already a master showman – looked at Norma’s footprints in that wet cement and immediately saw a promotional opportunity. He leaned over and – right next to Talmadge’s footprints – used his finger to quickly scribble Norma’s name and the date.

And thus a Hollywood tradition was born. Getting your footprints and/or handprints cast in cement so that they could then be displayed in the forecourt of the Chinese Theater. Back in the day, you weren’t really considered a star in Tinsel Town until Sid extended an invitation to you to come on down and do the whole step-in-wet-cement thing with the whole Hollywood press corps looking on. Not to mention all of your adoring fans.

Celebrity Cement Prints at Disney’s Chinese Theater

Okay. So the original Chinese Theater opens in May of 1927. And the clone of this structure that Disney was building in Florida in the late 1980s.

FYI: The Imagineers used the exact same blueprints that Meyer and Holler – an architectural firm that was based in LA – originally drew up for Sid Grauman when they were building a copy of this movie palace to then serve as the central icon [the castle, if you will] of WDW’s third theme park

Well, then-Disney CEO Michael Eisner wanted the forecourt of Florida’s Chinese Theater to be just like the original in Hollywood. Which meant that the Imagineers needed to start collecting celebrities’ signatures in cement ASAP.

The first two modern day stars to be captured in cement for Disney-MGM were TV legend Carol Burnett and Cindy Williams, co-star of 1970s sit-com, “Laverne & Shirley.”

Carol Burnett

Burnett signed her cement block onsite at the still-under-construction Disney-MGM back on June 25, 1988. She was down there then to film “A Conversation with Carol.” Which was one of the very first things to be shot at Disney-MGM. This one-hour-long look back at Burnett’s career was shot inside of the just-completed Soundstage 3. The live audience that attended this taping had to hike across a muddy construction site in order to reach this soundstage. The completed show would then debut on the Disney Channel just two months later and then repeatedly air on that cable channel in the months leading up to the official opening of Disney-MGM.

Cindy Williams

Cindy Williams – on the other hand – did her cement handprint ceremony out in LA on the set of “Save the Dog.” Which was a TV movie that Cindy was shooting for Disney which would eventually air on NBC as part of that network’s “Magical World of Disney” programming block.

Shipping Cement Blocks from California to Walt Disney World

That’s the dirty little secret of the forecourt of the Chinese Theater at Disney-MGM (Now Disney’s Hollywood Studios). Because the Imagineers needed hardened cement blocks with celebrities signatures & handprints & footprints that they could then put into place prior to the official opening of this Studio theme park on May 1, 1989 … A bunch of these were done in advance far away from Florida.

The giveaway is the date. If you see a cement block with a star’s signature that says “1988” (EX: Alan Alda’s block), that was most likely done off-site well ahead of the official opening of this theme park.

Credit: Eric Hersey

Disney-MGM Grand Opening

Mind you, for the actual grand opening of Disney-MGM (a three day-long affair that stretched from April 29th – May 1st), there were celebrities galore on hand. And the Mouse deliberately staged several events in front of the press where multiple stars pressed their hands in wet cements (at the same time, mind you) in front of the cameras.

Among the stars who did this as part of Disney-MGM official grand opening were Bette Midler & Kevin Costner. There were also representatives from Hollywood’s golden age like Mickey Rooney & Ann Miller. Former glamor girls like Lauren Bacall & Audrey Hepburn. Television pioneers like Buffalo Bob of “Howdy Doody” fame, Imogene Coca and Edie Adams. Sitcom stars from the 1960s like Rose Marie & Morey Amsterdam. Not to mention Werner Kempler (Colonel Klink from “Hogan’s Heroes”).

Entertainment legends like Bob Hope & George Burns. Top music stars like Willy Nelson & the Pointer Sisters. Disney Legends by Annette Funicello & Art Linkletter. Not to mention modern day icons like Walter Cronkite, Leonard Nimoy and Dick Van Dyke.

And Disney did their damnedest to capture all of these celebrities’ signatures & handprints & footprints in cement. Which – after they dried & hardened – were then dropped in the forecourt of the Chinese Theater at Disney-MGM.

“Star of the Day” at Disney-MGM

The week that WDW’s third theme park first opened, Disney-MGM then kicked off its “Star of the Day” program. FYI: Annette Funicello officially kicked this program off.

This is the typical schedule that Disney-MGM’s “Star of the Day” program followed (FYI: There were typically two “Stars of the Day” each week at this theme park. One would appear Monday – Thursday. Then the second star would make appearances at Disney-MGM from Friday – Sunday.

Sweet gig. Disney would fly celebrities who’d agreed to part of MGM’s “Star of the Day” program into Orlando. They put these people & their immediate families up at the Grand Flo. Given them free admission to the Parks / assign them a Plaid to make sure that they never waited in line for anything. Comped all of their meals. Their hotel room as well.

All Disney asked in return was three hours of that celebrity’s time each day that they agreed to be a part of MGM’s “Star of the Day” program. They’d be picked up at the Grand Flo each day at Noon and then travel by town car backstage to the Studio theme park. Once there, they’d have a quick hair & make-up session. Then …

Credit: D23

“Star of the Day” Celebrity Schedule

This celebrity’s day in the Park would typically kick off at 1 p.m. with a “Star Conversation” in the Theater of the Star (This was back when that outdoor performance venue was located just off of Hollywood Boulevard next to the Brown Derby), where this performer would then answer questions that Guests in the audience of this show would ask. At 2 p.m., it was then time for this celebrity to then ride up Hollywood Boulevard while seated in an open convertible. They’d then take part in a public handprint ceremony that was staged in front of the Chinese Theater and then pose for some pictures out in front of that building.

By 2:30 p.m., this “Star of the Day” was now off the clock. The Plaid that was assigned to them would now run this celebrity back to the Grand Flo and/or take them to wherever their family was playing on property. Like I said earlier, sweet, sweet gig. Basically a free WDW vacation for you & your family in exchange for three hours of being adored by the theme park-going public. What celebrity would say “No” when offered this gig.

Credit: LaughingPlace.com

FYI: A lot of folks said “Yes” when offered an opportunity to take part in the “Star of the Day” program when Disney-MGM was still relatively new because they themselves were curious about the Park / wanted to check out the Company’s new state-of-the-art soundstages, etc.

We were just talking about people taking pictures of those celebrities out in front of the Chinese Theater pressing their hand into the cement … If you didn’t bring your camera to Disney-MGM and then couldn’t capture an image of this performer in action … Well, if you wanted an official 5 by 7 black & white image of that “Star of the Day,” all you had to do – when you were leaving Disney-MGM for the day – was swing into Guest Relations. They always had a stack of free pile of official images of that day’s “Star” to then give away to Guests there.

Are There Multiple Concrete Slabs with Celebrity Prints?

Yes, I’ve been told by folks who worked at Disney-MGM during the height of that theme park’s “Star of the Day” program (which was largely discontinued in the mid-1990s once Sunset Boulevard & Twilight Zone Tower Terror opened) that – yes – they’d wind up with multiple slabs of hardened concrete with that celebrity’s signature in them.

If a decision was eventually made to install that celebrity’s slab in the forecourt of the Chinese Theater at Disney-MGM, they’d actually gather those three or four cement slabs that this celebrity had signed over their stint as “Star of the Day” at that theme park and then decide which was the best looking slab with the easiest-to-read signature. Some celebrities have horrible handwriting.

If a celebrity really messed up when doing their slab as part of their public handprint ceremony, that one would then be trashed backstage. If they were all good, the multiples were then carefully catalogued and warehoused.

Credit: Eric Hersey

Concrete Slabs at the “Theater of the Stars”

This brings us to Bob Denver & Monty Hall’s cement slabs (The ones on display in the Theater of the Stars). When the decision was made to relocate this performance venue from the edge of Hollywood Boulevard over to Sunset Boulevard when WDW’s third theme park was being expanded in 1993 & 1994 … The decision was made to place the cement blocks of television legends in that space. Which is when the Imagineers went back into the warehouse, pulled out a number of the signed cement blocks that celebrities had done as part of the “Star of the Day” program that weren’t already on display in the Park and … Well, picked the performers with the strongest name recognition AND the best / clearest handwriting.

Quick note to Mr. Iger: You’ve got a warehouse full of cement blocks with celebrities’ signatures on them. Many of these folks were screen & television legends that are no longer with us. If I were Bob, I’d reach out to Van Eaton and hire them to auction some of those suckers off.

Experiencing the “Star of the Day” Program

I was there for the press opening of Disney-MGM (34+ years ago). Almost got a broken neck from my head constantly whipping around at all the celebrities who were there in the Park for this event. People like Rick Moranis & Jim Varney. Three of the four “Golden Girls” (Betty White, Rue McClanahan & Estelle Getty). Comedy legends like Steve Allen & Tony Randall. Disney Legends like Jimmy McDonald (Got all sorts of stories from him about working with Walt as part of an interview I did with him at the event. Really need to dig out that tape at some point). Likewise Charles Fleisher, the voice of Roger Rabbit (Very funny guy. Kind of crazy, though).

If you want to get a sense of who actually took part in Disney-MGM’s “Star of the Day” program (because not all of those cement blocks with celebrity signatures wound up being displayed in the forecourt of the Chinese Theater or over in the Theater of the Stars off Sunset), go to Mama Melrose. There – in the waiting area of that Muppets Courtyard restaurant – you’ll see dozens of those black & white 5 & 7 images that I was telling about. Those cards that Guest Relations used to give away of the “Stars of the Day.”

This article is based on research for The Disney Dish Podcast “Episode 426”, published on May 8, 2023. The Disney Dish Podcast is part of the Jim Hill Media Podcast Network.

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