Theme Parks & Themed Entertainment

From the JHM Archives — M – I – C in NYC : Disney at the 1964 New York World’s Fair

Published

11 years ago

April 27, 2014

There has long been this legend about the importance the
1964 New York World's Fair played
in the history of the Walt Disney Company. How the Fair was supposed to be this
vital stepping-stone in the creation of Walt Disney World. How Walt had to see
if his theme park rides and attractions would meet with the approval of those
East Coast sophisticates before he'd agree to buy all that land around Orlando.

It's a nice story. Not true, mind you. But it's a nice story
nonetheless.

Truth be told, Disney operatives had already been scoping
out property around Florida for
at least three years prior to the Fair's opening in April of 1964. Indeed,
Disney's chief purchasing agent — a lawyer named Bob Foster — made a big
point of being seen publicly in New York
for the opening festivities for the '64 World's Fair just before he slipped off
to Orlando to pick up the options
on 12,400 acres of property.

Robert Foster. Copyright Disney
Enterprises, Inc.
All rights reserved

Why for? Just in case someone in Florida
had recognized Bob and later asked him whether he'd been in Central
Florida doing the Mouse's bidding. Foster would then be able to
deny the accusation by saying "Wasn't me, pal. I wasn't in Florida
that week. I was in Flushing attending the Fair. I've
got witnesses."

So if the New York
World's Fair wasn't really the birthplace of Walt Disney World, then why do
Disneyana fans and theme park historians place so much emphasis and/or apply
such significance to the Fair?

The answer is simple, really. So much of the technology that
Disney developed to create the company's break-through theme park attractions
of the 1960s — "Pirates of the Caribbean," "The Haunted
Mansion," etc. — were a direct result of Walt Disney Productions'
involvement in the Fair.

Walt, having already created a few small exhibits for
earlier versions of the World's Fair (the 1939 New York World's Fair even
featured a special Mickey Mouse cartoon — "Mickey's Surprise Party"
— that Walt personally put into production promoting the product line of the
National Biscuit Company, AKA Nabisco), was already well aware of the
opportunities that an exhibition like this would offer to a company like
Disney.

Don't believe me? Then take a gander at this transcript from
a March 1960 meeting at WED Enterprises, where Walt tells his Imagineers about
the opportunities that he sees in the recent announcement that there's another
World's Fair held in New York in 1964:

"There's
going to be a big fair in New York.
All of the big corporations in the country are going to spend a hell of a lot
of money building exhibits there. They don't know what thy want to do. They
don't even know why they're doing it, except that the other corporations are
doing it and they need to keep up with the Jones. Now they're all going to want
something that will make them stand out from the others, and that's the kind of
service we can offer them. We've proved we can do it with Disneyland.
This is a great opportunity for us to grow. We can use their financing to
develop a lot of technology that will help us in the future. And we'll be
getting new attractions for Disneyland, too. That will
appeal to them. We can say that they'll be getting shows that won't be seen for
two six month periods at the Fair. These shows can go on for five to ten years
at Disneyland."

You see? Walt saw the New York
World's Fair not so much as a chance to show off what his Imagineers were
capable of, but more as a tremendous business opportunity. A way to connect
with many of the corporate leaders of America
by helping them develop entertaining attractions that would properly showcase
their products at the Fair. Disney also saw the Fair as a means to an end, a
way to move some of his company's highly expensive dreams off the drawing board.

Take – for example – Disneyland's
"Enchanted Tiki Room" attraction. Now keep in mind that this was back
in the early 1960s, a time when the Walt Disney Productions was just beginning
to experiment with audio animatronics. Walt desperately wanted to put this
feathered floorshow into his Anaheim
theme park.

But the guy who actually held the company's purse strings –
Walt's brother, Roy – was reluctant to free up the millions that would be
necessary to build a full-sized version of this then-cutting edge robotic show
for Disneyland.

That's when Walt had a brainstorm. He'd agree to build the
Tiki attraction for some poor company that was desperate to find a show to
present inside their pavilion at the 1964 New York
World's Fair. Disney would then make sure that his company's lawyers worked the
terms of the contract with this other corporation so that A) the pavilion's
sponsor would fully underwrite construction of the Tiki attraction and B) once
the fair was over, the Enchanted Tiki Room would automatically be shipped back
to Anaheim and begin presenting performances there. That way, Disneyland
would get a brand new high tech attraction without the Walt Disney Company
having to layout big bucks to build the thing.

It's an ingenious sounding scheme, isn't it? And here's the
intriguing part: It almost worked. Walt Disney Productions and Coca-Cola spent
most of 1962 going back and forth about whether the cola giant would underwrite
the cost of creating an Enchanted Tiki Room attraction that would be presented
as the centerpiece attraction at the company's pavilion at the 1964 New
York World's Fair. In the end, the folks back in Atlanta
decided that the price that Walt was asking was just too high. Which is why
Coke opted to take a pass on Disney's feathered friends.

Walt then supposedly tried to interest both the Gas Industry
and GM in including the Tiki Birds as part of the entertainment offered at
their World's Fair Pavilion. When these two companies also passed on the
project, Walt decided to bite the bullet and have Walt Disney Productions pick
up most of the cost of creating Disneyland's Enchanted
Tiki Room. With a slight financial assist from Stouffers Foods, the
Adventureland attraction opened in June of 1963 to great acclaim.

Speaking of GM, the real reason that the auto making giant
opted not to go with Walt's Enchanted Tiki Room (or any other attraction ideas
that the Mouse has put forward) is that — while the corporation had been
negotiating with Disney — it had also been forming its own in-house World's
Fair exhibit committee. So in the end, the carmaker felt that they didn't
really need Mickey's help to make a big splash at the 1964 World's Fair.

But — as they closed out negotiations with Disney in late
1960 — GM officials reportedly jokingly remarked: "You know who you
should really be talking to, Walt? The folks over at Ford. We hear that they
don't know what the hell they're going to do when it comes to the Fair."

This — as it turns out — was indeed the case. Which was
why Ford jumped at the chance of having Disney create an exhibit for their
company to display at the 1964 World's Fair. By July 1961, the Imagineers were
already on site in Dearborn, Michigan
looking for ideas that they could possibly use in Ford's Fair attraction.

Oddly enough, Disney didn't discover any concepts for
possible Fair attractions out of this particular trip to Michigan.
But what they did get was an idea for a new theme park ride system. Observing
how Ford started out with a half ton of molten metal, then moved that super hot
pile of steel along a half mile long assembly line, only to have a finished car
burped out at the other end of the factory, Veteran Imagineer John Hench
wondered … could this same technology be used to move people?

That trip to Dearborn
lead to the creation of Disney's Omnimover system — the very system that the
Mouse uses today to move millions of people each year through their "Haunted
Mansion" attractions as well
as along its PeopleMover system.

Anyway … the first idea that Disney pitched to Ford was a
"Symphony of America" ride, which would have taken Fair visitors on a
simulated tour of the United States.
Guests would have sat in Ford vehicles as they rolled past elaborate
recreations of the Grand Canyon, the Everglades,
the Sequoias, etc. Ford rejected this idea outright. Why? Because — back in
those days — you didn't tour America
in a Ford. You saw "the U.S.A.
in your Chevrolet." So Ford didn't want to do anything that might
inadvertently helped its competition.

That's where the Dinosaur ride idea came from. Veteran
Imagineers Claude Coats, Marc Davis and Blaine Gibson were put in charge of the
Ford project and then told to get as far away from the "Symphony of
America" idea as possible. Which is why they decided to set the revamped
Ford attraction in the distant past.

The end result; The Ford Wonder Rotunda featuring the Magic
Skyway, which was a huge hit at the Fair. It was also a massive undertaking. At
275,000 square feet, Ford's show building was easily the largest structure
erected on Flushing Meadow. The 127 audio animatronic figures that lined the
Magic Skyway's ride track also made Ford's show one of the more technologically
complex shows presented at the Fair.

Walt Disney and Henry Ford II
inspect model of the Ford Wonder Rotunda.
Copyright Disney Enterprises, Inc.
All rights reserved

Indeed, Ford's Wonder Rotunda — with its ambitious size and
scale — could be considered the mother of such Disney mega-attractions as
"Pirates" and many of Epcot's original attractions like "World
of Motion" and "Horizons." And the dinosaurs featured in Epcot's
"Universe of Energy" should look very familiar to '64 World's Fair
fans. They are the exact same figures — down to the creatures' poses and
actions — that terrorized visitors to Flushing back in
'64 and '65. Minus a few minor cosmetic changes, of course.

This brings us to another Fair favorite: General Electric's
Carousel of Progress. Which, as it turns out, wasn't originally developed for
the Fair at all. The Carousel was actually envisioned as the centerpiece
attraction of a late 1950s expansion of Disneyland's Main
Street U.S.A.
area: Edison Square, a
whole new land that would have celebrated the era when America
was shifting over from gas street lamps to the electric light bulb for its
primary source of illumination.

However, back in 1958, when this show was first pitched for
the Anaheim theme park, the
attraction's trademark theater-go-round technology didn't exist yet. Which is
why Disney's Imagineers envisioned audiences getting up and walking from
theater to theater to view this six-act show.

By the way, this is the show that proves — beyond a shadow
of a doubt — that progress is always on the move. After closing in NYC back in
1965, this New York World's Fair
favorite moved to Anaheim where it
ran for several years. Then it was on to Orlando,
where Carousel has been entertaining visitors at Walt Disney World's Magic
Kingdom since the mid-1970s.

Speaking of shows that weren't originally created for the New
York World's Fair, let's now take a look at
"Great Moments with Mr. Lincoln." What's intriguing about this
attraction — particularly given that a significantly revamped version of
"Great Moments" just re-opened in Anaheim
to significant acclaim — is that this isn't the show that Walt really wanted
to do. "Great Moments with Mr. Lincoln" is a significantly stripped
down version of an attraction that Disney wanted to have debut at Disneyland:
"One Nation Under God."

This attraction was supposed to have been the centerpiece
attraction of yet another expansion of Disneyland's Main
Street U.S.A.
area: Liberty Street. This
proposed Anaheim addition was to
have celebrated America's
colonial period, featuring thirteen authentic period structures that were
supposed to represent the original thirteen American colonies.

The "One Nation Under God" show? Well, if you ever
saw the original version of Walt Disney World's Hall of Presidents, you've seen
"One Nation Under God." However, due to the huge cost of mounting
this particular production, Walt couldn't afford to produce this show all on
his own. Which is why he spent years trying to line up a corporate sponsor for
this super-patriotic show. Unfortunately, none of the companies that Disney
approached in the late 1950s / early 1960s bit on the high cost project.

Determined to finally line up a corporation to help
underwrite this proposed Disneyland attraction, Walt has
his Imagineers work up a full scale version of one figure from the show:
Abraham Lincoln. Walt hoped that — once potential sponsors got to see one of
these robotic presidents in the flesh (so to speak) — they'd immediately jump
at the chance to be associated with this show. Ever the showman, Walt had his
Imagineers set up a manually controlled version of the Lincoln
robot that could stand up and shake the hand of any potential sponsor.

Finally, the right man got the chance to shake Abe Lincoln's
hand: Fair President Robert Moses. Moses was said to be ecstatic when he
finally got to "meet" Mr. Lincoln, allegedly declaring that "I
won't open the Fair without this exhibit."

The only problem was that — like Walt — Moses wanted the
big bells-and-whistles version of the show, "One Nation Under God."
So Robert personally began pursuing potential sponsors for the show. First off,
he went after the folks with the deepest pockets … the United States
Government. (The U.S. Government — after much hemming and hawing — had
finally agreed to put up $15 million toward the construction of a federal
exhibit for the 1964 New York World's Fair in early 1962.)

Moses appealed directly to the Department of Commerce, the
one office within the government with direct control over how the U.S.'s
money would be spent at the fair. He met personally with the undersecretary of
Commerce — Franklin Deleanor Roosevelt, Jr. — to try to get his office behind
"One Nation Under God" show. In the end, the U.S. Government —
though impressed with Disney's proposed presentation — felt that a show that
featured "talking doll" versions of our Commanders in Chief might be
viewed by some as being demeaning to the office of the President. So they opted
to pass on the project.

Now it's been suggested that FDR Jr. — who allegedly felt
that a robotic version of his dad would be extremely disrespectful —
personally put the kibosh on the Government picking up the tab for the
"One Nation Under God" show. Well, while I had heard this story from
literally dozens of former Disney Productions employees, no one's ever been
able to provide me with definitive proof on this matter. So — until that proof
turns up — I'm afraid that we're just going to have relegate the "FDR Jr.
killed 'Hall of Presidents' for the '64 World's Fair" story to the urban
legends pile.

Moses refused to give up, though. He kept pursuing potential
sponsors for the "One Nation Under God" / "Hall of Presidents"
show until December 1962. Robert even appealed to Coca-Cola, which — after
passing on presenting Disney's "Enchanted Tiki Room" — was still in
search of an attraction for the Fair. Hoping to finally close the deal with
Coke, Disney supposedly had the delicate Lincoln
figure shipped all the way from Burbank
to NYC to give a demo to Coke's CEO.

Unfortunately, the Chairman of Coca-Cola — while riding
into the city to see the Lincoln
demonstration — was supposedly insulted by a bunch of African-American
teenagers who were riding in an open car next to his limo. This supposedly put
the CEO in a foul mood that morning. Which — according to Robert Moses'
autobiography, "Public Works: A Dangerous Tale" — is the reason that
Coke ultimately decided to pass on sponsoring this project.

Things were looking pretty bleak for the electronic Honest
Abe until the state of Illinois
entered the picture. Illinois —
which didn't even get around to putting together the funding necessary sponsor
an attraction at the 1964 New York
World's Fair until early 1963 — was desperate to find some sort of show to
present at the Fair. Disney and Moses were desperate to find someone to sponsor
their "One Nation Under God" show. In one of those great "You've
got Peanut Butter in my Chocolate" moments, these three came together and
— Presto Change-o — Lincoln
finally had a sponsor.

The Illinois "Land
of Lincoln" pavilion as seen
from above

Unfortunately, given the limited amount of prep time left
until the Fair opened, Abe would NOT be appearing alongside the other Chief
Executives. Why for? Because Disney just didn't have time to build AA versions
of all of the other Commanders in Chief. Which is why Lincoln
ended up doing a solo act — his "Great Moments with Mr. Lincoln"
show.

Of course, give that Disney got a late start on the
"Great Moments" show, it just makes sense that the robotic version of
our 16th president didn't debut with the rest of the Fair on April 20th. Due to
all the hassles associated with the rushed production, Lincoln
didn't officially open to the public until two weeks later, May 2, 1964.

As you probably already know, the finished version of
"Great Moments with Mr. Lincoln" was a complete smash. Walt was
proud, but not prouder than Moses — who had worked like a champ for nearly two
years to find Disney's remarkable Lincoln
figure a home at his Fair. How proud was Robert of this particular exhibit?
Years after the 1964 New York
World's Fair closed, Moses was often heard to say "My two greatest
accomplishments at the Fair were Michaelangelo's Pieta and Disney's Lincoln."

New York World's Fair visitors viewing the Pieta from the
Vatican Pavilion's moving walkway

But — at least from Walt's point of view — Walt Disney
Productions' greatest accomplishment at the Fair had to be its high-speed
creation of the "It's a Small World" ride. After all, this was a show
that no one thought would happen, let alone work.

You see, Pepsi-Cola was working with UNICEF — the United
Nation's Agency for Children's Welfare — to come up with an attraction for the
Fair that would salute UNICEF as well as pay tribute to all the children of the
world. After months of floundering, the creative staff at the cola giant
finally had to admit to management that they were stumped. They just couldn't
come up with a workable concept for a Unicef show for the Fair.

It was at this point that somebody finally said, "Let's
call Walt Disney." After all, given Walt Disney Productions' reputation
for turning out fine family entertainment, it just made sense to the folks at
Pepsi to approach Disney. After all, Walt and his staff were sure to be able to
find a way to make this UNICEF tribute show work.

Admiral Joe Fowler. Copyright Disney Enterprises,
Inc.
All rights reserved

The only problem is that Pepsi didn't approach Disney about
helping out with this project until April of 1963. Given the limited amount of
time until the Fair opened, head Imagineer Joe Fowler politely turned the cola
people away, explaining that there was just no way that Walt Disney Productions
could get a full-scale attraction for the Fair designed and built in the amount
of time that was left.

Which, as it turns out, was a mistake. When Walt got wind of
what Joe had done, he was furious. Disney called Fowler into his office and
basically read the man the riot act. "I'm the one who makes the decisions
around here," Walt allegedly roared. "So you call the Pepsi people
back now and tell them that we'll do their damned UNICEF pavilion."

Kind of ironic, isn't it? That the only reason that
"the Happiest Little Cruise That Ever Sailed " (or so says Disney's
own press releases) actually exists is that someone made the mistake of
upsetting Walt Disney.

Anywho … what's truly fascinating about the story of the
creation of Disney's "It's A Small World" is how much of what this
now beloved attraction is today was determined by how quickly the project was
slapped together. How so? Well, a lot of the layout and design of the finished
version of "Small World" was due to the fact that the Pepsi-Cola ride
building for this attraction was actually under construction before anyone knew
for sure what was going to go into the structure. That's why the folks at the
Fair just threw up a simple L shaped building with 32,000 square feet of space
inside. Those who actually worked on the attraction called it "the ugliest
building you ever saw in your life."

(Perhaps recognizing that the Pepsi-Cola building wasn't
what you'd call attractive, Walt Disney asked veteran Imagineer Rolly Crump to
come up with something to jazz up the front of the "small world"
structure. Distract people from seeing how boring the building really was. That's
when Rolly came up with the Tower of the Four Winds, a colorful but complex
array of mobiles that stood over the entrance to "Small World."
Which, in the end, proved to be a brilliant plan. Crump's mobile is now
remembered by many as one of the more charming things they saw while touring
the Fair. But almost no one remembers how boring the exterior of the Pepsi-Cola
building was. Anyway…)

It was until after the foundation had been poured and steel
was flying up that Walt decided that he wanted some sort of boat ride to run
through the Pepsi-Cola building. So — working with the L shaped boundaries of
the building — the Imagineers quickly roughed out a floor plan for a ride that
would pay tribute to all the children of the world. Only — in the original
version of the attraction — the children were all supposed to be singing the
national anthem of each of their individual countries.

An early test on the Disney lot proved that this idea was a
complete disaster. All of the national anthems sung simultaneously meant that
the songs drowned each other out or — worse than that — bled together, making
this unholy noise. That's when Walt got the idea of grabbing the Sherman
Brothers — Bob and Dick — and asking them to do a song for the show.

Best known today as the Oscar winning composers of the score
for "Mary Poppins," the Sherman Brothers had already contributed
several songs for other Disney shows at the Fair. Remember "It's a Great
Big Beautiful Tomorrow" for G.E.'s Carousel of Progress? That was theirs.

Anyway, working off of Walt's instructions, Bob and Dick
quickly knocked out a roundelay, a song that could be sung as a round by the
robotic kids with an occasional counterpoint. Sticking a temporary title on the
tune of "It's a Small World After All," they dropped their first
draft of the song on Disney's desk — apologizing for the song being so silly
and simple. They promised their boss that they'd come back with something more
musically complex sometime later. Walt wouldn't hear of it. So the
thrown-together tune that the Sherman Brothers delivered to Walt Disney that
afternoon in late 1963 is the very same song that we can't get out of our heads
— no matter how hard we try — 50 years later.

Luckily, all of this hard work by Walt's Imagineers paid
off. All four of Disney's shows for the Fair received enormous acclaim. Indeed,
in some surveys that were taken to gauge the popularity of various shows and
attractions at the 1964 New York
World's Fair, Walt's shows often took four of the top five slots.
Attendance-wise, "Great Moments with Mr. Lincoln," "It's A Small
World," "Carousel of Progress" and "The Magic Skyway"
always made it into the top 15.

Of course, it's not like Disney didn't have a few
difficulties with its attractions during their days at the Fair. For example,
Mr. Lincoln had to have his glass eyes and false teeth repaired repeatedly. Why
for? Because some guests at the Fair became convinced that there was just no
way that this lifelike figure could be a robot. So — in an effort to prove
that Disney's Lincoln figure was
really just a guy in a suit — these folks used to whip the free ball bearings
that they'd pick up the SKF exhibit at the Honest Abe AA figure. Hence the
cracked eyeballs and the chipped false teeth.

The "Small World" attraction also had to deal with
periodic damage caused by pranksters. Not-so-nice New Yorkers were forever
stealing fish out of the Koi pond at the Japanese pavilion and slipping the
colorful creatures into the immense water-filled trough that ran through the
Pepsi-Cola show building. That is, of course, when they weren't emptying entire
bottles of Mr. Bubble into the water … which would result in the boats having
to push through 4-foot high walls of foam.

Disney also wanted to have some of the company's rubberheads
– you know, those full-sized costume characters that regularly meet-n-greet
tourists at Disneyland and Walt Disney World – make
daily appearances in front of the Pepsi-Cola Building.
However, after Snow White had a switchblade pulled on her and Practical Pig had
his arm of his costume torn off, Disney's rubberheads suddenly began greeting
guests at the Fair from above – waving down at the people standing in line at
"It's A Small World" from a platform that was fixed to the
bottom-most portion of the Tower of the Four Winds.

True to his word, Walt tried to get all four of the exhibits
that Walt Disney Productions produced for the Fair brought back to Disneyland.
To that end, Disney was about 75% successful.

He got "Great Moments with Mr. Lincoln" and the
"Carousel of Progress" brought back to Anaheim
virtually unchanged. "It's A Small World?" Well, the ride made it
back to Disneyland … but not the Tower of the Four
Winds. As charming as this immense mobile might have been, Walt balked when he
learned about the projected cost of dismantling the tower and having it shipped
back to California.

Walt Disney & Rolly Crump
with the Tower of the Four Winds in
Glendale,
before it was disassembled & sent to Flushing
Meadows. Copyright Disney
Enterprises, Inc.
All rights reserved

Which is why — after the Fair closed — the Tower of the
Four Winds was unceremoniously pulled down. The all-metal structure was chopped
into itty, bitty pieces using acetylene torches, then tossed into the Flushing
Rive The Tower's final resting place? I keep hearing that most of it ended just
offshore of the Fair's Lakeside Amusement area / Transportation Zone. Anyone up
for mounting an underwater salvage operation?

Ford's Magic Skyway? Well, given the size of the thing,
there was just no way that the entire attraction was going to make it back to Anaheim.
Walt settled for just the dinosaur AA figures, which he then tacked on the
park's "Grand Canyon" diorama as a trip
through the "Primeval World." This sequence has been serving as the
grand finale for the grand circle tour of Disneyland
aboard the park's steam locomotives for almost 35 years now.

Of course, these are the sorts of stories that any dedicated
Disneyana fan could already tell you about the company's involvement in the New
York World's Fair. But one of the more intriguing but
least well know aspects of Disney's tenure at the Fair was — after the 1964
season closed and the billion dollar extravaganza hadn't even come close to
meeting its attendance projections — Moses supposedly met with Walt and asked
for his help in driving up attendance for the 1965 season. Robert allegedly
proposed a new Disney-designed amusement area, which would have been built on a
large vacant piece of land next to the gas pavilion. Moses reportedly
envisioned a miniature Disneyland, complete with castle
and dark rides. Walt politely refused Robert's request.

(L to R) Robert Moses, Walt
Disney & Henry Ford II at the grand opening of the Magic
Skyway at the Ford
Wonder Rotunda. Copyright Disney Enterprises, Inc.
All rights reserved

Why for? Well, maybe it was because Disney knew that Moses
was skating on thin ice at that point. As 1965 and the Fair continued to fall
behind its financial projections, a movement was started to oust Moses as head
of the Fair. And whose name was on the short list to take over Robert's
position as President of the Fair. You guessed it, folks: Walt Disney.

When approached about the position, Walt again supposedly
politely refused. Why? Probably because his top secret Florida
project was already well underway. So why waste time trying to find ways to
improve attendance at Flushing Meadows when there was a whole new world to be
carved out of the swamps of Florida?

Of course, even though Walt turned down the job as President
of the Fair, that didn't necessary mean that he wasn't above raiding the Fair's
staff to help run his own organization. That's why Walt hired away Robert
Moses' right hand man, General William E. (Joe) Potter (USA,
ret.) as the Fair was winding down.

William E. "General
Joe" Potter points to the Magic Kingdom
construction site.
Copyright Disney Enterprises, Inc. All rights reserved

Who's General Joe Potter? Well, prior to his time spent
working with Moses, Potter spent many years working with the Army Corps of
Engineers. Joe was a man who accustomed to taking on big jobs and getting them
done. At one point, Potter had actually been governor of the Panama
Canal Zone.

After watching Potter masterfully ride herds on the
construction of the dozens of different pavilions that were rising up out of
Flushing Meadow, Walt knew that Joe was exactly the guy he needed to help turn
all those cypress swamps in Florida
into a vacation paradise. Which is why — as the Fair was drawing to a close in
late 1965 — Disney offered Potter a position with the Disney organization.

In the end, Potter was the man responsible for turning the
28,000 acres of Florida swampland
that Disney had purchased outside of Orlando
into a workable construction site. Starting in July 1967, Joe and his staff dug
44 miles of canals. Potter's crew also drained the 450-acre Bay Lake,
scraped the bottom clean, refilled the lake, then move 9 million cubic yards of
earth to create a nearby lagoon. This monumental effort led to the creation of
the scenic centerpiece of the Magic Kingdom Resort area: Seven Seas Lagoon.

The Seven Seas Lagoon worksite
as seen from above. Copyright Disney
Enterprises, Inc. All rights reserved

So who knows if Walt Disney World would have become the
enormous success it is today if Gen. Joe Potter hadn't been available to help
carve this vacation paradise out of the Florida
wilderness. Of course, Walt probably wouldn't have even met Joe if the Disney
organization hadn't done all those shows for Robert Moses and his 1964 New
York World's Fair.

So — in the end — I guess maybe the Fair WAS actually the
vital stepping stone in the creation of Walt Disney World. But just not in the
way you might have thought that it was.

Theme Parks & Themed Entertainment

Disney and Macy’s 90-Year Thanksgiving Day Parade Partnership: From Mickey’s First Balloon to Minnie’s Big Debut

Published

7 days ago

November 15, 2024

Jim Hill

Now, folks, if you’re like me, Thanksgiving just wouldn’t be the same without a coffee, a cozy seat, and Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade on the TV. And if you’re really like me, you’re watching for one thing: Disney balloons floating down 34th Street. Ever wondered how Mickey, Donald, and soon Minnie Mouse found their way into this beloved New York tradition? Well, grab your popcorn because we’re diving into nearly 90 years of Disney’s partnership with Macy’s.

The Very First Parade and the Early Days of Balloons

The Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade goes way back to 1924, but if you can believe it, balloons weren’t part of the festivities until 1927. That first lineup included Felix the Cat, a dragon, and a toy soldier, all towering above the crowds. Back then, Macy’s had a pretty wild idea to end the parade: they would let the balloons drift off into the sky, free as birds. But this wasn’t just Macy’s feeling generous. Each balloon had a message attached, offering a $100 reward (about $1,800 in today’s dollars) for anyone who returned it to the flagship store on 34th Street.

And here’s where it gets interesting. This tradition carried on for a few years, right up until 1932, when Felix the Cat almost took down a plane flying over New York City! Imagine that—you’re flying into LaGuardia, and suddenly, there’s a 60-foot balloon drifting toward your wing. Needless to say, that was the end of Macy’s “fly away” stunt, and from then on, the balloons have stayed firmly grounded after the parade ends.

1934: Mickey Mouse Floats In, and Disney Joins the Parade

It was 1934 when Mickey Mouse finally made his grand debut in the Macy’s parade. Rumor has it Walt Disney himself collaborated with Macy’s on the design, and by today’s standards, that first Mickey balloon was a bit of a rough cut. This early Mickey had a hotdog-shaped body, and those oversized ears gave him a slightly lopsided look. But no one seemed to mind. Mickey was there, larger than life, floating down the streets of New York, and the crowd loved him.

Mickey wasn’t alone that year. He was joined by Pluto, Horace Horsecollar, and even the Big Bad Wolf and Practical Pig from The Three Little Pigs, making it a full Disney lineup for the first time. Back then, Disney wasn’t yet the entertainment powerhouse we know today, so for Walt, getting these characters in the parade meant making a deal. Macy’s required its star logo to be featured on each Disney balloon—a small concession that set the stage for Disney’s long-standing presence in the parade.

Donald Duck in Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade – Donaldism

Duck Joins and Towers Over Mickey

A year later, in 1935, Macy’s introduced Donald Duck to the lineup, and here’s where things got interesting. Mickey may have been the first Disney character to float through the parade, but Donald made a huge splash—literally. His balloon was an enormous 60 feet tall and 65 feet long, towering over Mickey’s 40-foot frame. Donald quickly became a fan favorite, appearing in the lineup for several years before being retired.

Fast-forward a few decades, and Donald was back for a special appearance in 1984 to celebrate his 50th birthday. Macy’s dug the balloon out of storage, re-inflated it, and sent Donald down 34th Street once again, bringing a bit of nostalgia to the holiday crowd.

A Somber Parade in 2001

Now, one of my most memorable trips to the parade was in 2001, just weeks after the 9/11 attacks. Nancy and I, along with our friends, headed down to New York, and the mood was something I’ll never forget. We watched the start of the parade from Central Park West, but before that, we went to the Museum of Natural History the night before to see the balloons being inflated. They were covered in massive cargo nets, with sandbags holding them down. It’s surreal to see these enormous balloons anchored down before they’re set free.

That year, security was intense, with police lining the streets, and then-Mayor Rudy Giuliani rode on the Big Apple float to roaring applause. People cheered his name, waving and shouting as he passed. It felt like the entire city had turned out to show their resilience. Even amidst all the heightened security and tension, seeing those balloons—brought a bit of joy back to the city.

Balloon Prep: From New Jersey’s MetLife Stadium to California’s D23 Expo

Each year before the parade, Macy’s holds a rehearsal event known as Balloon Fest at MetLife Stadium in New Jersey. This is where handlers get their first crack at guiding the balloons, practicing with their parade masters, and learning the ropes—literally. It’s an entire production unto itself, with dozens of people rehearsing to make sure these enormous inflatables glide smoothly down the streets of New York on parade day.

In 2015, Macy’s took the balloon show on the road, bringing their Buzz Lightyear balloon out to California for the D23 Expo. I was lucky enough to be there, and watching Buzz get inflated piece by piece in the Anaheim Convention Center parking lot was something to behold. Each section was filled with helium in stages, and when they got around to Buzz’s lower half, well, there were more than a few gas-related jokes from the crowd.

These balloons seem to have a personality all their own, and seeing one like Buzz come to life up close—even outside of New York—had all the excitement and anticipation of the real deal.

Mickey’s Comeback as a Bandleader and Sailor Mickey

After a long hiatus, Mickey Mouse made his return to the Macy’s parade in 2000, this time sporting a new bandleader outfit. Nine years later, in 2009, Sailor Mickey joined the lineup, promoting Disney Cruise Line with a nautical twist. Over the past two decades, Disney has continued to enchant parade-goers with characters like Buzz Lightyear in 2008 and Olaf from Frozen in 2017. These balloons keep Disney’s iconic characters front and center, drawing in both longtime fans and new viewers.

But ever wonder what happens to the balloons after they reach the end of 34th Street? They don’t just disappear. Each balloon is carefully deflated, rolled up like a massive piece of laundry, and packed into storage bins. From there, they’re carted back through the Lincoln Tunnel to Macy’s Parade Studio in New Jersey, where they await their next flight.

Macy’s Disney Celebration at Hollywood Studios

In 1992, Macy’s took the spirit of the parade down to Disney-MGM Studios in Orlando. After that year’s parade, several balloons—including Santa Goofy, Kermit the Frog, and Betty Boop—were transported to Hollywood Studios, re-inflated, and anchored along New York Street as part of a holiday display. Visitors could walk through this “Macy’s New York Christmas” setup and see the balloons up close, right in the middle of the park. While this display only ran for one season, it paved the way for the Osborne Family Spectacle of Dancing Lights, which became a holiday staple at the park for years to come.

Minnie Mouse’s Long-Awaited Debut in 2024

This year, Minnie Mouse will finally join the parade, making her long-overdue debut. Macy’s is rolling out the red carpet for Minnie’s arrival with special pop-up shops across the country, where fans can find exclusive Minnie ears, blown-glass ornaments, T-shirts, and more to celebrate her first appearance in the Thanksgiving Day Parade.

For those lucky enough to catch the parade this year, you’ll see Minnie take her first float down 34th Street, decked out in her iconic red bow and polka-dot dress. Macy’s and Disney are also unveiling a new Disney Cruise Line float honoring all eight ships, including the latest, the Disney Treasure.

As always, I’ll be watching from my favorite chair, coffee in hand, as Minnie makes her grand entrance. The 98th annual Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade airs live on NBC, and it’s a tradition you won’t want to miss—whether you’re on 34th Street or tuning in from home.

Theme Parks & Themed Entertainment

Disney’s Forgotten Halloween Event: The Original Little Monsters on Main Street

Published

2 months ago

September 22, 2024

Jim Hill

When most Disney fans think of Halloween in the parks, they immediately picture Mickey’s Not-So-Scary Halloween Party at Walt Disney World or the Oogie Boogie Bash at Disneyland Resort. But before those events took over as the must-attend spooky celebrations, there was a little-known event at Disneyland called Little Monsters on Main Street. And its origins? Well, they go all the way back to the 1980s, during a time when America was gripped by fear—the Satanic Panic.

You see, back in the mid-1980s, parents were terrified that Halloween had become dangerous. Urban legends about drug-laced candy or razor blades hidden in apples were widespread, and many parents felt they couldn’t let their kids out of sight for even a moment. Halloween, which was once a carefree evening of trick-or-treating in the neighborhood, had suddenly become a night filled with anxiety.

This is where Disneyland’s Little Monsters on Main Street came in.

The Origins of Little Monsters on Main Street

Back in 1989, the Disneyland Community Action Team—later known as the VoluntEARS—decided to create a safe, nostalgic Halloween experience for Cast Members and their families. Many schools in the Anaheim area were struggling to provide basic school supplies to students, and the VoluntEARS saw an opportunity to combine a safe Halloween with a charitable cause. Thus, Little Monsters on Main Street was born.

This event was not open to the general public. Only Disneyland Cast Members could purchase tickets, which were initially priced at just $5 each. Cast Members could bring their kids—but only as many as were listed as dependents with HR. And even then, the park put a cap on attendance: the first event was limited to just 1,000 children.

A Unique Halloween Experience

Little Monsters on Main Street wasn’t just another Halloween party. It was designed to give kids a safe, fun environment to enjoy trick-or-treating, much like the good old days. On Halloween night in 1989, kids in costume wandered through Disneyland with their pillowcases, visiting 20 different trick-or-treat stations. They also had the chance to ride a few of their favorite Fantasyland attractions, all after the park had closed to the general public.

The event was run entirely by the VoluntEARS—about 200 of them—who built and set up all the trick-or-treat stations themselves. They arrived at Disneyland before the park closed and, as soon as the last guest exited, they began setting up stations across Main Street, Adventureland, Frontierland, Fantasyland, and Tomorrowland. The event ran from 7:30 to 9:30 p.m., and by the time the last pillowcase-wielding kid left, the VoluntEARS cleaned everything up, making sure the park was ready for the next day’s operations.

It wasn’t just candy and rides, though. The event featured unique entertainment, like a Masquerade Parade down Main Street, U.S.A., where kids could show off their costumes. And get this—Disneyland even rigged up a Cast Member dressed as a witch to fly from the top of the Matterhorn to Frontierland on the same wire that Tinker Bell uses during the fireworks. Talk about a magical Halloween experience!

The Haunted Mansion “Tip-Toe” Tour

Perhaps one of the most memorable parts of Little Monsters on Main Street was the special “tip-toe tour” of the Haunted Mansion. Now, Disneyland’s Haunted Mansion can be a pretty scary attraction for younger kids, so during this event, Disney left the doors to the Stretching Room and Portrait Gallery wide open. This allowed kids to walk through and peek at the Haunted Mansion’s spooky interiors without actually having to board the Doom Buggies. For those brave enough to ride, they could, of course, take the full trip through the Haunted Mansion—or they could take the “chicken exit” and leave, no harm done.

Growing Success and a Bigger Event

Thanks to the event’s early success, Little Monsters on Main Street grew in size. By 1991, the attendance cap had been raised to 2,000 kids, and Disneyland added more activities like magic shows and hayrides. They also extended the event’s hours, allowing kids to enjoy the festivities until 10:30 p.m.

In 2002, the event moved over to Disney California Adventure, where it could accommodate even more kids—up to 5,000 in its later years. The name was also shortened to just Little Monsters, since it was no longer held on Main Street. This safe, family-friendly Halloween event continued for several more years, with the last mention of Little Monsters appearing in the Disneyland employee newsletter in 2008. Though some Cast Members recall the event continuing until 2012, it eventually made way for Disney’s more public-facing Halloween events.

From Little Monsters to Mickey’s Not-So-Scary and Oogie Boogie Bash

Starting in the early 2000s, Disney began realizing the potential of Halloween-themed after-hours events for the general public. These early versions of Mickey’s Halloween Party and Mickey’s Halloween Treat eventually evolved into today’s Mickey’s Not-So-Scary Halloween Party and Oogie Boogie Bash. Unfortunately, this also marked the end of the intimate, Cast Member-exclusive Little Monsters event, but it paved the way for the large-scale Halloween celebrations we know and love today.

While it’s bittersweet to see Little Monsters on Main Street fade into Disney history, its legacy lives on through these modern Halloween parties. And even though Cast Members now receive discounted tickets to Mickey’s Not-So-Scary and Oogie Boogie Bash, the special charm of an event created specifically for Disney’s employees and their families remains something worth remembering.

**The Merch: A Piece of Little Monsters History**

For Disney collectors, the exclusive merchandise created for Little Monsters on Main Street is still out there. You can find pins, name tags, and themed pillowcases on sites like eBay. One of the coolest collectibles is a 1997 cloisonné pin set featuring Huey, Dewey, and Louie dressed as characters from Hercules. Other sets paid tribute to the Main Street Electrical Parade and Pocahontas, while the pillowcases were uniquely designed for each year of the event.

While Little Monsters on Main Street may be gone, it’s a fascinating piece of Disneyland history that played a huge role in shaping the Halloween celebrations we enjoy at Disney parks today.

Want to hear more behind-the-scenes stories like this? Be sure to check out I Want That Too, where Lauren and I dive deep into the history behind Disney’s most beloved attractions, events, and of course, merchandise!

Theme Parks & Themed Entertainment

The Story of Mickey’s Not-So-Scary Halloween Party: From One Night to a Halloween Family Tradition

Published

3 months ago

September 7, 2024

Jim Hill

The spooky season is already in full swing at Disney parks on both coasts. On August 9th, the first of 38 Mickey’s Not-So-Scary Halloween Party (MNSSHP) nights for 2024 kicked off at Florida’s Magic Kingdom. Meanwhile, over at Disney California Adventure, the Oogie Boogie Bash began on August 23rd and is completely sold out across its 27 dates this year.

Looking back, it’s incredible to think about how these Halloween-themed events have grown. But for Disney, the idea of charging guests for Halloween fun wasn’t always a given. In fact, when the very first Mickey’s Not-So-Scary Halloween Party debuted on October 31, 1995, it was a modest one-night-only affair. Compare that to the near month-long festivities we see today, and it’s clear that Disney’s approach to Halloween has evolved considerably.

A Not-So-Scary Beginning

I was fortunate enough to attend that very first MNSSHP back in 1995, along with my then 18-month-old daughter Alice and her mom, Michelle. Tickets were a mere $16.95 (I know, can you imagine?), and we pushed Alice around in her sturdy Emmaljunga stroller—Swedish-built and about the size of a small car. Cast Members, charmed by her cuteness, absolutely loaded us up with candy. By the end of the night, we had about 30 pounds of fun-sized candy bars, making that push up to the monorail a bit more challenging.

Mickey’s Halloween Treat 1996 – Photo: Disney

This Halloween event was Disney’s response to the growing popularity of Universal Studios Florida’s own Halloween hard ticket event, which started in 1991 as “Fright Nights” before being rebranded as “Halloween Horror Nights” the following year. Universal’s gamble on a horror-themed experience helped salvage what had been a shaky opening for their park, and by 1993, Halloween Horror Nights was a seven-night event, with ticket prices climbing as high as $35. Universal had stumbled upon a goldmine, and Disney took notice.

A Different Approach

Now, here’s where Disney’s unique strategy comes into play. While Universal embraced the gory, scare-filled world of horror, Disney knew that wasn’t their brand. Instead of competing directly with blood and jump-scares, Disney leaned into what they did best: creating magical, family-friendly experiences.

Thus, Mickey’s Not-So-Scary Halloween Party was born. The focus was on fun and whimsy, not fear. Families could bring their small children without worrying about them being terrified by a chainsaw-wielding maniac around the next corner. This event wasn’t just a Halloween party—it was an extension of the Disney magic that guests had come to expect from the parks.

Disney had some experience with seasonal after-hours events, most notably Mickey’s Very Merry Christmas Party, which had started in 1983. But the Halloween party was different, as the Magic Kingdom wasn’t yet decked out in Halloween decor the way it is today. Disney had to create a spooky (but not too spooky) atmosphere using temporary props, fog machines, and, of course, lots of candy.

A key addition to that first event? The debut of the Headless Horseman, who made his eerie appearance in Liberty Square, riding a massive black Percheron. It wasn’t as elaborate as the Boo-to-You Parade we see today, but it marked the beginning of a beloved Disney Halloween tradition.

A Modest Start but a Big Future

That first MNSSHP in 1995 was seen as a trial run. As Disney World spokesman Greg Albrecht told the Orlando Sentinel, “If it’s successful, we’ll do it again.” And while attendance was sparse that night, there was clearly potential. By 1997, the event expanded to two nights, and by 1999, Mickey’s Not-So-Scary Halloween Party had grown into a multi-night celebration with a full-fledged parade. Today, in 2024, it’s a staple of the fall season at Walt Disney World, offering 38 nights of trick-or-treating, character meet-and-greets, and special entertainment.

Universal’s Influence

It’s interesting to reflect on how Disney’s Halloween event might never have existed without the competition from Universal. Just as “The Wizarding World of Harry Potter” forced Disney to step up their game with “Star Wars: Galaxy’s Edge,” Universal’s success with Halloween Horror Nights likely spurred Disney into action with MNSSHP. The friendly rivalry between the two parks has continually pushed both to offer more to their guests, and we’re all better off because of it.

So the next time you find yourself trick-or-treating through the Magic Kingdom, watching the Headless Horseman gallop by, or marveling at the seasonal fireworks, take a moment to appreciate how this delightful tradition came to be—all thanks to a little competition and Disney’s commitment to creating not-so-scary magic.

For more Disney history and behind-the-scenes stories, check out the latest episodes of the I Want That Too podcast on the Jim Hill Media network.