Theme Parks & Themed Entertainment

Is Brad Bird’s “Tomorrowland” movie about that “UFOs are real” TV show which Walt Disney Productions almost made back in the 1950s?

Published

12 years ago

February 7, 2013

For three weeks now,
photos of a mysterious bankers box have been making the rounds on the Web. Brad
Bird and Damon Lindelof reportedly deliberately put these images out there to
help whet people’s appetites for “Tomorrowland,” the sci-fi -themed
project that these two wrote which is based on a concept that Lindelof and
“Entertainment Weekly” writer Jeff Jensen originally came up with.

“So what’s this motion picture actually supposed to be
about?,” you ask. Well, as Matthew Jackson recounted in his October 2012 article for
Blastr, “Tomorrowland” ‘s origin can be traced back to …

… a 2011 meeting between Lindelof and Disney exec Sean Bailey.
During that meeting, Bailey apparently brought out a box dating back to the
days of WED Enterprises, Walt Disney’s personal development lab that later gave
birth to Disney’s “Imagineers.” The box was originally labeled
“That Darn Cat
,” but had been relabeled “1952.” Inside were
materials related to some long since abandoned Disney project (maybe a movie,
maybe a ride) about aliens.

Earlier this week over on the D23 website, Walt Disney
Archives director Becky Cline took a closer look at that photograph of the
contents of this box which Brad & Damon had put out there. And she then
identified several specific items which I’ve highlighted below:

On the top there are some old photos. The three that I can
see are of Walt with visitors, probably taken here at the studio. The one on
top is in our photo collection and I was able to identify the man with him as
Major Woodlief of the U.S. Army Reserve General Fund. It was taken in September
1943.

There is a blue paperback book in the box.

The magazine that appears along with this curious collection
of documents and objects provides more clues. It is a copy of the science
fiction magazine Amazing Stories from August 1928.

There are two slide boxes in the box, one features the
Technicolor logo; the writing on the other white slide box is indecipherable.

There is a 45 rpm record that appears to be a master disc.
It is probably from the ’40s or early ’50s (these type of records pre-date
magnetic tape recording). It’s definitely not the kind of record that is
pressed and sold to the public. Unfortunately, its handwritten label is too
blurry to decipher.

So let’s review those clues again. We have a picture of Walt
Disney meeting with a senior U.S. military official. We have a blue book. We have a
science fiction magazine entitled “Amazing Stories.” And we have a
mystery box with a “1952” label stuck on its side that’s filled with
photographs & recordings from the late 1940s / early 1950s.

To borrow a phrase that’s heard most every night on
“Wheel of Fortune,” “I’d like to solve the puzzle, Pat.”
Based on the evidence in this photograph as well as info that has previously
leaked out about this Brad Bird / Damon Lindelof project, I believe that
“Tomorrowland” has something to do with Project Blue Book, the program that the U.S. Air Force launched in late 1952 / early 1953 for the investigation of unidentified flying objects.

And to now get really, really specific here, I believe that
this upcoming Walt Disney Pictures release (which is due to hit theaters on
December 19, 2014) uses a behind-the-scenes story that the late Ward
Kimball loved to tell as its jumping-off point. Where — during the mid-1950s
— the U.S.
government supposedly approached Walt Disney and then asked for his help in
producing a TV show that would eventually be used to break the news to the
American public that UFOS are real.

Which — I know — sounds kind of bizarre. But you have to
remember that — back during World War II — Walt Disney Studios made all sorts
of training films for the U.S.
military. And many of these movies made use of classified
material. And given the care & discretion that Disney staffers had shown
while working on these super-secret training films … Well, it would only
stand to reason that — were military officials looking for someone in
Hollywood to help produce a television program of a highly sensitive nature
which would then have to be shot in utter secrecy … Given that the brass at
the Pentagon already had this history / working relationship with Walt, it would only make
sense that they’d reach out to Walt Disney Productions when it came to a
super-secret project like this.

I know, I know. This all sounds rather far fetched. But you
have to understand — when it comes to the really-for-real history of The Walt
Disney Company during the mid-1950s — truth is often stranger than fiction.
Take — for example — the stories that Ward Kimball used to tell about his
interaction with senior military officials while he was working on those
“Man in Space” episodes
for the “Disneyland”
TV series.

FYI: If you’d like to read an exact transcript of this
UFO-related, you can find it in Volume 11
of
“Walt’s People.” Which
is Didier Ghez‘s excellent series of books which has made hundreds of rare
interviews with Disney Legends available to the general public to read.

Anyway … The interview that we’re talking about today was
done by noted animation historian John Canemaker. And as Ward was talking with
John, Kimball recalled the time when he was working with German-American rocket
scientist Wernher von Braun on three space travel-themed episodes of the “Disneyland”
television series. Which — just to re-enforce the connective tissue here
between the way-out story that Ward loved to tell and the film that Brad &
Damon are now making — that trio of episodes (i.e. “Man in Space,”
“Man and the Moon” and “Mars and Beyond”) — were initially
presented to the public under that TV show’s “Tomorrowland” banner.

When “Man in Space” — the first of these
Tomorrowland inspired episodes — aired on ABC back in March of 1955, it racked
up enormous ratings. Over 42 million people tuned in to watch this speculative documentary about how man might
eventually travel into space. In fact, to hear some members of the Eisenhower
administration talk, this particular episode of the “Disneyland”
television show actually played a key role in America’s
decision to finally enter the space race.

Anywho … Getting back now to those ridiculously high ratings that the initial airing of
“Man in Space” racked up. As Kimball
recounted to Canemaker, this …

… did not go unnoticed by Al Meyers and (Edward)
Heinemann, two big shots in Douglas Aircraft, plus George Hoover, who was head
of the office of naval research. (They) came to me and wanted Disney to do a UFO
picture.

Ward Kimball introducing the “Man in Space” episode of the
“Disneyland” TV show. Copyright Disney Enterprises, Inc.
All rights reserved

(These three) all knew that UFOs were for real. They had
proof, they had everything. And I said, “Sure.” I’d been collecting
material on UFOs for years anyway, and I had a cupboard full of stuff there.
Every report and all the books, you name it. I was a student of Charles Fort,
and that was my dream to end the (“Disneyland”
television series of outer space documentaries) with (a fourth film about
UFOs).

Walt sort of went along with it. But we never had any payoff
footage. You’ve got to end up that last ten minutes with some real stuff.

Our disappointment came when we talked to Colonel Miranda
from the Wright-Patterson [Air Force Base]. Bill Bosché (i.e. the writer that
Walt had assigned to work with Ward on these outer space documentaries for the
“Disneyland” television series) never believed in UFOs even though
Clyde Tombaugh, the guy that discovered the planet Pluto, had seen four or five
in Arizona …

The commissary at Walt Disney Studios in the late 1940s / early
1950s. Copyright Disney Enterprises, Inc. All rights reserved

So we’re having lunch with this Colonel Miranda over in the
commissary, and he, at Wright-Patterson, had all the footage shot from fighter
pilots, everything, and most of it classified. He told us what we could have
for our picture and what we couldn’t have.

And so Bosché … He gets a smile on his face and he says,
“What about flying saucers? I don’t suppose you have anything on
that?” (And then Miranda replies by
saying) “Oh, hundreds of feet!” (And) Old Bosché looked like he’d
faint.

(The Colonel continues by saying) “We’ve got all sorts
of film that we can’t show you, it’s secret, and it’s going to remain
classified until we can take one apart and analyze it.”

File photograph from one of Project Blue Book’s public meetings

And he [Bosché] says, “Well, how come?” And that’s
when (Miranda) taught us our lesson, he says, “Look! Everyone would ask
the Air Force, ‘What are these things?’ And if we couldn’t answer that
question, we would be in trouble. We could have a war start. They would accuse
the Russians of doing it, they’re ahead of us.” He went through a whole
line of reasons why this couldn’t be divulged.

(Which was endlessly frustrating for Kimball. Especially since
the Colonel then went on to say that)
“We have shots (of UFOS) taken from gun cameras, we have beautiful
footage. We’ve got ’em all shapes and size, port holes, lights … (But) We don’t know what they are yet. Until
we can dissect (one), and give a reasonable explanation without our society
coming unglued, we can’t. It’s going to remain classified.”

Which kind of drove Kimball nuts. Given that Ward had
already done a lot of the research necessary for this proposed fourth outer space
documentary for the “Disneyland” TV
series. As Kimball recalled to
Canemaker:

Do these Egyptian hieroglyphics depict unidentified flying objects?

And I had everything up to the last ten minutes (of that
show) … We had these drawings that people have made (of) the spaceships that had passed for a good
part of a day over the Egyptian army in Egypt in 2000 B.C. They described the
stench and the fumes, the whole thing; it was even done in hieroglyphics. We
wanted to bring that to life (through animation). Great thing, you know.
Pictorially, it (would have been) a wonderful
thing to do.

But without the last 10 minutes of that show, which was to
have featured the Air Force’s footage proving that UFOs were in fact real …
This proposed fourth installment of the outer space documentary series just had
no pay-off.

So what if the contents of this “1952” box that
we’ve all seen around the Web over the past three weeks was all of that
research material which Ward supposedly pulled together for this never-produced
fourth “Man in Space” episode? And what if someone working at Walt
Disney Studios today were to have suddenly come across this stuff? A box full
of slides & recordings which proved that the Company had, back in the 1950s, almost made a television show that would have proven to the American people that
UFOs are real? Wouldn’t that be a great MacGuffin to build a motion picture
around?

“Tomorrowland” writer / producer Damon Lindelof

There’s only one problem with this theory. Given the numerous questions that Damon
Lindelof had been getting about the mysterious contents of this
“1952” box and what they all might possibly mean, he took to Twitter
back on January 28th to say:

[Brad and I] won’t tell you what [our movie is] about (yet),
but we will tell you what it’s NOT about. And that would be ALIENS.
#Tomorrowland

Of course, if “Tomorrowland” does in fact touch on
the history of Project Blue Book (i.e. that investigative group which
the U.S. Air Force set up in early 1953 after UFOs had repeatedly been seen in the night sky over Washington DC during the Summer of 1952), wouldn’t it stand to reason that — were Damon looking
to throw would-be cinema sleuths off the scent here — Lindelof would then channel his inner Air Force
Officer and, in the spirit of Project Blue Book, insist that
“Tomorrowland” had absolutely nothing to do with aliens?

Cover of an actual Project Blue Book report

That said, to give Damon some plausible deniability to this
scenario, please note that — in his posting on Twitter — Lindelof said that
“Tomorrowland” is not about ALIENS. At no time does Damon say that
this December 2014 Walt Disney Pictures release isn’t investigating the
possible existence of unidentified flying objects.

Okay. That’s a fine distinction to make. But it is worth
noting.

It’s also worth noting here that — right after he graduated
from the California Institute of the Arts — Brad Bird’s very first job in
animation was at Walt Disney Studios. Where Brad worked (albeit briefly) on
WDAS’s 1981 release, “The Fox and the Hound
.”

Brad Bird behind the camera onset for “Mission: Impossible — Ghost
Protocol.” Copyright 2011 Paramount Pictures. All rights reserved

And given what Walt Disney Productions was like back during
those pre-Michael Eisner days (i.e. a smallish movie studio whose best years
really seemed to be behind it. A sleepy collection of 1940s-era administrative
buildings & soundstages hidden behind high walls in the quiet corner of
Burbank) … It’s not all hard to imagine that a young Brad Bird might have spent
a lot of his free time wandering the halls of Walt Disney Animation Studios.
Maybe opening a few closets and coming across a couple of bankers boxes just like the one that he & Damon Tweeted pictures
of back in late January.

More to the point, Brad did actually know Ward. In the
foreword that Bird wrote for Amid Amidi’s yet-to-be-released biography of
Kimball, “Full Steam Ahead: The Life and Art of Ward Kimball” (Chronicle
Books, Summer 2013), he mentions that …

Over the years I saw Kimball at various events and talked to
him many times …

So who knows? Maybe Ward himself told Brad about Disney’s
never-produced “UFOs are real” television show? And maybe Bird then
shared this story with Lindelof?

Either way, given the specific items that Walt Disney
Archives director Becky Cline spotted in that bankers box as well as that Sean
Bailey / long lost WED box story that Matthew Jackson shared with Blastr readers back in October of last year,
I’m thinking that — at this point — the evidence at hand strongly suggests that this
soon-to-begin-shooting George Clooney movie is going to be using this seemingly
forgotten, fantastic piece of Walt Disney Company history as the jumping-off
point for a brand-new sci-fi adventure.

Of course, your mileage may vary. But what do you folks
think? Have I properly interpreted the clues that Damon & Brad have placed
before us? Or do you have a theory of your own what “1952 /
Tomorrowland” might be about?

Your thoughts?

Television & Shows

How the Creators of South Park Tricked A-List Celebrities to Roast Universal – “Your Studio & You”

Published

2 weeks ago

January 12, 2025

Jim Hill

Universal Studios has a rich and storied history, but few moments are as peculiar—and as hilariously cutting—as the creation of Your Studio & You. This 14-minute parody film, commissioned in 1995 to celebrate Universal’s new ownership under Seagram’s, brings together an all-star cast, biting humor, and the unmistakable comedic fingerprints of Matt Stone and Trey Parker.

Long before South Park debuted on Comedy Central in 1997, Stone and Parker were already carving out a reputation for their irreverent style, and Your Studio & You perfectly encapsulates their knack for turning even the most corporate project into something delightfully subversive.

Matt Stone & Trey Parker Before South Park

Stone & Parker were already known out in Hollywood as funny guys. Thanks largely to “The Spirit of Christmas,” which was this video greeting card that they’d crafted for a Fox executive – who then distributed this infamously funny thing (which had Our Lord Jesus Christ & Santa Claus literally duking it out for the holiday affections of Cartman, Kenny, Stan & Kyle) to friends & family.

This was the early 1990s. No internet. Each copy of “The Spirit of Christmas” was made on VHS tape and then mailed. Went viral the old-fashioned way. It’s rumored that George Clooney made over 300 copies of “The Spirit of Christmas” and passed these VHS taps along to friends and family.

Things didn’t move as fast as they do today. “The Spirit of Christmas” still became a sensation out West.

Zucker Brothers

Matt & Trey also had other supporters in the entertainment industry. Among them David Zucker, who was one of the members of ZAZ (i.e., Zucker Abrahams Zucker), the talented trio that made “Airplane!” in 1980, “Top Secret!” in 1984 and the three “Naked Gun” movies.

The original “Naked Gun” in 1988
“Naked Gun 2 & 1/2 : The Smell of Fear” in 1991
and “Naked Gun 33 & a 1/3: The Final Insult” in 1994

All five of these parody films had been made for Paramount Pictures. But in the Late Winter / Early Spring of 1995, Universal had persuaded the Zucker Brothers to come over and set up shop in a bungalow on their lower lot. With the hope that – at some point further on down the line – David & his brother Jerry would start making funny films for Universal.

Zucker Brothers featured in "Your Studio and You"

And it’s during this same window of time (We’re now talking April of 1995) that news breaks that Seagrams (Yep, the adult beverage company. Who – at the time – was making an absolute fortune on the sales of wine coolers) was about to buy a majority stake in MCAUniversal. We’re talking control of 80% of that company’s stock. Which would effectively make Seagrams the new owners of Universal Studios.

Edgar Bronfman

And Edgar Bronfman – the owner of Seagrams – knew that Universal had had a tough time with its previous owners – which had been the Matsushita Electric Industrial Co. of Japan. Matsushita had bought MCA back in November of 1990 for $7.5 billion but had never really understood the entertainment industry.

This is why – after repeatedly butting heads with Lew Wasserman & Sidney Sheinberg (i.e., the heads of Universal Studios & the Universal theme park respectively) when it came to creative control of this company – Matsushita decided to wash it hands of the entire enterprise. Agreeing to sell their holdings in MCA to Seagrams for $5.7 billion (effectively taking a nearly $2 billion loss on this investment).

And Bronfman … He knew that some bad feeling had developed between Hollywood’s creative community and the Japanese owners of Universal. The thinking was that executives at Matsushita Electric had just not gotten what it took to make movies & TV shows.

And Edgar? Right from the get-go, he wanted to show that Seagrams was NOT going to be Matsushita Electric Redux. Bronfman was looking for a way to send a clear message to Hollywood’s creative community that Universal’s new owners got it. That they were willing to work with Hollywood to make the best possible movies & TV shows at Universal.

And how did Edgar decide to get this message across? By making a funny movie.

Zucker Commissions Trey Parker for “Your Studio & You”

Mind you, Bronfman himself didn’t make this film. The owner of Seagrams reached out to David Zucker. Who – after initially agreeing to produce this introduction-to-Universal film – then farmed out the production of the actual project to Trey Parker. Who – just two days before shooting was supposed to star on the Universal Lot – persuaded Matt Stone to come help him on this project.

Which brings us to “Your Studio and You.” Which is a parody of an educational film from the 1950s, right down to being shot in black & white and featuring a very generic soundtrack.

Now what’s amazing about watching “Your Studio and You” today is that this 14-minute-long film features some of the biggest names working in Hollywood back in the mid-1990s. We’re talking about people like recent Golden Globe winner Demi Moore, Sylvester Stallone, Michael J. Fox and Angela Lansbury. Not to mention two of the most powerful men in all of Hollywood, Steven Spielberg & Jeffrey Katzenberg.

And what’s especially interesting about watch “Your Studio and You” is that – as you watch these performers go through their paces in this motion pictures (which – most of the time – involves doing some innocuous task while holding a Seagram’s wine cooler) – you often get the feeling that this star is not in on the gag.

So how did Matt & Trey get away with this? Simple. There was never actually a script for “Your Studio and You.”

Filming “Your Studio & You” at Universal Studios Hollywood

Mind you, David Zucker would always insist that there was. Especially when he’d phone up celebrities on the Universal Lot and say “Hey, I’m sending over a couple of college kids later today. They’re working with me on a new parody film. It’s something that we’re doing for the new owners of Universal. I need just a half hour of your time. We’re shooting something special for the party we’ll be holding when the Seagrams people first arrive at the Studio. Absolutely. You’ll definitely get an invite to that party. So can I count on you to help these kids out? Beautiful. They’ll be over there later this morning.”

And then Matt & Trey would show up and say “… Dang, Miss Lansbury. We’re sorry. We must have left our copy of the ‘Your Studio and You’ script back in our office. Which is clear on the other side of the Lot. So – rather than waste your time – why don’t we do this instead? Follow us over to the Psycho House. Where we’re then going to get footage of you painting the front porch on Mother Bates’ house while you say ‘Gosh, with all of the wonderful improvements going on around here, everyone is going to want to work at Universal.’ Oh, and can we also get you to wear this button on the front of your blazer which reads ‘Universal is A-OK’ ? “

And over & over again, the biggest names who were working for Universal at that time took part in the production of “Your Studio & You” because A) David Zucker vouched for Matt Stone & Trey Parker and B) this was something that was being made for the new owners of Universal. And it’s just natural to want to get in good with the new boss.

Steven Spielberg, Jeffery Katzenberg, and Jaws

But no one at Universal anticipated that “Your Studio & You” would wind up being as sharp edged as the finished product turned out to be. I mean, it’s one thing to bite the hand that feeds you. But “Your Studio & You” ? It doesn’t just bite the hand. It takes the hand off at the wrist.

It’s a brutally funny film. With one of the meanest moments reserved for Steven Spielberg, who plays a driver on the Universal Studio Tour who’s trying to persuade a tram full of bored tourists (one of whom is played by Jeffery Katzenberg) that the “Shark Attack” scene down by Jaws Lagoon is actually exciting.

Spielberg actually says lines like “ … Whoa, whoa. What is going on here? Ladies and gentlemen, this never happens. Look out! It’s a shark! Whoa, that is one big scary shark.”

Mind you, as footage of this mechanical shark repeatedly coming up out of the water is shown, “Your Studio & You” ‘s off-screen narrator (who is voiced by Trey Parker says):

“But what about tomorrow? If we don’t keep in step with the times, things that were once neat and thrilling can become old and stupid.”

“Your Studio & You” Reception

This film was supposed to be shown only once at the welcoming party for Seagrams executive on the Universal Lot. And I’m told that – when Edgar Bronfman saw the finished product at that party – he reportedly turned to David Zucker and said “ … That’s a little more mean-spirited that I think it needed to be.”

And with that, “Your Studio & You” was supposed to go back into the Universal vault, never to be seen again. But when “South Park” debuted on Comedy Central in August of 1997 and then became a sensation for its biting humor, there was suddenly a lot of interest in what else Matt & Trey had done. Which is why copies of “The Spirit of Christmas” began to circulate. And – over time – copies of “Your Studio & You” began to bubble up.

Which – as Stone & Parker have repeatedly pointed out – was just not supposed to happen. Largely because none of the celebrities who appeared in “Your Studio & You” had never signed releases for Universal’s legal department. Because – again – this was for a movie that was only going to be shown once at a private function on the Universal Lot.

Matt mentioned (as part of a career retrospective at the Paley Center in LA back in 2000) that “ … they wouldn’t even let us keep a copy of the finished film.”

It’s a funny but brutal movie. And worth taking a look at today especially if you’re a theme park history buff because it shows Universal Studios Hollywood’s “Jurassic Park: The Ride” still under construction on the Lower Lot. That attraction would finally open to the public in June of 1996.

“Your Studio & You” became a lot easier to see after Seagrams sold off its share of Universal to Vivendi in 2000. Copies began propagating online after that. Though Universal Legal will periodically make an effort to get the latest copy of “Your Studio & You” taken off the Internet because – again – none of the performers who appear on camera ever signed the proper releases and/or were paid for their efforts.

That said, if you’re up for a mean-spirited laugh, “Your Studio & You” is well worth 14 minutes of your time. That said, once you watch this thing, be warned:

You’re immediately going to be thirsty for a Seagram’s wine cooler
And you’re going to have a sudden desire to go out & buy a porcelain deer.

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

2 months 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.

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

4 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!