Oh, where to begin…
How about Disney Home Video? July 6th will bring a quartet of DVD titles that are old favorites for many of you. As these were some of the classic content of Vault Disney and even earlier seen on the Wonderful World of Disney, it’s some what surprising we that they are out at all. Specifically, we can expect:
- “The Three Lives of Thomasina”
- “Greyfriars Bobby”
- “Charlie The Lonesome Cougar”
- “Napoleon and Samantha”
Or — if you’re more a fan of the Ron Miller era (And let’s face it. Who isn’t!) — they are releasing a selection of titles just for you:
- “Hot Lead and Cold Feet”
- “The Cat From Outer Space”
- “The North Avenue Irregulars”
- “No Deposit No Return”
To top it off, we get 1968’s “The One And Only, Genuine, Original Family Band” complete with Kurt Russell, Walter Brennan, Buddy Ebsen, Wally Cox, Richard Deacon, Leslie Ann Warren, John Davidson and Goldie Hawn. Throw in songs by the Sherman Brothers and it’s a favorite of a lot of folks.
For theme park folks, the next time you’re at Disneyland and wandering through the queue at Big Thunder, take a look at the little vertical-boilered steam locomotive. Yup, the same one used in “Hot Lead, Cold Feet”. And you’ll find it’s counterpart also on display along the Big Thunder Trail between Fantasyland and the former Big Thunder ranch.
Now, when do we more of these goodies on DVD like the “Scarecrow of Romney Marsh” or the “Swampfox”?
Well, as promised, I did indeed make an appearance in Anaheim and joined those of the faithful making their pilgrimages with Jim as out native guide. Originally, I hadn’t planned to be in town for this round of tours, but then my mother says “That’s what I would like to do for my birthday.” So, guess what we’re off to do?
She’s a true Disneyland veteran having made her first visit on the Saturday of the Thanksgiving weekend in 1955. She and her sister arrived just after sunset and were waved through the gate to see what the place was all about. So from then to now, she’s almost always ready for another visit. Who am I to disagree?
Typical June weather kept us in search of shade and comfy chairs along the way. Despite a couple of bumps along the way, it was a great weekend. No cheerleaders this time, but there was a baton twirling event taking place out back of Big Thunder in the Festival area. Oh, all of the little egos being bruised…
Jim added a new (at least to me) twist to the tours by bringing along an interesting selection of goodies to illustrate a key point or three from time to time. Funny to recall how all of those promotional pieces printed by the company have now become true historical documents with what might have been as their focus. And as is traditional, he managed to add to his exposure to the elements with a good dose of sun now and then. Michele and I loaned him a hat on several occasions. It’s either that, or he takes up a fashionable bumbershoot. Might come in handy for making that sea of guests part now and then. I’m amusingly reminded of how Elliot Gould wielded a golf umbrella in the original “M*A*S*H”.
On the whole, the crowds in both Disneyland and DCA were fairly healthy. Friday noon we managed to walk right on to the queue for the Tower of Terror. We didn’t ride for a variety of reasons, but enjoyed the décor of the hotel lobby and did pick a few pins from the gift shop. Lots of items for the Hollywood Tower Hotel, and even a selection of art deco pieces all ready to be taken home. I recall the first time I saw the bathrobes and towels in Florida at their version. I couldn’t stop thinking of Arthur Dent and Douglas Adam’s “Hitchhiker’s Guide.” You can only picture how amusing it would be to show up wearing one’s robe and towel to ride the T of T.
Gotta wonder about some of the decisions about T of T out west. One of the key elements I thought worked so well in Florida was that there was a fair distance walk from the gate at Disney MGM and it helped to build tension all the way. Here, you simply turn a corner and there you are. While you can see it from all over the park, there are many obstructed views. Again from what I remember, when you walk down Sunset Blvd at Disney MGM, the Hollywood Tower Hotel pretty much dominates your view. And the décor along the way is entertaining as well. Here we get the back side of the Animation experience building on one side and the Hyperion Theater façade on the short block. True that the Animation building is dressed to look like it’s prototype on the Disney lot in Burbank, but the average guest doesn’t get that connection. Oh well, here’s hoping that word of mouth gets people in line to ride…
I guess that’s one of the things that I find so frustrating about DCA. There are times when the décor is done just so right that it illustrates the genius of folks at Imagineering. It’s a lot like selling the sizzle and not the steak. There’s no more obvious examples of that than Mulholland Madness and the Burger (or as I see it Wallet) Invasion. Both are overdressed versions of something you can find in many other places. Astute readers may recall how I dissed Mulholland Madness before when visiting Paramount’s Great America in Santa Clara, and found the identical ride. The same is horribly true as Burger invasion sells the same menu (again at an inflated price) as the McDonalds across the street on Harbor Blvd.
Okay, pardon the Cranky Pants moment. I’m feeling better now.
Music was another nice ingredient of the weekend. Everything from the Disneyland Band (who Jim seems to have a peculiar talent for attracting) to the jazz musicians out and about in New Orleans Square (especially the new version of the Royal Street Bachelors) and the Bellhop Band out in front of T of T.
The weekend also saw the gathering of most of the JHM staff. Corey Mitchell gets the prize as this was his first visit to Anaheim and he was bound and determined to get the full experience in two days. We saw him a number of times on his way back and forth across both parks.
We managed to gather those of the JHM staff on hand together for a nice dinner. And some great stories were shared during the evening on a variety of Disney and non subjects. Afterwards, the more insane of the bunch went off for a last ride of the long day on Splash Mountain – it was almost midnight! I had to pass as I wasn’t dressed appropriately for such an event, as you can see in this photo.
The usual suspects and then some in Club 33’s main dining room
From left to right: Corey Mitchell, Laurie Colton, Michele Colton, Roger Colton, Scott Liljenquist, “El Jeffe”, Tony Moore and Dave Cobb. Hiding behind the camera, Chuck Oberleitner.
In the last few years, it’s always been easy to stand and point fingers at peeling paint or something needing attention here and there. You could do that this weekend, too – oh, the poor sailing ship Columbia (Thank goodness it doesn’t sail on open waters! Rotting wood on the hull needs serious attention, please.) – but it was far easier to stand back and take in the finished product. Main Street hasn’t looked so good in a long time. With the upcoming Tiki Room project, some folks (both outside as well as inside of the Disney company) will finally be able to concentrate their energies elsewhere.
While taking in the City Hall improvements – including the enlarged counter to handle guest concerns – we checked on a couple of things. A new tour aimed at families with young children seems promising. Called “Discover The Magic” , it includes interaction with Disney characters and a search for clues to solve a mystery. At 3 hours, it includes lunch and a souvenir gift. It has an interesting price structure with the first two participants priced at $49 each and then $39 for each additional member of a group. We watched one of these tours being started from the old Tour Garden behind the AAA Travel Center. I suspect I’ll get a chance to join the fun sometime…
One JHM tour participant (and a City Hall visitor) of note was Pal Mickey. While he isn’t quite ready for primetime, the word is that we might see him all ready to share tidbits of information for next year’s 50th events. Also an unknown is whether you’ll be able to bring one purchased in Florida to Anaheim and have it ready for use there. The new 2.0 version will roll out in Florida next year with lots of updated content, trivia and even new jokes! Now if someone in Merchandising will wise up and plan a line of accessories for Pal Mickey, so you can tell yours from someone else’s. And yes, I still want my Pal Stitch! There is also no truth to rumors of a Pal Jim. Something about problems with being banned from corporate events, topic drift, never finishing a story series and a bad case of sunburn now and then, we hear.
A fair selection of pins to trade for as well as on the racks about the property. Why, I even enjoyed trading with a couple of other pin enthusiasts. No sharks circling about this trip. Disappointing was the cancellation of the Chip and Dale 4th of July pin, however. It was somewhat amusing to note that the remaining holiday pins wouldn’t go on sale until Sunday night at the pin trading event at the Disneyland Hotel. (Good thing they canceled the one pin, as I would have had one long wait and a later drive home if they hadn’t! Michele collects holiday pins and Chip & Dale pins, so I would have been in double trouble…)
Picked up a copy of the “Date Night At Disneyland” CD. Classic evening at the Park in the late 50’s! A great addition to the “Firehouse Five Plus Two at Disneyland” offering some of the vintage nighttime activities. Rumors have “Meet Me Down On Main Street” coming soon, among other titles due later this summer. Check this link from SaveDisney.com for more information.
Watched the new “Imagine” fireworks show on Friday night. With the fog and low clouds rolling in, things seemed somewhat confused. But the show did go on. Music isn’t anything new and spectacular, but I never really did take to “Believe”. Call me traditional, but I always go back to the “Fantasy In The Sky” show as my favorite. For those keeping score, the new soundtrack sounds like a “Quick! Throw together a show!” piece more than anything else. While it almost matches the pyrotechnics, it relies heavily upon songs like “A Whole New World” from “Aladdin”, going back to visit the theme several times. With Disney having such a diverse catalog of tunes to choose from, this was somewhat disappointing. I think I could do better with selections from my iTunes playlist.
Changing topics, Michele took advantage of the new Special Assistance Pass or SAP. Thanks to problems with a knee years ago, she has trouble with stairs. (As does my mother…) And that was just the thing noted (by a rubber stamping of stairs) on the SAP. While we didn’t use it all that often, it was helpful several times. That said, the guide book that came along with the pass offered great information for anyone with a disability visiting the parks. We also saw one of the interactive captioning devices (for the hearing impaired) in use. It’s still early in testing, and of the attractions it is supposed to be helpful on, the majority are dark rides. Curious then that it doesn’t have a backlighting feature. If it did, that wasn’t obvious when we watched it being used on “Pirates”. (Use of the device was free, but there was a $100 deposit required.)
All in all, we had another fine trip down. Stayed on Harbor Blvd. at the Carousel Inn and Suites , right across from the Park. Hadn’t been there before and we managed to find a nice rate through Travelocity about a month before. The room was good sized, away from the street and very quiet. Parking was easy and convenient. The use of flowers and other plants throughout the area was also very relaxing. I expect we’ll probably stay here again on future visits. It’s not the Grand Californian, but the again, what else is?
In other news, the Colton clan is welcoming a new puppy in the next few weeks. The latest in a long line of German Sheperds dating back some 40 odd years, he’s going to be officially known (and AKC registered) as “Yeager von Valkyrie”. Unofficially, he’s likely to be named in honor of a fine German doppelbock beer. One of the best beers we enjoyed in Munich in 2001 was the Andechser Doppelbock Dunkel, as brewed by the monks of the Andechs Monastery . Usually, doppelbock beers all seem to have names that end with “ator” such as Spaten’s Optimator or Augustiner’s Maximator .
The new boy and his pet. He may be cute and cuddly now, but just wait until he’s over 100 excitable pounds on the other end of that leash…
Photo by Laurie Colton
So that’s all for another week. Head out and enjoy the long holiday weekend, safe and sane — and not just the fireworks! As for what’s up next time, oh, that’s a long way yet…
Keep those kind contributions coming to the Amazon Honor System for JHM. It’s always appreciated and manages to make us do more of our part for you, our loyal readers. Get out the hip waders; it’s getting deep in here, and the puppy has nothing to do with it, yet…