Film & Movies
What’s coming next from DreamWorks Animation
Jim Hill shares what he’s learned about “Over the Hedge,” “Flushed Away,” “Shrek III,” “Bee Movie” and “Kung Fu Panda” … as well as revealing a key plot point for “Shrek IV.”
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Oh, sure. Walt Disney Feature Animation came on strong last week at SIGGRAPH 2005. But you have to remember that Disney wasn’t the only animation studio in attendance at this year’s CG computer graphics conference.
In fact, were you to wander around the exhibition hall at the L.A. Convention Center, you’d have seen that Pixar Animation Studios was there too. As was Sony Picture Imageworks and DreamWorks Animation.
Truth be told, DreamWorks Animation actually had a bigger presence at this year’s SIGGRAPH than Walt Disney Feature Animation. During this five day conference, DreamWorks presented four courses, two panels and seven sketches. Which was more presentations than any other major animation studio mounted at this year’s event.
Of course, given “Madagascar” ‘s strong performance this summer (To date, that CG release has earned more than $430 million worldwide), DreamWorks Animation must have felt like it finally had something to crow about. Which is why artists and technical directors from that studio happily hosted seminars with titles like “Bringing a New Visual Style to the Screen.”
And — were you to drop by the DreamWorks Animation booth last week — you’d have seen dozens of eager animation students handing over resumes & reels … All with the hope that they’d eventually make the cut and then be invited to come work for the Glendale-based company.
Mind you, it wasn’t just “Madagascar” ‘s strong performance over the past few months or so that made it that much easier for DreamWorks Animation HR staff to recruit new talent. The word is out that DW has a number of new projects in its development pipeline that sound like they’d be a hell of a lot of fun to work on.
“What sorts of projects?,” you ask. Well, here. Let me give you a brief run-down on DreamWork Animation’s next four or five years worth of films.
Given that Jeff Lange just wrote about “Wallace & Gromit — The Curse of the Were-Rabbit” for JHM, I don’t really feel the need to write about that upcoming DreamWorks release … Other than to say that, while I was out in LA last week, I too got to see the first 15 minutes of this Nick Parks / Steve Box picture. Which was hilarious. Which is why I’ll be making a point to drop by my local cinema on October 7th to see what happens during the next 75 minutes of the film.
No, the films I’d like to talk about today are the feature length cartoons that DreamWorks Animation is prepping for release for 2006 and beyond.
First up — in May 2006 — is “Over the Hedge.” This CG feature is actually sort of a prequel to Michael Fry & T. Lewis’ popular comic strip. In that this film reveals how R.J. (a scheming raccoon voiced by Bruce Willis) and Verne (a tentative turtle voiced by Gary Shandling) actually became friends.
Fans of the “Over the Hedge” comic strip don’t need to be reminded that Fry & Lewis obviously aren’t fans of suburbia. And this DreamWorks Animation release — which is being directed by Tim Johnson (“Antz“) and Karey Kirkpatrick (screenwriter of Disney’s “Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy“) — also delights in twitting people who drive SUVs and strictly adher to their neighborhood association covenants (I.E. Your grass on your lawn must always be no taller than one inch high, etc.).
Last week, I got to see a few work-in-progress sequences from “Over the Hedge” as well as some storyboards. And — based on that material — DreamWorks Animation looks like it may have another winner on its hands. One scene in particular (In which R.J. was leading his forest friends around the sub-division, demonstrating all the dining possibilities therein) had Willis seeming to channel his old “Moonlighting” character, David Addison. As Bruce barreled through page after page of rapid-fire dialogue, pointing out what a “movable feast” the suburbs really are.
Mind you, Willis has got some great support on this picture. By that I mean: Shandling’s no slouch as Verne, the timid turtle. And Steve Carell — who will soon be popping up at a theater near you as the star of “The 40 Year-Old Virgin” — virtually steals the show as Hammy, the attention-deficit squirrel.
Add to this trio William Shatner & Avril Lavigne as a father / daughter team of possums, “SCTV” vets Eugene Levy and Catherine O’Hara as a put-upon pair of parental porcupines, Nick Nolte as a grumpy old bear, “The West Wing” Alison Janney as the snooty head of the neighborhood association and Thomas Haden Church as a crazed exterminator … And that’s a pretty strong vocal cast.
Luckily, the film’s visuals seem to be just as strong as its voice cast. I got to see one scene where R.J. cons Hammy into pretending that he’s rabid so that the raccoon can then go score some girl scout … excuse me … trail guide girl cookies as well as a chase sequence (As R.J. and Verne race from backyard to backyard as they’re being chased by a toy-obsessed rottweiler) that shows that Johnson & Kirkpatrick have just crammed “Over the Hedge” full of gags.
Add to that that this DreamWorks Animation release is being produced by an old Disney vet, Bonnie Arnold (Best known for producing “Toy Story” and “Tarzan“) … And I can’t help but think that “Over the Hedge” will be well worth checking out when it hits theaters on May 19, 2006.
Next up is “Flushed Away.” AKA The big experiment. To explain: This is an Aardman Animation film, done in the style of Wallace & Gromit and “Chicken Run.” Only this animated feature isn’t being done with clay figures. But — rather — it’s being produced in CG.
Based on conversations that I’ve had with a few folks in the industry, there’s supposedly some trepidation at DreamWorks’ executive level about whether or not audiences will actually embrace an Aardman computer animated film. But — based on the little bits & pieces I got to see last week — Katzenberg & Co. can start breathing easier now. Even though it’s done in CG, “Flushed Away” still has that handmade feel, that same quirky quality that all the great Aardman productions have.
So what’s “Flushed Away” supposed to be about? Well, the picture starts out by depicting the high living ways of Roddy, an upper-class rat. Roddy (voiced by Hugh Jackman) is lucky enough to share his Kensington pad with a rich English family. And — when they’re away on holiday — the rat has the run of the place.
And Roddy … He loves his upper-class lifestyle. Eating only the best cheese (Which he orders straight off the internet) and being waited on hand and foot by his two hamster butlers, Gilbert (voiced by Simon Callow) and Sullivan (Geoffrey Palmer).
Unfortunately — while Roddy’s human family is away — there’s a plumbing disaster in the apartment. And up out of the garbage disposal comes Syd, a sewer rat (voiced by Shane Richie). Dazzled by his new surrounding, Syd thinks that he’d died and gone to heaven. Whereas Roddy … Well, he just wishes that Syd would drop dead.
Which is why the upper-crust rodent tries to trick the lowly sewer rat into leaving the apartment ASAP by offering him a soak in “the jacuzzi.” AKA the toilet. Ah, but Syd is a lot smarter than he looks. And — at the last minute — he gets the drop of Roddy. Which is why it’s the upper class rat that gets “Flushed Away” deep down into the bowels of the London sewer system.
It’s at this point that this picture’s story truly gets into gear. For — once Roddy finds himself deep underground — he learns that there’s actually a miniature version of London under the city. A vast metropolis that’s been assembled out of the bits & pieces that that all the people above have thrown away.
And the first “person” that Roddy encounters once he lands in the underworld is Rita, the street-smart captain of the “Jammy Dodger,” a undersized tugboat that’s built out of an old bathtub.
Roddy just wants to escape the world that he finds in the sewers and get back to his posh pad in Kensington. Whereas Rita … She longs to take the “Jammy Dodger” off on a tour of the great drains of the world. See what the sewers of Paris, Rome and Venice look like.
Of course, in order to do that, Rita is going to need money … Which is why this pretty lady rodent (voiced by Kate Winslet) has been doing business with some pretty nefarious characters: Whitey (voiced by Bill Nighy), a rat who’s escaped from a product testing facility after recieving one too many shampoos and Spike (voiced by Andy Serkis), a rat who’d really like to be villainous … Only — because he still lives at home with his mum — Spike can’t quite pull off the whole henchman thing.
Mind you, Whitey and Spike both work for Toad, the James Bond-like super-villain of the Underworld. Voiced by Sir Ian McKellen, Toad has never quite gotten over the fact that he was once Prince Charles’ favorite pet. Only to eventually be flushed down the toilet by the staff at Buckingham Palace because he was … Well … a toad.
But Toad is now planning on getting his revenge on the world. He’s hatched a diabolical plan that hinges on the United Kingdom being in the World Cup soccer finals, thousands of evil tadpoles and a synchronized bathroom break …
To say much more would give away far too much of the plot of what looks to be a pretty charming picture. To date, I’ve only been able to see several character camera tests, some storyboards and a few work-in-progress scenes. But — that said — “Flushed Away” still has that trademark Aardman look & feel. And even though it’s in CG, this film has the same quirky quality, the same sort of clever staging that made “Chicken Run” and those Wallace & Gromit shorts so much fun to watch. Which is why it will probably be worth your while to go see “Flushed Away” when it finally flows into theaters on November 3, 2006.
And then — on May 18, 2007 — here comes the big one. The animated sequel that everyone (including DreamWorks stockholders) has been waiting for, “Shrek III.”
This DreamWorks Animation film pretty much picks up where “Shrek II” left off. With Prince Harold (voiced by John Cleese) now turned into a frog. Which basically makes him ineligable to rule the Kingdom of Far Far Away. So who does this duty fall to now? You guessed it. Princess Fiona and her husband, Shrek.
As you might imagine, the big green ogre just hates the idea of having to deal with affairs of state, sitting on the throne, having to deal with the papparazzi,etc. Shrek just wants to go back to his home in the swamp. Where he and his bride can finally be alone again.
But — before the ogre and his wife can be allowed to return home — Queen Lillian (voiced by Julie Andrews) insists that a rightful heir to the throne must be found. And — as it turns out — Fiona does have one relative who might fit the bill: Her obnoxious little cousin, Artie. But he’s off at school somewhere …
That’s all Shrek needs to hear. The very next morning, the ogre heads off — with Donkey & Puss in Boots by his side — in search of Artie. Shrek intends to go to that school, collect Fiona’s cousin, bring Artie back to Far Far Away, place the boy on the throne … Then just head back to the swamps of home ASAP.
Of course, what Shrek hadn’t counted on is that Artie turns out to be this spoiled, self-centered little brat who’s always pulling pranks on the storybook trio. So it’s up to Shrek, Donkey and Puss — as they make their way back to Far Far Away — to teach this boy what it’s like to be a decent person. More importantly, what it takes to be a king.
Mind you, as this quartet is making their way back to the castle, Fiona has her hands full back in Far Far Away. It seems that Prince Charming — AKA her jilted fiancee — has decided to launch a hostile takeover of Far Far Away. So — after assembling an army of storybook bad guys — Prince Charming takes over the castle.
But what P.C. hadn’t counted on was that Fiona would dare to fight back. With the help of her mother, the Princess gets the word out to all of Far Far Away’s other princesses (I.E. Cinderella, Sleeping Beauty, Rapunzel, Snow White, etc.) that Fiona needs their help. And together … Well, let’s just say this band of princesses become an awesome fighting force …
Again, to say much more would give away too much of the plot (and the fun) of “Shrek III.” But let me at least clue you in on what the button for this picture will be …
After evil has been defeated, good has trimphed and the rightful heir is on the throne … Shrek turns to Fiona and says that he’s going to miss Artie. That — on the trip back to Far Far Away — the ogre learned that he’s actually pretty good with kids. Which was a skill that Shrek had previously thought he lacked.
Hearing her husband say this, Fiona smiles and says: “That’s great news. That you’re comfortable with kids and all.”
Puzzled, Shrek turns to his bride. “Why would you say that?,” the ogre asks.
“Because I’m pregnant,” answers Fiona.
The camera zooms in on Shrek’s dumbfounded face just before the credits rolls … And to learn what happens next … Well, movie-goers will just have to wait ’til May of 2010. When “Shrek IV” (which is currently being scripted by Tim Sullivan) is expected to roll into theaters.
Beyond that … Only thing that’s really worth noting is that DreamWorks has persuaded the entire original cast to return & do voice work for “Shrek III.” We’re talking Mike Myers, Eddie Murphy, Cameron Diaz, Antonio Banderas, the aforementioned Cleese & Ms. Andrews as Queen Lillian as well as Rupert Everett. With Ms. Diaz’s main squeeze — former ‘NSYNC member Justin Timberlake — providing Artie’s vocals.
After “Shrek III” cleans up at the box office all summer long, next up from DreamWorks Animation is “Bee Movie.” Written & directed by Jerry Seinfeld, this project promises to have a uniquely New York feel and flair. According to the studio’s own info sheet on the film, “Bee Movie” …
… is the comedic tale of Barry Benson (Jerry Seinfeld), a graduate bee straight out of college who is disillusioned at having only one career choice: honey.
On a rare trip outside the hive, Barry’s life is saved by Vanessa (Renee Zellweger), a florist in New York City. As their relationship blossoms, he discovers humans are mass consumers of honey and decides to sue the human race for stealing bee’s honey.
I know, I know. That premise seems kind of slender right now. But let’s remember that Jerry is a big cartoon & comics buff (Remember that Superman statue was so prominently displayed in his apartment in the “Seinfeld” TV series. Not to mention those American Express ads where Jerry appeared side by side with an animated version of the Man of Steel). So maybe this multi-millionaire comic really does have what it takes to deliver a great animated feature.
And then there’s “Kung Fu Panda.” A name that even I will admit is right up there with “jumbo shrimp” and “military intelligence.” And yet there’s something that I find to be very appealing about the premise of this picture …
“Kung Fu Panda” is a CG-animated comedy about a lazy, irreverent slacker panda, Po (Voiced by Jack Black), who must somehow become a Kung Fu Master in order to save the Valley of Peace from a villainous snow leopard, Tai Lung. Set in the legendary world of ancient China, this is the story of Po, our unlikely hero, who enters the rigid world of Kung Fu and turning it upside down. Po ultimately becomes a Kung Fu hero by learning that if he believes in himself, he can do anything.
I know, I know. This away far from “Kung Fu Panda” ‘s release date, it’s kind of hard to predict whether this picture will be a winner or a loser. But I gotta tell you … I’m really liking the design of the film’s lead character. More to the point, I think that it could be kind of fun to hear Jack Black’s voice coming out of that panda’s mouth.
Beyond that … Based on how well “Madagascar” has been doing (This DreamWorks Animation release is now just $50 million away from equalling the first “Shrek” ‘s box office take), there’s been a lot of talk lately about possibly producing a sequel to this film. One that would (of course) more prominently feature those psychotic penguins.
But that — my friends — is a brief glimpse at the next four or five years worth of DreamWorks Animation releases. Which I think you’ll agree sounds like a surprisingly strong assortment of animated films.
So what do you folks think? Which of thse upcoming DreamWorks Animation releases are you really looking forward to seeing?
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First came “Cars” in June of 2006.
This Pixar Animation Studios production did so well (Of all the high grossing films released that year, “Cars” was No. 2 at the box office. Only “Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Man’s Chest” sold more tickets in 2006) that Disney execs asked John Lasseter to develop a sequel.
“Cars 2” came out in June of 2011 and also did quite well at the box office (It took the No. 7 slot in the Top-Ten-for-ticket-sales that year). Which is why Disney then asked Pixar to prep a follow-up film.
“Cars 3” would eventually arrive in theaters in June of 2017. But in the meantime, Disney & Pixar began exploring the idea of expanding this film franchise. Largely because the amount of money that the Mouse was making off of the sales of “Cars” -related merchandise was … To be blunt here, mind boggling.
Don’t believe me? Well, then consider this: In just the first five years that the “Cars” film franchise existed, global retail sales of merchandise related to these Pixar movies approached $10 billion. That’s billion with a “B.”
So is it any wonder that – while Pixar was still trying to get a handle on what “Cars 3” would actually be about – the Mouse (through its DisneyToon Studios arm. Which produced home premieres like those “TinkerBell” movies) began actively looking into ways to expand this lucrative franchise?
“Planes” – The First “Cars” Spin-Off
The first “Cars” spin-off to arrive in the marketplace was “Planes.” This Klay Hall film (which was set in “The World Above Cars”) was released theatrically in August of 2013, with the Blu-ray & DVD version of “Planes” hitting store shelves in November of that same year.
“Planes: Fire and Rescue” followed in the Summer of 2014. And while a “Planes 3” was definitely put in development (At the Disney Animation panel at the 2017 D23 Expo, John Lasseter not only shared a clip from this film. But he also revealed that this project – which, at that time, was entitled “Space” – was slated to be released theatrically in April of 2019) … This animated feature was abruptly cancelled when DisneyToon Studios was shuttered in June of 2018.
But wait. There’s more … In addition to the aborted “Planes 3,” Disney had other “Cars” spin-offs in the works. One was supposed to be built around boats. While yet another was supposed to have shined a spotlight on trucks.
“Metro” – The World Below Cars
And then there was “Metro.” Which was supposed to have been set in the inner city and focused on what went on in “The World Below Cars.” As in: Down in the subway system.
Just in the past week or so, a few pieces of concept art for “Metro” have surfaced online. Giving us all an intriguing look at what might have been. These preproduction paintings suggest that this “Cars” spin-off would be far grittier than … Say … the sort of adventures that Lightning McQueen & Mater would typically have out in Radiator Springs.
That said, it’s worth noting here that – just in the past year or so – we’ve seen Disney & Pixar attempt to expand the turf that these two characters could comfortably cover. Take – for example — “Cars on the Road,” that nine-part series which debuted on Disney+ back in September of last year. This collection of animated shorts literally sent Lightning McQueen & Mater off on a road trip.
So who knows?
Given that Bob Iger (at Disney’s quarterly earnings call held earlier this week) revealed that the Company now has sequels in the works for “Frozen,” “Toy Story,” and “Zootopia” … Well, is it really all that far-fetched to think that – at some point further on down the road – Disney & Pixar will put yet another sequel to “Cars” in the works?
One that might send Lightning McQueen & Mater off to explore the gritty inner-city world that we glimpsed in all that concept art for “Metro,” that never-produced “Cars” spin-off.
Time will tell.
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This year is the 30th anniversary of the release of National Lampoon’s “Vacation.” Warner Bros. released this Harold Ramis movie to theaters back in July of 1983.
John Hughes adapted his own short story (i.e., “Vacation ’58,” which had run in “National Lampoon” magazine less than four years earlier. The September 1979 issue, to be exact) to the screen.
Key difference between “Vacation ‘58” and “National Lampoon’s Vacation” is that the movie follows the Griswold family on their epic journey to Walley World. Whereas the short story that Hughes wrote (i.e., “Vacation ‘58”) follows an unnamed family to a different theme park. The actual Disneyland in Anaheim.
Let me remove any doubt here. Here’s the actual opening line to John Hughes’ “Vacation ’58.”
If Dad hadn’t shot Walt Disney in the leg, it would have been our best vacation ever.
What’s kind of intriguing about the plot complication that sets Act 3 of “National Lampoon’s Vacation” in motion (i.e., that – just as the Grisworld arrive at Walley World [after a harrowing cross-country journey] – they discover that “America’s favorite family fun park” is closed for two weeks for cleaning and to make repairs) is that … Well, it’s based on something that Hughes learned about the real Disneyland. That – from 1958 through 1985 [a total of 27 years] the Happiest Place on Earth used to close two days a week during the slower times of year. To be specific, Mondays & Tuesday in the Fall & early Winter as well as in the late Winter / early Spring.
Want to stress here: Two days a week versus the two weeks each year in “National Lampoon’s Vacation.”
Sorry folks. Park’s closed. Moose out front shoulda told ya.
When Did Disneyland Start Opening 7-Days a Week?
It wasn’t ‘til February 6, 1985 that Disneyland Park formally switched to being a seven-day-a-week operation. This was just four months after Michael Eisner had become Disney’s new CEO. And part of his effort to get as much profit as possible out of Disney’s theme parks.
Which is a trifle ironic. Given that – back in December of 1958 – Disneyland deliberately switched over to an open-five-days-a-week-during-the-off-season schedule in an effort to get Anaheim’s operating costs under control. But I’m getting ahead of myself here.
Early Disneyland Operations – Ticket Books and Ticket Booths
So let’s start with the obvious: When Disneyland Park first opened in July of 1955, there had never been one of these before. So the Happiest Place on Earth was a learn-as-you-go operation.
So things that are now closely associated with a visit to Disneyland back in the day (EX: Having to purchase a book of tickets before you entered that theme park. Which then pushed Guests to go seek out various A, B, C & D Ticket attractions around the grounds) … Well, that form of admission media didn’t come online ‘til October 11, 1955. Some three months after Disneyland Park first open.
Prior to this, if you wanted to go on a ride at Disneyland, you had to first get on line at one of the Park’s omni-present ticket booth. Once you got to the front of that line, you then had to open your wallet and purchase enough tickets for your entire family to enjoy that attraction. Only then could you go over to the actual attraction and get in line for that experience. Where – just before boarding that ride – you then surrendered that ticket.
Disney Parks Getting Too Expensive
Interesting side note: It’s now an established part of the on-going Disney theme park narrative that “Going to the Parks has just gotten to be too expensive and/or complicated,” what with the institution of Lightning Lane and then forcing people to use virtual queues if they want to experience newer attractions at the Parks like “Guardians of the Galaxy: Cosmic Rewind” at Epcot or “Mickey & Minnie’s Runaway Railway” out in Anaheim.
Walt Fixes “Expensive” Impression
What fascinates me about the parallels here is that … When Walt began to see the same thing bubble up in press coverage for his new family fun park (i.e., All of those Summer-of-1955 stories in newspapers & magazines about how expensive it was to visit Disneyland. How – whenever a Guest visited this place – they were constantly being forced to repeatedly open their wallet), his immediate reaction was “We need to fix this now. I don’t want people coming away from their visit to Disneyland with this impression.” And by October 11, 1955 (less than 3 months after Disneyland Park first opened), they had a fix in place.
Lightning Lane – Raising Prices
Counter this with Lightning Lane. Which was first introduced at Walt Disney World in October of 2021. Which has gotten miserable press since Day One (and is a large part of people’s growing perception that it’s just gotten too expensive to take their family on vacation to WDW). Disney Corporate knows about this (hence the number of times questions about this perception has bubbled up in recent surveys that Resort has sent out).
And what does the Company do with this info? During the 2022 holiday season, Disney Parks actually raised the prices on individual Lightning Lanes for popular attractions like “Rise of the Resistance” to $22 a person.
Conclusion: Disney knows about all the bad press the Resort is getting lately but doesn’t care. They like all of the short-term money that Lightning Lane is pulling in right now and are deliberately overlooking all of the long-term implications of the narrative getting out there that going to WDW is getting too expensive.
“Spend Dollars to Get People Back” – Disney Cutting Corners on Projects
Which reminds me of something Walt once said when an Imagineer suggested that the Company could save a few bucks by cutting corners on a particular project: “If people ever stop coming to the Park because they think we cut corners on a project, the few cents we saved ultimately aren’t going to matter. We’re then going to have to spend dollars to get those people back.”
That’s what worries me about Disney’s current situation. What’s the Company ultimately going to have to do convince those people who now think that a trip to WDW has just gotten too expensive for the family to come back.
Disneyland Parking Closing on Mondays & Tuesdays
Back to Disneyland Park closing on Mondays & Tuesdays during the off-season … When did this practice start? Let me share something that I just found in the 1958 edition of Walt Disney Productions’ annual report. This document (which was published on December 23, 1958) states that:
While the gross income of Disneyland was greater this year than in any prior year, the operating expenses for this family fun park were likewise up substantially primarily to two factors.
(1) Operating a seven-day week throughout the 1957 – 1958 week against a six-day week the year before.
(2) Increased costs due to rising salaries and the inauguration of a 40-hour week. This resulted in lower net profits compared to the prior year.
So – reading between the lines here – in Disneyland’s second year of operation (July 1956 – June 1957), the folks down in Anaheim experimented with keeping Walt’s family fun park open six days a week during the slower times of the year. Which – I’m told – resulted in all sort of angry people at the entrance of Disneyland’s parking lot. Who had to drive down to Anaheim for the day to experience the Happiest Place on Earth only to find said place closed.
Okay. So for Disneyland’s third year of operation (July 1957 – June 1958) on Walt’s orders, Disneyland is then kept open seven days a week all year long. Which proves to be a problem on the off-season, given that there are days in the late Fall / early Spring when there are more Cast Members working in the Park than there are Guests coming through the turnstiles.
Which explains this line in the 1958 version of Walt Disney Productions’ annual report. Which – again – I remind you was published on December 23rd of that year:
This current year, we are operating the park during the winter months on a five-day schedule with resulting savings in operating costs and in the hope that a full week’s business can be compressed within the five days.
So did this change in the way that Disneyland Park ultimately operated off-season ultimately work out? Let’s jump ahead to the 1959 version of Walt Disney Productions’ annual report. In that document (which was also published on December 23rd of that year) states that:
Again this year, as in each year since Disneyland Park first opened in 1955, new records were set for total attendance and per capita spending of park visitors.
The change to a five-day operating week during the 1958 – 1959 winter season from the seven-day schedule in effect the previous year has worked out very well. Reduced operating hours helped to control operating costs in the face of increased wage rates and other rising costs.
Making it Right for the Disneyland Hotel
Okay. So this change in the way that Disneyland Park operated during the off-season made things easier for Walt and Disney’s book-keepers back in Burbank. But what about Jack Wrather, the guy that Walt went to back in the Late Winter / Early Spring of 1955 and begged & pleaded for Wrather to build a hotel right next to Disneyland Park?
What happened to the Disneyland Hotel in late 1958 / early 1959 when – in the off-season – Disneyland Park goes to just a five-day-a-week operating schedule? At this point, the Disneyland Hotel is the largest hotel in all of Orange County with over 300 rooms.
It’s at this point that Walt personally reaches out to Jack and says “I know, I know. This operational change at the Park is going to affect your bottom line at the Hotel. Don’t fret. I’m definitely going to make this worth your while.”
Extending the Monorail to the Disneyland Hotel
And Walt followed through on that promise. In June of 1961, he extended Disneyland’s monorail system by a full 2 & a half miles so that this futuristic transportation system rolled right up to the Disneyland Hotel’s front door. Which was a perk that no other hotel in Orange County had.
And just in case you’re wondering: The cost of extending Disneyland’s monorail system over to the Disneyland Hotel was $1.9 million (That’s $19 million in 2023 money).
Magic Kingdom Golf Course at Disneyland Hotel
That very same year, Walt had some of his staff artists design a miniature golf course that could then be built on the grounds of the Disneyland Hotel. This kid-friendly area (called the Magic Kingdom Golf Course) featured elaborately themed holes with recreations of attractions that could be found right next door at Disneyland Park.
- Hole No. Three was Sleeping Beauty Castle
- Hole No. Five was Matterhorn Mountain
Other holes featured recreations of popular Disneyland attractions of the 1960s. Among them the TWA Moonliner, the Submarine Voyage, the Painted Desert from Frontierland (this is the area Guests traveled through when they experienced Disneyland”s “Mine Train thru Nature’s Wonderland” attraction), Tom Sawyer Island, the Fort in Frontierland, not to mention Skull Rock as well as Monstro the Whale from Disneyland’s Fantasyland.
This area was specially illuminated for night-time play. Which meant that the Magic Kingdom Golf Course at the Disneyland Hotel could operate from 10 a.m. in the morning ‘til 10 p.m. a night seven days a week.
Additional Disneyland Hotel Expansion and Offerings
It’s worth noting here that – from the moment the monorail was connected to The Disneyland Hotel – that hotel achieved 100% occupancy. Which is why – even after Disneyland Park switched to a 5-day-a-week operating schedule during the off-season – Disneyland Hotel launched into an aggressive expansion plan. With its 11 story-tall Sierra Tower breaking ground in 1961 (it opened the following year in September of 1962). Not to mention adding all sort of restaurants & shops to the area surrounding that hotel’s Olympic-sized pool.
All of which came in handy during those Mondays & Tuesdays during the Winter Months when people were staying at the Disneyland Hotel and had nowhere to go on those days when the Happiest Place on Earth was closed.
It’s worth noting here that the Disneyland Hotel (with Walt’s permission, by the way) on those days when Disneyland was closed would offer its Guests the opportunity to visit Knott’s Berry Farm as well as Universal Studios Hollywood. A Gray Line Bus would pull up in front of that hotel several times a day offering round-trip transportation to both of those Southern California attractions.
Likewise the Japanese Village and Deer Park over Buena Park. It was a different time. Back when Disney prided itself in being a good neighbor. Back when the Mouse didn’t have to have ALL of the money when it came to the Southern California tourism market. When there was plenty to go around for everyone.
Walley World Shooting Locations
And back to “National Lampoon’s Vacation”… The Walley World stuff was all shot at two Southern California attractions.
The scenes set in the parking lot at Walley World as well as at the entrance of that fictious theme park were shot in the parking lot & entrance of Santa Anita Race Track (Horse Track).
Any scene that’s supposed to be inside of the actual Walley World theme park was shot at Six Flags Magic Mountain.
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Things get built at the Disney Theme Parks – but not always for the reasons that you might think.
Case in point: The Swiss Family Treehouse, which first opened at Disneyland Park back in November of 1962.
Swiss Family Robinson – 1960 Disney Film
Back then, Walt Disney Studios just had a hit film that was based on Johann David Wyss’ famous adventure novel of 1812. And at that time, Walt was justly proud of this project.
Out ahead of the release of this Ken Annakin film (Walt’s go-to director in the 1950s), Walt talked up this project in the Company’s annual report for 1959, saying that Swiss Family Robinson is …
… photographed on the island of Tobago in the West Indies and that it is shaping up into such an exciting and thrilling picture that the ‘Swiss Family Robinson’ shows every promise of equaling or surpassing every production our Company has ever put out.
Okay. Walt may have been overselling things a little here.
But when Disney’s version of Swiss Family Robinson finally arrived in theaters in December of 1960, it did quite well at the box office. It was No. 4 at the box office that year, behind “Spartacus,” “Psycho,” and “Exodus.”
And one of the main reasons that this Walt Disney Productions release did so well at the box office that year was … Well, Swiss Family Robinson looked great.
It had all of this lush shot-on-location footage (Though – to be fair here – I guess we should mention that this movie’s interiors were shot over in London at Pinewood Studios). One of the sequences from this Disney film that people most fondly remember is that montage where the Robinsons salvage what they can of their wrecked ship, the Swallow, and then use that same material to construct this amazing treehouse on an uninhabited island off the shore of New Guinea.
The Swiss Family. Robinson Tree was Real
By the way, the tree that appears in this Disney film is real. John Howell – who was the art director on “Swiss Family Robinson” – was out scouting locations for this movie in 1958. He had stopped work for the day and drinking with friends at a cricket match. When – out of the corner of his eye (through a gap in the fence that surrounded this cricket pitch) – John spied this beautiful Samaan tree with a huge 200 foot-wide canopy of leaves.
It’s still there, by the way. If you ever want to journey to the town of Goldsborough on the Caribbean island of Tobago.
Success at the Movies – Helping Disneyland Attendance
Anyway … Like I said, Disney’s movie version of Swiss Family Robinson comes out in December of 1960 and does quite well at the box office (Fourth highest grossing film of the year domestically). Walt keenly remembers what happened when he last built an attraction at Disneyland that was based on a Ken Annakin film (Matterhorn Bobsleds inspired by Third Man on the Mountain). 1959 was Disneyland’s greatest year attendance-wise. Largely because so many people came out to the Park that Summer to experience Disneyland’s heavily hyped brand-new attractions – which included the Matterhorn Bobsleds.
The Matterhorn Bobsleds at Disneyland
The Matterhorn at Disneyland was largely inspired by research that the Studio did in Zermatt, Switzerland in late 1957 / early 1958 out ahead of the location shooting that was done for Third Man on the Mountain – which officially got underway in June of 1958).
There’s a famous story about the origin of the Matterhorn-at-Disneyland project. Walt was over in Switzerland for the start of shooting on Third Man on the Mountain in 1958 and evidently really liked what he saw. So be bought a postcard of the actual Matterhorn and then mailed it to Dick Irvine (who – at that time – was the Company’s lead Imagineer). Beyond Dick’s address at WDI, Walt reportedly only wrote two words on this postcard.
And those words supposedly were “Build this.”
It’s now the Spring of 1961 and attendance at Disneyland Park has actually fallen off from the previous year by 200,000 people. (You can read all about this in Walt Disney Productions’ annual report for 1961. Which was published on December 14th of that year. There’s a full scan of that annual report over on DisneyDocs.net). And Walt now wants to turn that attendance deficit around.
So what spurred Disneyland’s attendance surge in the Summer of 1959 was Walt pumping $6 million into the place for the construction of new attractions (Matterhorn Bobsleds, Submarine Voyage, & Monorail). So that’s now the plan for 1962 & 1963. Only this time around, it’ll be $7 million worth of new attractions. More to the point, since Disneyland’s 1959 expansion project was largely focused on Tomorrowland … This time around, the work will largely be focused on the other side of the Park. To be specific, Frontierland & Adventureland.
Adventureland Upgrades
Attendance had been dropping on the Jungle River Cruise attraction because it was largely unchanged from when Disneyland Park first opened back in July of 1955.
There’s a famous story of Walt observing a Mom pulling her kid away from the entrance of the “Jungle Cruise.” Saying words to the effect “We’ve already seen that ride. We went on it the last time we went to Disneyland.” This is what then inspired Disney to develop the practice of plussing the attractions at his theme parks.
This was what led Walt to bring Marc Davis over to WED from Feature Animation in October of 1960 and effectively say “Help me make Disneyland better. Let’s look for ways to make the rides there funnier. Better staged.” This is when Marc came up with the idea for the Sacred Elephant Bathing Pool and the Africa Veldt sequences for “The Jungle Cruise.” Not to mention the Trapped Safari.
How the Trapped Safari Vignette Ended Up in “The Jungle Cruise”
Interesting story about that vignette that Marc created for “The Jungle Cruise.” It originally wasn’t supposed to be part of that ride. Guests were supposed to see it alongside the side of the tracks as they rode the Santa Fe & Disneyland Railroad from Main Street Station over to Frontierland. The Trapped Safari was basically supposed to be something that made Guests think “Ooh, I need to get over to Adventureland while I’m here at the Park and go check out that new, improved version of the Jungle River Cruise that everyone’s talking about.”
That was the original plan, anyway. But as soon as Walt saw Marc’s art for the Trapped Safari, he basically said “That’s too good a gag to waste on the people who are riding Disneyland’s train. That’s gotta go inside of the actual Jungle Cruise.” So – at Walt’s insistence – the Trapped Safari then became the tag gag for the African Veldt section of that Adventureland attraction.
In fact, Walt so loved this gag that – after the Africa Veldt section first opened at Disneyland Park in June of 1964 – he actually made the Imagineers go back in this portion of that Adventureland attraction and restage it. Build up the cave that was behind that pride of lions which was watching over that sleeping zebra so that the Trapped Safari would then have a stronger reveal. Would get a bigger reaction / stronger laugh largely because Guests now wouldn’t see the Trapped Safari until they then floated by the lion’s cave.
Draining Jungle River Cruise and Rivers of America
Anyway … Now what made this redo / expansion of the Jungle River Cruise complicated is that this Adventureland attraction shared a water system with the Rivers of America (Guests who were headed to Disneyland’s old Chicken Plantation Restaurant for lunch or dinner used to have to walk over a bridge in Frontierland. Under which flowed the water that traveled from the Jungle River Cruise into the Rivers of America).
If the Jungle Cruise was being drained for months so that the Imagineers could then install the Sacred Elephant Bathing Pool sequence in that Adventureland attraction, that meant the Rivers of America had to be drained as well.
The Rivers of America were now going to be dry for months at a time from January of 1962 through June of that same year, this is when the Imagineers decided to tackle two projects that were well below Disneyland’s waterline – which was digging out the basement space in New Orleans Square (which was originally supposed to house the walk-thru tour version of “Pirates of the Caribbean”) as well as carving out that below-grade space over at the Haunted Mansion. Which was going to be necessary for the two elevators that would then make that attraction’s “stretching room” scenes possible.
While this work was being done along the shore of the Rivers of America, over towards the entrance of Adventureland, the Imagineers were reconfiguring that restaurant that faced out towards Disneyland’s Hub. They were using the temporary closure of the Jungle Cruise to revamp that operation. Carving out the space for the Tahitian Terrace as well as the Enchanted Tiki Room.
As you can see by all of the projects that I’ve just described – this was a hugely complex addition to the Parks with lots of moving parts.
This redo of Adventureland & Frontierland (which then set the stage for Disneyland’s New Orleans Square) was moving through its final design phase – the Imagineers were startled when Walt pointed to the very center of this incredibly ambitious $7 million construction project (the very spot where Adventureland bumped up against Frontierland) and said:
“Here. This is where I want you guys to build Disneyland’s version of the Swiss Family Treehouse.”
“Build It” – Swiss Family Treehouse in Disneyland
It wasn’t that easy.
The Imagineers explained “But Walt. That’s the piece of land that the pipe which connects the Jungle Cruise and the Rivers of America runs through. We’d have to rip that up and then reroute that water system.”
Walt said “I don’t care. Build it.”
The Imagineers then said “But Walt. If we built a Swiss Family Treehouse in the Park … Well, that then means a steep set of stairs first going up into that tree and then a second steep set of stairs coming down out of that tree. People aren’t going to like doing all of that climbing.”
Walt said “You’re wrong. Build it.”
Imagineers continued “An attraction like that’s only going to appeal to kids. And we’ve already got Tom Sawyer Island across the way.”
Walt “ Again, you’re wrong. Build it.
So that’s what the Imagineers did. Not happily, I might add. Because the concrete foundation that supported this six ton structure had to go down some 42 feet … Well, that totally screwed up the water system that previously connected Disneyland’s Jungle River Cruise to the Rivers of America.
And as for those steep sets of stairs … While work was underway on this 70-foot-tall faux tree, Walt persuaded Betty Taylor (who was playing Sue Foot Sue over at the Golden Horseshoe at that time) to come over to the Swiss Family Treehouse construction site one afternoon. Betty was wearing a dress and high heels at the time. But she & Walt put on hard hats. And then the two of them made multiple trips up & down the stairs that had already been installed in & around Disneyland’s Swiss Family Treehouse. Just so Walt could then be certain that this attraction’s stairways weren’t too steep. More importantly, that they’d also be safe for ladies who were wearing skirts & dressed in heels to use.
The Opening of Swiss Family Treehouse at Disneyland
This 70-foot-tall faux tree (with its 80 foot-wide canopy of 300,000 pink plastic leaves) opened just in time for Thanksgiving of 1962. John Mills (the male lead of Disney’s “Swiss Family Robinson” film) was on hand for the dedication of this Adventureland attraction. FYI: He brought along his daughter, Halley (As in Halley Mills, the star of Disney’s “Pollyana” and “The Parent Trap”).
There’s this great 3-minutes-and-41-second video over on YouTube that shows Walt leading the Mills family (John, Halley & Mary Mills, John’s wife) around Disneyland’s Swiss Family Treehouse in the Fall of 1962. You can see Disney proudly showing off the elaborate water wheel system at the heart of this Adventureland attraction, which send 200 gallons of water high up into that faux tree.
How Much Did it Cost to Build the Swiss Family Treehouse at Disneyland?
Disneyland spent $254,900 on the construction of that theme park’s version of Swiss Family Treehouse. Which the Imagineers (back then, anyway) felt was money wasted. Because no one was ever going to climb up the 68 steps that then led to the three rooms in this Adventureland attraction (The parents bedroom, the boys bedroom [up in the crow’s next] and then the common area / kitchen / dining room) and then the 69 steps back down to the ground.
This is where the Imagineers were wrong.
Don’t Bet Against Walt – Success of Swiss Family Treehouse
Swiss Family Treehouse quickly became one of the more popular attractions in the Park. Back then, this Adventureland attraction was a C Ticket (35 cents apiece). And since it only took three Disneyland employees to safely staff & operate the Treehouse (i.e., one person to take tickets at the entrance, a second staffer patrolling upstairs in the tree to make sure the Guests were behaving themselves / not touching the props, and then a third Cast Member down by the exit making sure that Guests aren’t sneaking up the back stairs to experience the Swiss Family Treehouse without first surrendering a C Ticket), it also became one of the more profitable attractions in the Park.
200 people up in the tree at any one time. 1200 people an hour. Killer views of New Orleans Square construction / the Jungle Cruise ride just below.
Oh, and that only appeal to kids thing? Out of every four Guests who came through the turnstile / surrounded that 35 cent C ticket, only one was a kid under 10. The other three were adults.
To be specific here: Once construction of Disneyland’s Swiss Family Treehouse was complete in the Fall of 1962, it only cost $21,000 to staff & operate annually. An additional $16,000 to maintain each year. In 1965, this Adventureland Attraction – even after taking those costs into consideration – still managed to turn a profit of $313,000.
Long story short: It was never a smart thing to bet against Walt. At least when it came to how popular an attraction would be with Guests (The Mickey Mouse Club Circus fiasco of the holiday season of 1955 being the exception, of course).
Ken Annakin – Film Director
Sadly, the Imagineers weren’t able to base any other theme park attractions on Ken Annakin movies. “Swiss Family Robinson” was the very last film that he directed for Disney Studios.
Annakin went on to direct several very popular family films in the 1960s & 1970s, among them “Those Magnificent Men in their Flying Machines” and “The New Adventures of Pippi Longstocking.” And the Walt Disney Company went out of its way to recognize Ken’s contribution to the overall success of Disney Studio & the Company’s theme parks by naming him a Disney Legend in 2002.
Sadly, Ken passed away at his home in Beverly Hills back in April of 2009 at the ripe old age of 94. Worth noting here that – in the late 1960s / early 1970s – when Walt Disney Animation Studios was fumbling around for an idea for a project to tackle after “The Aristocats” (That was the last animated feature that Walt Disney personally put into production / greenlit) – someone asks that classic question “What would Walt do?”
And in this case, the thinking was … Walt really liked those live-action movies that Ken Annakin directed for the Studio. Maybe we should look at those. So they then screened the very first movie that Ken directed for Disney, which was “The Story of Robin Hood and his Merrie Men” from 1952. And since people in Feature Animation thought that that was a pretty solid story … Well, that’s how we wound up with Disney’s animated version of “Robin Hood” in November of 1973.
New Robin Hood on Disney+?
Back in April of 2020, Disney announced that it was working on a CG version of Disney’s 1973 hand-drawn version of “Robin Hood.” Which is eventually supposed to show up on Disney+. Carlos Lopez Estrada had been signed to helm this film. Kari Granlund was writing the screenplay for this “Robin Hood” reboot. An Justin Springer, who helped get “Tron: Legacy” off the ground back in 2010, would be producing.
So the Ken Annakin corona effect lives on at Disney.
So does Disneyland’s Swiss Family Treehouse. Which – after being renamed / rethemed as the Tarzan Treehouse in June of 1999 – will revert to being the Adventureland Treehouse later this year. With a loose retheming that then allows this Disneyland attraction to become home to characters from Disney’s “Swiss Family Robinson,” “Tarzan,” and “Encanto.”
This article is based on research for The Disney Dish Podcast “Episode 412”, published on January 30, 2023. The Disney Dish Podcast is part of the Jim Hill Media Podcast Network.
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