"Operation Disneyland" , A Fascinating Documentary Showing How ABC Did the LIVE 1955 Disneyland Grand Opening Broadcast

60 Years ago ABC aired LIVE from Anaheim its legendary Disneyland Grand Opening Broadcast. In our days doing a LIVE TV show has nothing special but back in 1955, sixty years ago, it was a whole technical adventure. And such an adventure that ABC even did a short documentary titled "Operation Disneyland" - aired apparently before the show itself- showing all the technical means that were developed to film Disneyland Grand Opening show. I've found back for you thend although it was included in the Disneyland : Secrets Stories and Magic Dvd, chances are that you've never seen it, so don't miss it!

On the picture above: Walt Disney and Art Director and Disney Legend Bill Martin in 1956 standing on the construction site of Mine Train Through Nature's Wonderland. Just behind Walt's head, you can see the construction of the Skyway Fantasyland station. 




Now, if it happen that you've also never watched yet in its full the 1955 Disneyland Grand Opening Show then i also have for you the full 1955 ABC broadcast with the video below.




A last video with the one who was not only there on Disneyland opening day but also there on openings of all Disney theme parks in the world: WDI Imagineer and Disney Legend Marty Sklar. In this Orange County Register video posted last Wednesday Marty talks about Main Street windows that honor Disney Imagineers and Operators associated with the creation and operation of Disneyland. For many years Marty Sklar, was involved in writing the text on those windows that line Main Street, U.S.A.





Video: copyright ABC, Disney, Orange County Register

ALL About Shanghaî DIsneyland TRON Lightcycles Power Run Coaster Ride

It's an understatement to say that Shanghaî DIsneyland TRON Lightcycles Power Run ride is highly awaited and we'll have a closer look at it today. So far the video and pictures released this week have shown how will look what WDI Imagineers call the "Tron Cover", the translucent canopy over the outdoor part of the TRON coaster track. But what will happen in the big "box" of the show building was still a mystery. No more wait, dear D&M readers as thanks to this article you'll see almost all of what SDL guests who will embark on the TRON ride will see, and i have all pictures for you! No need to say that there WILL be spoilers below, so if you don't want to know anything it's time to jump to the next D&M article.
If you're looking - or did not read yet - my full report about Shanghaî Disneyland announcement last Wednesday with park artwork and attraction details, you'll find it HERE. Don't miss it, it's D&M longest article ever!

If you're still there, there we go and let's start by the official description of TRON Lightcycle Power Run? As usual, click on each pic to see them in bigger size:

With the world premiere of TRON Lightcycle Power Run, the future world comes to Tomorrowland, through the inspiring story of the Disney film TRON: Legacy.  Riding atop individual, two-wheeled Lightcycles, guests will be launched across a canopied section of track – the Upload Conduit – before diving high-speed into a mysterious game world of lights, projection and sound effects. Guests waiting to board will have fun imagining the future world as they listen to the evocative soundtrack and watch the Lightcycle trains twist and turn all around them, all under a color-shifting canopy. Even at a distance, guests will marvel at the massive, undulating canopy. Covered in a translucent material, it reveals the pulsing glow of Lightcycle trains as they zip through the attraction.  The entire canopy is edged in a dramatic, blue-green ribbon that changes color as it rolls across, over and around the Tron Plaza, like the tail of a dragon..

Above: three views of TRON Lightcycles Power Run canopy.

So… after going through TRON Lightcycles Power Run main entrance - and probably have wait a long time to arrive to this point…

…you will arrive at the boarding room. Actually, the queue will move first above the boarding room itself, and you'll be able to see the others guests boarding the lightcycles trains just below you. 

A view inside the boarding room, going down to embark on the trains.

All-right, it's boarding time for you, so all aboard!

By the way, let's have a closer look at how will look the "Lightcycles". WDI did a real good job to have them looking as close as possible as in the movie and guests will sit on the lightcycles in almost the same position than TRON heroes did in the movie. Thanks to a mechanism a part in the back will come on your back to hold you and make sure you won't fall during the ride.  

Apparently the storyline include two teams, and one of them is the "orange" one. At first sight this doesn't mean that TRON Lightcycles Power Run is a dueling coaster. My guess is that either the two teams are here essentially for the storyline, meaning that your team - the "blue" one - is "real" and the other - the "orange" one - is not… or that one train will be a "blue" team and the next one an "orange" team. But in both cases the two teams will be part of the ride storyline as we will see later.

Soon the train will be launched thanks to the now well known catapult system.

And after entering a specially lighted TRON tunnel…

…your train will move outside on the outdoor track under the translucent canopy.

And then will come the long awaited moment as your train will enter the show building itself, this big box that SDL guests will see behind and on the right of the TRON canopy. Below, a new rendering showing a scene inside the show building. 

Thanks to an amazing "fluorescent" TRON lighting you'll be immersed at "high-speed into a mysterious game world of lights, projection and sound effects."

It's not perfectly clear if each lightcycles will be equipped with a screen but apparently there should be one somewhere showing the race between the two lightcycles teams.

The "race" will continue…

…until one lightcycle of the yellow team - yes, apparently there is also a "yellow" team - the ones you can see on the top and bottom right of the picture below…

…will lose control…

…and crash and explode just before your train go through another TRON "gate"! 

No need to say that no real lightcycle will crash so it seem that we have here a projection effect that should be impressive if it's perfectly done.

The train will then enter another long tunnel leading to the ride ending.

If SDL Imagineers succeed to build the ride as it looks here on this WDI CGI movie we should have a memorable ride and, as there won't be any upside down loop during the ride, the coaster should be comfortable... if the riders position on the lightcycle is. 

That said, on a storyline point of view, there is still one thing that i find a bit hard to swallow and it's the fact that we embark in a boarding room all looking like being part of TRON and then we move out, seeing the "real" world, before entering again in the world of TRON. I'm curious to see how they will justify this and even if it should not be a too big problem at night, it will be different during daylight…

Anyway, all the above screen captures are coming from a new video released by Shanghaî Disneyland and as i'm sure you're dying to see all these scenes in movement, it's more than time time you have a look at the video below!





Picture and video: copyright Disney

It's Disneyland 60th Anniversary ! A Disneyland Tribute, With Walt Himself !

It's Disneyland 60th Anniversary today and to celebrate the event i have for you a great tribute to Disneyland with the participation of Walt himself, thanks to Jim Korkis, Disney historian and author of the great "The Vault of Walt" book, who very kindly provided me rare interviews of Walt, which i post in two parts, both with great pictures of Walt in the park.

Jump HERE to read the part one and HERE to read the part two.

Disneyland Re-Dedication Ceremony of Disneyland happened this morning with DL President Michael Colglazier and Richard Sherman and Ashley Brown - Broadway's Mary Poppins  who paid tribute to Walt Disney with a rendition of "Feed the Birds", and then led the crowd singing Happy Birthday to the Happiest Place on Earth, as you'll see in the video below filmed by The DIS.

Happy 60th Anniversary, Disneyland!



Picture: copyright Disney

Video: copyright The DIS

Shanghaî Disneyland Model and Where will be What

Here is a new article about Shanghaî Disneyland but first, if you've missed my full report about Shanghaî Disneyland announcement with dozens and dozens of artworks, model pictures and videos, and each land full description of rides and attractions, you'll find it below or HERE. You won't find on the web a more extensive report about Shanghaî Disneyland and it's certainly Disney and more's longest article ever!

Now, today's article brings you a great video filmed over Shanghaî Disneyland huge model and i did screen captures for you indicating where will be the rides and attractions. Let's start by the video!




And now, here are the screen captures!

Pictures: copyright Disney - Shendi