Monday, September 3, 2018

The Cars Land That Never Was ...and The One That Could Be


Did you ever wondered why Disney has not built Cars Land in other Disney parks? Well, actually they planned to do it. And not only at WDW but also at Tokyo Disneyland as the Japanese wanted it. Here is more details with interesting infos i got from a WDW insider source:

"When Cars Land opened Walt Disney World executives came at DCA to have a tour as at the time they were planning to bring Cars Land for WDW with a version that would have included Radiator Springs Racers but a completely indoor version.

Disney World Cars Land would have gone in Disney's Hollywood studios and taken over where Toy Story Land sits now as well as possibly the animation courtyard area. They were going to have the Cars Land street with no Luigi’s Flying Tires but they would have make Mater's Junkyard Jamboree and the indoor version of Radiator Springs Racers would have been the only part of the ride. They said they won't build the mountain range at DHS. It would have been a short version of Radiator Springs Racers and I’m not even sure if they would have used the Test Track vehicle as well.

It was going to happen, though, and what changed it was when they started getting Star Wars and Marvel that changed the whole direction of the park. I guess you could say Toy Story Land is the reason why because it’s a hell of a lot cheaper and faster to pump out during this time when DHS is in need of something new considering half of it is closed."

But DHS Cars Land was not the only Cars Land "that never was" as "Tokyo Disney executives also got a tour of Cars Land in 2014  and back at that time they loved two things: they wanted Soaring over California and they were obsessed with Cars Land. The location where they were planning to build it at TDR I’m not too sure with, but they're currently building Soaring and the planned Cars Land never happened, probably because they choose others expansions."

Too bad for DHS and TDR of course, and at first my guess was that Cars Land didn't happen at DHS because the outdoor race track would have taken too much room and they don’t have that much land at DHS. Or because they already have Test Track at Epcot nearby. So, i tried to learn a bit more and in fact a variety of options were discussed for DHS Cars Land but with no serious layouts of any kind. The main option they were apparently discussing was an indoor version, including the race part, and it was for reasons due to heavy rain downpour as it happen often in Florida during the rain season ( you might find this strange as it didn't stopped them to build Test Track with an outdoor track but may be they've learned from it ). Basically, it seems that they were looking at ways to trim the budget down, especially all the rockwork, but it still fundamentally would have been Radiator Springs, otherwise there was no point in doing a Cars Land. And, yes, of course the pressure to serve Star Wars and Marvel edged out Cars Land Radiator Springs.

But there is an interesting point that we learn with these details, and it's the "indoor only" version of Radiator Springs Racer. Why? Remember when we saw recently when the WDS master plan was leaked that a Cozy Cones Motel is apparently planned in WDS expansion, located near the future location of the Tram Tour station? DLP fans are wondering why they would put the Cozy Cones Motel there without a Cars Land and if it means that DLP is planning a future WDS expansion with a Cars Land? Technically they could do it, they have apparently enough land to build Cars Land at WDS, may be a bit smaller than at DCA, but the weather is also not good in Paris and in addition it's cold six months per year which is not the best when you have an outdoor race at high speed...

So, i was wondering if they plan to bring a Cars Land at DLP DHS - and this is a big "IF" - if they are thinking to do it like it was planned for WDW DHS, i.e with a Cars Land main street, a smaller mountain range, eventually a B-Ticket attraction for kids like Mater's Junkyard Jamboree - or moving the "Cars Quatre Roues Rallye" currently in front of Crush's Coaster to the new land, and for the big attraction having Radiator Springs Racer with the race track, all indoor. Not only for weather reasons but also to save money as if the race track is outdoor it requires to build the same huge mountain range they did at California Adventure. Having the race part indoor would certainly require a huge show building but on the other hand, as the current indoor part of Radiator Springs Racer is happening at night time, then having the race track all indoor would mean that the race part too will have a night lighting. Which could not only be fun but also provide an interesting lighting experience!

Will they do it? I suppose that the future will tell us what happen!

Your thoughts?

Sunday, September 2, 2018

Never-Seen-Before 1971 U.K TV Show Footage Shows Walt Disney World Construction



Some never-seen-before footage showing Walt Disney World in construction has been posted on Youtube, and it's a 1971 U.K TV show called Whicker's World. It shows Alan Whicker, a TV journalist from the U.K. with a delicious and funny British accent who goes around the world to encounter "Tribes Lost and Found"!



In this 1971 TV documentary apparently filmed just a few months before WDW opening, Whicker could walk inside the Magic Kingdom still under construction - as well as the Contemporary Resort nearby - and interview strange "tribes" like Disney's Cast Members who looks a little cultish, and ask another "tribe" nearby - the locals of Kissimmee - about their hopes and fears with the opening of WDW, and their responses are ...refreshing.

It's also a unique footage about the cast-members rules at that time and what locals were thinking, and this video of WDW construction shot before the park was complete worth the view, so don't miss it!











Disney Release Charming Jungle Cruise Book Including Audio CD With Narration by Former Skipper John Lasseter !



Disney Parks released the "Jungle Cruise" book for children - in the same series than the previous "Pirates of Caribbean" book which was excellent - and it includes a CD with narration by John Lasseter who, i remind you, was a Jungle Cruise skipper a long time ago. The Jungle Cruise Skippers have been contributing material to the attraction's spiel, and they have contributed for a big part to the attraction success.



Here is the official presentation with above and below some pictures of the book illustrated by Edwin Madrid:

"Enjoy the pun-omenal jokes written by the Walt Disney Imagineers and the Jungle Cruise skippers from the world-famous Jungle Cruise attraction. Guests board a boat and travel with a witty and experienced skipper to exotic rivers of the world, and leave smiling with memories of their vibrant voyage.


In this book, Erwin Madrid's original illustrations accompany the jokes of the classic attraction, and together they steer readers deeper and deeper into lush lands filled with adventures, animals, and laughs. The included CD, featuring narration by John Lasseter, invites people to relive the rollicking journey or experience the magic for the very first time as they read."








It definitely looks like a charming book and personally i will order it anytime soon, specially considering that it cost on Amazon only $13.68 and even $12.04 in "new condition".  Thanks to use the link below as it'll also bring some support to D&M!


Pictures: copyright Disney

Saturday, September 1, 2018

The Greatest Show on Earth !



The 1950's were the glorious times for Circus and Jeff Altman grandfather who filmed Disneyland in 1956, see yesterday's article below or HERE was in Chicago when the "Greatest Show on Earth", Ringling Bros, Barnum and Bailey circus was in town. Don't miss this home movie showing it at more or less the same time when Cecil B De Mille filmed his famous "Greatest Show on Earth" movie!























I'm adding  is a selection of great Ringling Bros, Barnum and Bailey vintage posters.



























Pictures and video: copyright Jeff Altman, Ringling Bros, Barnum and Bailey circus

Friday, August 31, 2018

Amazing Color Home Video Shows Disneyland in 1956 and Guests Meeting Walt Disney!




Jeff Altman discovered one year ago an incredible home movie shot by his grandfather on his Bell & Howell Filmo using 16mm Kodachrome film stock. Jeff says that this footage was taken a year after Disneyland opened, so in 1956. It was quite a surprise for Jeff to find this precious home movie and specially to see his grandmother ...meeting with Walt Disney himself!

Here is the video and we can't thank enough Jeff Altman for this great find and for the beautiful scan of the home movie, as well as to have share it online!





So, as you've seen, Walt appear in this great home movie, and we don't have to wait too long to see him as Walt appears from the start, right after a shot showing the Disneyland Railroad passing by.


Here is Walt, apparently directing a film crew, and Jeff grandmother is the one standing on the left with the white hat.


...she keep looking at Walt...


...until she introduce herself to Walt and have a chat with him during a few seconds.



Still holding her hand Walt apparently told her something funny...


...which makes her laugh. I like that moment as we’ll never know what Walt said! May be: ‘Don’t forget...I own the footage”!

By the way, i like how Walt keep holding her hand after they shake hands and try to charm her a bit and tell her a joke, and all this while she is filmed ...by her husband!  That's all Walt :-)


The family then went to Fantasyland...



...and had a ride in the now extinct Disneyland Skyway, providing great shots of Fantasyland attractions...




Like Dumbo the Flying Elephant...


Monstro and Casey Jr in the background...


The Mad Hatter Tea Cups...



...some closer shots of Casey Jr circus train...


...and great footage showing guests on the also extinct Chicken of the Sea Pirate Ship.




The next shot is in front of Sleeping Beauty Castle on Central Plaza...


And then, after a short one showing Adventureland entrance...


And Frontierland Fort...



Jeff grandmother goes then on for a ride on one of Rainbow Ridge Pack Mules...


...and meet and greet with Frontierland Native American Indians




Back in 1956 when you were speaking with them, you ended with a feather on the head!


Came next the Indian Chief with another one playing drums...



...for a Native American dance.



The following footage was apparently shot from the train and we can see the burning cabin...


As well as the Indian chief on his horse...


It's always amazing to see the difference of size with now of the vegetation which, back in 1956, had just been planted two years before.


Another shot shows the mountain lion...



And then the now extinct Disneyland Rainbow Mountain Stagecoach and Conestoga Wagon.





The footage ends on a view of the Mark Twain river boat.



Now, don't go away as i may have found something which makes this video even more valuable: as i told you the person who posted on Youtube this home video filmed by his grandfather is named Jeff Altman. And i thought: “Altman? Would he have a link with Robert Altman, the great film director?”

So i’ve been on Wikipedia to find with whom Robert Altman was married, and between 1954 and 1957 - so when this short movie was shot in 1956 - he was married with actress Lotus Corelli. Then i went to find an image of her to see if she look the same than the woman filmed in this home movie and here below is a picture of her with her two sons ( one might be the father of Jeff Altman ) and the other is a screen capture from the DL home movie where she smile the same way, front camera.



What d’you think?  If Lotus Corelli is the woman in the movie it means that we have here a Disneyland home movie shot by Robert Altman, director of MASH ( for which he won the Palme d’Or at Cannes film festival ), Nashville, The Player, Pret à Porter, and so many others great movies… And by the way, if you have a look at the others home movies from his grandfather that Jeff has posted on Youtube there is some great ones showing New York, San Francisco, Atlantic City in the 1950’s and Las Vegas in the 1960’s, Disney World end of the 70’s AND The 1967 World Fair Expo at Montreal!  Jump HERE.

Pictures and video: copyright Jeff Altman