Eddie Sotto's take on the current state of the parks (Part II)

[Bairstow]

Yes...The Micky Mouse Revue was originally at the MK but closed and was shipped to Tokyo in 1980.

I meant within Disney World itself.

 

[lazyboy97o]

I meant within Disney World itself.

Magic Journeys is the only one I can think of, but it was just a 3D film.

 

[the.dreamfinder]

I would love to see Disney work with Ron Fricke, director of "Samsara" and "Baraka" on a theme park film (Circle of Life/Captain EO replacement)

 

[Eddie Sotto]

Any possibility of this happening in the future? A concept like this would couple well with the El Cap, unlike the Soda Fountain.

Sadly, no. they went with the Fountain. I was really depressed about that. I may have a menu mockup as a souvenir.

 

[Eddie Sotto]

This display is a really nice touch. They did this on the Matterhorn too during it's rehab. Adding the history into the fence makes each attraction have a value and shows that the park cares.

I found these on Micechat...
http://micechat.com/43280-halloween-time-food/

 

[Eddie Sotto]

OMG, i love that picture so much!! When was this taken?

Courtesy of Google images....

 

[Eddie Sotto]

Ok...since we've been chatting about architecture and their classical sources, here's a link to Designing Disney, a site where Paris MSUSA is profiled pretty deeply and it shows you the research and reference for each facility. I tried to use lots of history in the design of each shop. Some of you have seen this stuff, but newer posters might enjoy the process of developing the details.

http://www.designingdisney.com/parks/disneyland-paris/disneyland-park/main-street-usa

 

[Eddie Sotto]

As to design references, here is a leading resource used for the design of Liberty Square and something many Architects and set designers had in their libraries. That's how I found them. I have the collection of the old books, but the series has been revived recently and you can now download your own set of the new issues for free. The "White Pine Series of Monographs" began in 1915, released to encourage the use of the White Pine species in construction, had stunning measured drawings of many great examples of early American Architecture along the Eastern Seaboard.

Here's the Wiki and eBooks through Google do exists of the old issues.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/White_Pine_Series_of_Architectural_Monographs

The new issues..
http://www.nelma.org/reference/the-white-pine-monographs/

 

[Eddie Sotto]

Some of you are aware of my voice being heard in the parks in some of the attractions. Truth be told, back in the late 70's I was "Fast Eddie" of KRUZ FM, the fictional "radio station" of the Jungle Cruise long before I worked for the company. A friend of mine, Jeff Rhoads, a Jungle Cruise Skipper wanted music to play in JUBA, the Jungle Upstairs Break Area above the Adventureland Bazaar. I volunteered to make cassettes for him to play up there, complete with satirical commercials. Jeff was also part of an underground newspapaer called the "Jungle Drums". It came out wherever the company photocopier was not being watched. A satirical anti management rag, but all in fun. It was a fun summer and resulted in my DJ' ing the annual westside party, the "Banana Ball" as the guest star from the fake radio station! Here's a piece of silly audio from those early KRUZ days poking fun at the pathetic Ron Miller movies.



Here's a profile of my good friend Jeff.He is a great guy... It was a blast to work there.

 

[MinnieM123]

Thank you for sharing these 2 clips--both are very amusing. You had quite the DJ skills at KRUZ FM, radio station for the Jungle Cruise; and, I was pleasantly surprised to hear Wolfman Jack "performing" as well! In the 2nd clip, your friend, Jeff, also had a good sense of humor, especially toward the end of the interview.

 

[Eddie Sotto]

Thank you for sharing these 2 clips--both are very amusing. You had quite the DJ skills at KRUZ FM, radio station for the Jungle Cruise; and, I was pleasantly surprised to hear Wolfman Jack "performing" as well! In the 2nd clip, your friend, Jeff, also had a good sense of humor, especially toward the end of the interview.

Jeff is great. The Disney experience is not all critique and architecture, it's good fun and growing up with other CM's as friends. The spirit that CM's have and getting to do those goofy things during the summer is all part of that. Almost like College Frat stuff you never forget. I had worked at "I Presume" myself at 16. When you are having fun, the guests do too. It was a different time back then. CM's like Jeff (and others that I knew) are really the heart of the experience.

 

[BlueSkyDriveBy]

Some of you are aware of my voice being heard in the parks in some of the attractions. Truth be told, back in the late 70's I was "Fast Eddie" of KRUZ FM, the fictional "radio station" of the Jungle Cruise long before I worked for the company. A friend of mine, Jeff Rhoads, a Jungle Cruise Skipper wanted music to play in JUBA, the Jungle Upstairs Break Area above the Adventureland Bazaar. I volunteered to make cassettes for him to play up there, complete with satirical commercials. Jeff was also part of an underground newspapaer called the "Jungle Drums". It came out wherever the company photocopier was not being watched. A satirical anti management rag, but all in fun. It was a fun summer and resulted in my DJ' ing the annual westside party, the "Banana Ball" as the guest star from the fake radio station! Here's a piece of silly audio from those early KRUZ days poking fun at the pathetic Ron Miller movies.

You never cease to amaze me.

I had friends on the west side, some who worked JC. Do you remember George "Monk" Trullinger? One of the funniest skippers I've ever seen, especially during the final cruise of the night. He left his JC gig in the early eighties and joined the national tour of Beatlemania for a year, before starting his Vegas gig as Buddy Holly. He used to sing at Banana Ball with his band each summer. Geez, I haven't thought of Monk in years.

While I never had the opportunity to hang out in JUBA and hear KRUZ, I did see a copy or two of Jungle Drums in our TL break area behind America Screams. They never lasted more than a day, though. I'm pretty sure area managers targeted them for removal on a regular basis.

 

[BlueSkyDriveBy]

When you are having fun, the guests do too. It was a different time back then.

This. A million times over!

 

[Eddie Sotto]

You never cease to amaze me.

I had friends on the west side, some who worked JC. Do you remember George "Monk" Trullinger? One of the funniest skippers I've ever seen, especially during the final cruise of the night. He left his JC gig in the early eighties and joined the national tour of Beatlemania for a year, before starting his Vegas gig as Buddy Holly. He used to sing at Banana Ball with his band each summer. Geez, I haven't thought of Monk in years.

While I never had the opportunity to hang out in JUBA and hear KRUZ, I did see a copy or two of Jungle Drums in our TL break area behind America Screams. They never lasted more than a day, though. I'm pretty sure area managers targeted them for removal on a regular basis.

Yes. I knew George and recall when he left to do that. Talented guy and on linkedin. Jim McCaffrey was kind of the JC Ringleader of the Jungle Drums with Dave Lewis and Jeff. All skippers, but me. I might have been at KBF in design at the time or at Sears, as I quit Sunkist back in 1976. I DJ'd one BB when he played one year. We built a JC Boat as the DJ booth and I wore a JC Costume. They gave away lots of stuff from the Disneyland boneyard as door prizes. I'll scan and post a pic from that party. I was one of the cartoonists on the JD Newspaper and designed Canoe team shirts, BB shirts, etc. Did a pretty funny Walt impersonation that made the rounds as a cassette comedy bit.

 

[BlueSkyDriveBy]

Yes. I knew George and recall when he left to do that. Talented guy and on linkedin. Jim McCaffrey was kind of the JC Ringleader of the Jungle Drums with Dave Lewis and Jeff. All skippers, but me. I might have been at KBF in design at the time or at Sears, as I quit Sunkist back in 1976. I DJ'd one BB when he played one year. We built a JC Boat as the DJ booth and I wore a JC Costume. They gave away lots of stuff from the Disneyland boneyard as door prizes. I'll scan and post a pic from that party. I was one of the cartoonists on the JD Newspaper and designed Canoe team shirts, BB shirts, etc. Did a pretty funny Walt impersonation that made the rounds as a cassette comedy bit.

I'm pretty sure I was at that BB that you DJ'ed, even though I don't remember too much about that night, thanks to my designated driver.

One thing I have to ask, is whether or not you and/or your JC friends remember Lasseter. I knew a lot of skippers, but I honestly don't remember John. I know he left for CalArts in 1979 or 1980, and only did the JC thing for 2 years. He worked in TL custodial prior to that, but I wasn't working in TL when he was there. He had already transferred to westside Attractions by then.

 

[Eddie Sotto]

I'm pretty sure I was at that BB that you DJ'ed, even though I don't remember too much about that night, thanks to my designated driver.

One thing I have to ask, is whether or not you and/or your JC friends remember Lasseter. I knew a lot of skippers, but I honestly don't remember John. I know he left for CalArts in 1979 or 1980, and only did the JC thing for 2 years. He worked in TL custodial prior to that, but I wasn't working in TL when he was there. He had already transferred to westside Attractions by then.

I don't ever recall meeting him even though I worked Sunkist '75 to '76. The main man was a Skipper named Joel Halberstadt. I left when "America on Parade" ("Talking Tina" Doll parade) come on line with all that confetti. I was convinced ("America Sings" was a huge letdown for me) at the time that Disney was so over anything close to another Pirates.

 

[BlueSkyDriveBy]

I don't ever recall meeting him even though I worked Sunkist '75 to '76. The main man was a Skipper named Joel Halberstadt.

I remember Joel! I just didn't know his last name. He was a good skipper.

I left when "America on Parade" ("Talking Tina" Doll parade) come on line with all that confetti. I was convinced ("America Sings" was a huge letdown for me) at the time that Disney was so over anything close to another Pirates.

You weren't the only one. All of my friends were Disney nuts like me, which is why we worked there. But we all hated the direction Miller was taking the company.

The films sucked and were beyond bad. I remember when The Cat From Outer Space was screened for free one night in the Main Street Cinema and hardly anyone went. I was excited about the Discovery Bay model in the Cast Member Hospitality Center behind Plaza Inn, but then it didn't get built and the park kinda slid into neutral after Thunder opened.

Staying positive about Disney or DL at that point was very difficult.

 

[Eddie Sotto]

It really was. You come off of 67 T'land, Pirates and HM, hoping for the next plateau...then the slide begins. 70's Bear Country. The entire left side of the "land" was a bathroom. Ok..Discovery Bay is coming. Tried to love Bear Band till then, but America Sings was worse. I hoped Tron would save the movies, but no. Condorman and Tex. Not a good time to be a Disney fan. Not until 1977 did Space Mountain start turning things back around. So happy. That's why I'm more forgiving today having been through the "Donner Pass" of Ride Development.

 

[Omnispace]

Interesting turn of the conversation. Other than Carousel of Progress leaving I'd have to say that particular time period had my favorite mix of attractions at Disneyland. One still had all the fresh attractions of Tomorrowland, Country Bear Jamboree was a fun transplant from Florida, and although the narration on Mine Train thru Nature's Wonderland was delivered with a heaping helping of corn it was still an enjoyable excursion. Of course I was ecstatic when Space Mountain opened so 1977 may be my favorite year. Good things have happened since then but with new attractions replacing former ones there has always been bittersweet feelings towards what is new. It's why I can enjoy Indiana Jones and Splash Mountain but never quite embraced Star Tours, Big Thunder Mountain, or America Sings.

But your involvement seems to have given you better insight on what was in the works and you are right: from that perspective it was fairly dim. Was there perhaps an emphasis on creating something in Florida such as World Showcase or the beginnings of EPCOT Center that distracted WED from Disneyland?

 

[BlueSkyDriveBy]

Was there perhaps an emphasis on creating something in Florida such as World Showcase or the beginnings of EPCOT Center that distracted WED from Disneyland?

What an interesting question! I never really thought about that before, but it does seem like everyone and his brother was working on EPCOT. And no doubt it was sucking up the overwhelming majority of the company's capex for the resorts.

Was EPCOT the heroin monkey on Disneyland's back?