Mirror Disneyland - An Alternate History

[MANEATINGWREATH]

I haven't had a chance to reply yet due to my busy life, but now that things have calmed down a bit, I want to say that I'm really loving this so far!

First of all, my prediction regarding Hollywoodland was right. I knew that it would replace Toontown.

I have never heard of Fantasy on Parade before. How much of the old parade will be preserved in this new version? Because to me, your Fantasy on Parade sounds like a hybrid between the original, Festival of Fantasy and Storytellers on Parade at Shanghai.

How will the Dragon's Lair work, building-wise? Is there even anything underneath Sleeping Beauty Castle in the modern-day Disneyland?

I am loving Liberty Street so far! When I return to my Disney World ideas in a week or two, I may include a few aspects from Liberty Street into Liberty Square.

Fantasy on Parade will not retain much of its original form, especially given it was originally a Christmas parade. Important elements will remain, but it is absolutely a hybrid between Festival of Fantasy, Storytellers on Parade, and a few Tokyo parades here and there.

There is nothing underneath Sleeping Beauty Castle in modern-day Fantasyland. The Dragon's Lair itself will be built underneath the castle in Mirror Disneyland, seeing as the park has "the blessing of size." A sloped trail will lead downward from the current Fantasy Faire and into a cave edging the shore opposite Sleeping Beauty Castle's moat. Impossible in our reality, but not in this one.

I'm a bit peeved, I had the next portion of Liberty Street just about near completion (had been working on it for two days) in a draft, and a simple refresh of the page completely deleted the draft. So I have to start over from scratch with said post. Bummer. Look forward to it later today or tomorrow, depending on how awake I am after Endgame last night.

 

[MANEATINGWREATH]

In our reality, the Liberty Bell found in Walt Disney World's Liberty Square is not a gift from Pennsylvania. In fact, the story of Pennsylvania giving Disney their spare Liberty Bell is a popular urban legend. However, this project being set in an alternate timeline, I made the choice to canonize the urban legend. Surely, more urban legends will be made fact in this Mirror Disneyland of ours. Even those pertaining to other Disney Parks.

Now, let's finish this puppy! Liberty Street, that is. If you have not read the first and second post involving Liberty Street on Page One, please do so before reading this. You might be lost without it.

***

"Liberty Street presents a more serious side of our heritage. Perhaps the greatest dream to ever fire the imagination was the dream of a new nation founded in freedom. The birthplace of this dream is recreated on our Liberty Street. Here is a vision of colonial life as seen by Paul Revere, Patrick Henry, and Benjamin Franklin. Here, patriots have assembled to reaffirm their faith in liberty and justice for all."

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The Fife & Drum Corps are a fondly recognized entertainment troupe of Liberty Street, a staple since 1958. Their music and rhythm hearken to the spirit and celebration of the American Dream. The musicians, clad in the blue uniform of Revolutionary America, have been integral throughout Disneyland's storied history of live entertainment. Conceived as a salute and celebration honoring the American Bicentennial, "America on Parade" began its daily performances down Main Street in July, 1975, at both Disneyland and Walt Disney World and continued until September, 1976. The Fife & Drum Corps led the beloved America on Parade, and have performed the "encore" for the Main Street Electrical Parade since July 4, 1976: "To Honor America."

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The Washington Tavern is a title befitting of our inner patriot. The menu is in celebration of all things Americana - from smoked turkey legs and cheeseburgers to root beer floats and New England clam chowder. The stately colonial inn is Liberty Street's exclusive dining hall. Dinners here are a full-on family-style feast: an all-you-care-to-enjoy mountain of roasted turkey breast, pot roast and carved pork roast, and accompanied by traditional sides. The main attraction is a replica of George Washington's Mount Vernon fireplace, an attraction also found outside Knott's Berry Farm in Buena Park. Walt Disney was so inspired by the early Knott's attraction that he commissioned his friend Walter Knott to build a second replica for Liberty Street in 1958.

This commission, along with the attendance of Walter and Cordelia Knott to Disneyland's Opening Day, would forever establish a strong relationship between Disneyland and Knott's Berry Farm, Orange County's crown jewels, a relationship that persists to this day. But, more on that later...

The New England Print Shop began editing Disneyland's popular newspaper, The Disneyland News, in 1958, a line that is still in syndication today. The newspaper is available for purchase here (for $1), as well as in the colorful Newsstands found in Town Square and near the Main Gate. The skilled proprietor uses an old Washington handpress like the one Benjamin Franklin used more than 200 years before. Samuel Osgood, Postmaster General was, at first, a false facade with a replica colonial post office inside. Walt quickly took to the idea of having a real and fully operational post office for the United States Postal Service inside Disneyland. Since 1961, "Samuel Osgood" has serviced the famous mailboxes found throughout the Magic Kingdom. The location still accepts and distributes mail to this day.

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Ye Olde Christmas Shoppe is the "Disneyana" alternative to Main Street's Hallmark Store. The year-round decor of shimmering garland, lights, trees and the sound of warm holiday music is in perfect compliment to the available ornaments, wreathes, stockings, nutcrackers and tree-skirts. Ye Olde Christmas Shoppe is most famous for its incredible Department 56 Village. Known for its lit portrayal of holiday nostalgia and memories in miniature form, the display is one of the world's largest found in a retail location. Better yet, Department 56 and Disneyland offer an exclusive village series: "Christmas in Disneyland," a miniature portrayal of Main Street, U.S.A. and Liberty Street in December.

Colonial Shoppers is most reminiscent of a Cracker Barrel restaurant and gift shop... However, the atmosphere is more derived from a New England country store on a rustic note. The merchandise is specialized in stuffed toys, kitchenware, colonial-style clothing, hats, and vintage signs in portrayal of the farmland of Orange County, California and New England.

​

In 2016, Liberty Street in California and Liberty Square in Florida were introduced to, what was at least described as, "A Unique Window on America."

The Town Crier calls for passers-by, gathering us 'round before the historic Revolutionary History Museum. Kermit the Frog, Miss Piggy, Fozzie Bear, Sam Eagle and The Great Gonzo soon appear at the windows of the colonial facade to bring their fuzzy view of American history to life. The Muppets Present...Great Moments in American History is a reverent, hysterical and historical performance in depiction of the signing of the Declaration of Independence and the midnight ride of Paul Revere, told only as The Muppets can.

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In the heart of Liberty Street stands Independence Hall. This time-honored and historic building has housed a number of attractions since 1958. First, the original Hall of Presidents. Second, the beloved America Sings. Finally, and currently, the incredible and dramatic Mission Statement of Liberty Street: The American Adventure. In this dramatic production featuring 35 Audio-Animatronics figures, digital rear-projection images on a 72-foot screen and stirring patriotic songs, we will watch firsthand as the story of America unfolds.

The Disneyland version of The American Adventure is held in a stately theater found within Independence Hall. On either side of the audience stand life-size statues of the "Spirits of Freedom," iconic statues that embody the ideals of individualism, innovation, independence and more. A feat of entertainment, engineering and aesthetics, The American Adventure took Imagineers five years to complete for EPCOT Center in 1982, and a mere two for Disneyland in 1989 - 1990.

Pivotal moments in history appear and disappear seamlessly through the use of a massive mobile device. Ten different sets are stored under the stage and are moved forward or backward on cue by this American technological marvel. Our hosts, Benjamin Franklin and Mark Twain allow us witness to such landmark events as the landing of The Mayflower, the Boston Tea Party, the winter at Valley Forge, the Declaration of Independence, the Civil War and the Great Depression.

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In mid-2017, TDA (Team Disney Anaheim) came to a realization that demand for the then under construction "Star Wars: Galaxy's Edge" would have a much higher attendance demand than previously anticipated. In addition to the widening of walkways and relocation of select flowerbeds, several new attractions were announced for the Disneyland Resort. The addition of new content would help alleviate stress (and traffic) from the anticipated Galaxy's Edge. This included Mickey & Minnie's Runaway Railway in Hollywoodland, and an entirely original dark ride for Liberty Street.

The Disneyland Times and Disney Parks Blog announced it first:

"We have a most sinister and 'spooktacular' announcement to share, an arrival for the 2019 Halloween Season. For the first time in Disney Parks history, guests will be able to travel back in time to Sleepy Hollow, New York, and join cowardly schoolmaster Ichabod Crane on his fateful ride through the woods on Ichabod's Midnight Ride, a brand new attraction for Liberty Street.

The first attraction themed to 'The Legend of Sleepy Hollow' segment of 'The Adventures of Ichabod and Mr. Toad' (1949), Ichabod's Midnight Ride is an unpredictable and wild escape through the dark backwoods of Colonial America. The dreaded Headless Horseman gives pursuit as we careen through shadow and fog aboard a massive, spinning jack-o-lantern. One comical scare after the next leads to that famous covered bridge 'that spans the brook.' And 'once you pass that bridge, my friends, the ghost is through, his power ends!'

The timeless animation and aesthetic of the original film are truly perfect, not just for the Halloween Season, but for enjoyment the entire year. Ichabod's Midnight Ride uses state-of-the-art technologies and dazzling visual effects to truly emulate this American ghost story for a new generation of dreamers."
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True to its name, Ichabod's Midnight Ride focuses on the perilous misadventure of the cowardly Ichabod Crane and his equally cowardly horse. The fabled Headless Horseman gives chase in a manner both comical and frightening. The ride includes dark, spooky scenes that may be frightening for young children - including elements that may or may not have been found in the original film, such as hungry wolves, haunted trees, and flying, flaming pumpkins.

Ichabod's Midnight Ride is unique, wherein the attraction did not replace anything. There was simply enough room for it to be built.

“Here is adventure. Here is romance. Here is mystery. Tropical rivers - silently flowing into the unknown. The unbelievable splendor of exotic flowers...the eerie sound of the jungle...with eyes that are always watching. This is Adventureland.” - Walt Disney
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Primeval, exotic and mysterious, Adventureland is an amalgam of fact and fantasy. In this timeless realm of exploration and discovery, we leave the everyday world far behind, for here the atmosphere is filled with the sights and sounds typical of an isolated trading post on some hidden jungle waterway. Our senses are stirred by the sight of lush jungle foliage, the harrowing sound of savage wild animals, and the aroma of tropical blossoms.

"The world of dreams can take many forms. Some project us into mysterious and exotic locales far away from the everyday. These are the dreams that become real in Adventureland.

You wander past the bazaars and small cafes, and make your way down to the boat landing. What lies ahead is anyone's guess..."

***​

 

[MANEATINGWREATH]

Today's update takes great influence from "Possibilityland: A Walk Through The Disneyland That Never Was," from ThemeParkTourist.com.

Again, if you have not read through Liberty Street on Page One and Two, please do! Even if it is somewhat of a Liberty Square knockoff, it is the most original land I've done in awhile. Today, we're leaving all that American history behind in our dramatic portrayal of the world's tropics in...

Adventureland


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"The spirit of adventure is often linked with exotic tropical places," Walt Disney wrote. "Many of us dream of traveling to these mysterious, far-off regions of the world. To create a land that would make this dream reality, we pictured ourselves far from civilization, in the remote jungles of Asia and Africa. The result is Adventureland, 'the wonderland of nature's own design.'"

​

The post-World War II pop culture amalgam of exotica of Africa, Asia and the South Pacific is the marquee entrance of Adventureland, akin to a distant port-of-call in some wild, untamed region, seldom seen by civilized man. Masks, shields, tikis and human skulls on spears adorn the bamboo-railing of the well-worn entrance path. In the dense bayou below, unseen creatures snarl and screech with a for blood. An old fisherman sits upon the dark waters in his rowboat, just dead tired - his sun-dried bones still clutch a rusted fishing line.

"We'll meet again
Don't know where
Don't know when
But I know we'll meet again some sunny day..."

​

Mystery, danger and haunting romance lurk around every corner in the wilds of this remote jungle. This Forgotten Kingdom, as the locals call it, lies somewhere in the middle of nowhere, an untamed, unknown frontier where "Tiki Culture" of the 1940s and '50s lives on. It is here where we discover the rundown settlement of Paradise Springs.

In 1931, the Society of Explorers and Adventurers (S.E.A.) set a course from England for Egypt. Instead, a freak typhoon hit, and their zeppelin pilot, Dr. Albert Falls, crashed the entire safari in the midst of some forsaken jungle - destination unknown. Amidst the jungle's menagerie of wild animals and hostile natives, S.E.A. christened this wilderness as a "Forgotten Kingdom," for this land held the ruins of a lost civilization thus far undiscovered.

"I have a feeling we're not in Kansas anymore..."

​

A small fishing settlement was built in the aftermath of S.E.A.'s discovery. A hazy mist rains down from the towering trees as we enter the rundown colony, where tangled wires and excavation lamps bring an ethereal light to the hidden swamps and mud-kissed, green pavement. The lights flicker and fade in sync with a churning power generator in the center of town. Crackling phonographs and old radios churn out Big Band music of the '30s and '40s. The decrepit Statue of Dr. Albert Falls trickles water from its foundation and into "town square." Tattered canvas awnings, collapsed ruins and rusted excavation equipment establish that Adventureland has gone from a would-be accurate representation of modern jungles to a cinematic adventure set long ago. Lush waterfalls, streams and lazy bayous float into cattail-laced bogs, where hungry leeches and crocodiles undoubtedly lie in wait... Among the symphonic chatter of exotic birds, shouting apes and distant tribal drums, a crumbling, centuries-old temple looms before the eerie sunset, flamingos soaring past... Welcome to Paradise Springs, 1935.

In fact, it was not until 1935, that Paradise Springs and the Forgotten Kingdom received global attention. The sensationalized black-and-white news media of the day has drawn the nouveau-riche of western high society to this remote jungle outpost with the promise of gifts "from the gods." After 2,000 years, the lost Temple of the Forbidden Eye has been unearthed by famed archaeologist Dr. Henry "Indiana" Jones. The inhabitants of this Forgotten Kingdom once built and worshiped in this sacred realm. Scholarly research and the S.E.A.-led foundation of the Forgotten Kingdom laid the groundwork for "Indy's" discovery. But, in the end, a secret map and a healthy helping of bravery led him to the temple door...

​

Teaming with noted Egyptian archaeologist Sallah, Dr. Jones summoned the courage to go where no man had set foot for two millennia. His tenacity paid off! The Forbidden Eye was open for all who dared enter. Legend was, the temple god, Mara, could bestow the gifts of wealth, youth or future knowledge on those pilgrims who were worthy. Thus, Paradise Springs and the Forgotten Kingdom became a smash tourist destination for adventurers worldwide. But, a darker tale has surfaced...

Rumor of a treacherous curse now hangs over the temple. Some even whisper that visitors have been disappearing forever behind the silent temple walls... So far, even Dr. Jones has been unable to confirm or deny it. Until he does, the Temple of the Forbidden Eye will remain off-limits to all but the most foolhardy. It doesn't take a college degree to know that some riches, no matter how grand, aren't worth a deadly price...

Both Paradise Springs and the Forgotten Kingdom were introduced in 1995 with the arrival of Indiana Jones and the Lost Expedition. The huge addition brought Walt's original land into one line of continuity, a thematic unification of every attraction, store, restaurant and detail with one overarching story.

In this alternate history, S.E.A. is first introduced at Disneyland in 1995 with the unifying backstory of Adventureland and the Temple of the Forbidden Eye.

​

In the early sixties the word "Audio-Animatronics" was born from a somewhat old Disney idea. Through the years, Walt had intermittently toyed with the thought of using animated, three-dimensional characters at Disneyland. At one time, in fact, he hoped to include a Chinese restaurant featuring a Confucius lookalike who would spout ancient words of wisdom - mechanically, of course. WED's earliest forms of "Audio-Animatronics" made their appearance in the Jungle Cruise and Nature's Wonderland. The Enchanted Tiki Room, however, represented a whole new "flight" of progress in this sophisticated form of entertainment.

Located near the entrance to Adventureland, Walt Disney's Enchanted Tiki Room is a South Seas island adventure that features the singing of some 225 tropical birds, flowers and tiki gods. Even before entering the Tiki Room itself, we are given a taste of the tropical magic in store, as tiki gods and goddesses of the Enchanted Garden introduce themselves and tell exciting legends of the South Seas.

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An extravagant feast for the eyes and ears, this theater-in-the-round show invites spectators to experience a land of joyous song and wondrous miracles - the beauty and magic of the Pacific Islands. As the lights dim, four talking macaws spring to life - Jose, Michael, Pierre, and Fritz. Before long, the chorus of crooning birds is joined by an enchanting cast of over 225 mystical performers. The show has won the hearts of millions, and for over a half a century. The soundtrack is among one of the most beloved in Disneyland. The classic theme, "In the Tiki, Tiki, Tiki, Tiki, Tiki Room," was composed by Disney Legends Richard M. and Robert B. Sherman. The remainder of the score comes from preexisting songs, including, oddly enough, "Heigh-Ho" from Walt Disney's Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs.

Wally Boag, star of the Golden Horseshoe stage in Frontierland, provided the voice for the Barker Bird. The original Tiki Room was so original, in fact, it was almost too difficult to describe. So, a comical character, the "Barker Bird," was perched just outside the main entrance to welcome visitors and preview the magical marvels found inside. The Barker Bird remains today, a nostalgic trademark of Adventureland proper. The Tiki Juice Bar shares real estate with the Enchanted Garden. In this thatched merchant's stall of fresh scents and pineapple fruits, we "discover" the elusive Dole Whip.

​

Paradise Springs has architecture all too reminiscent of the old colonies found in French-Polynesia, Equatorial Africa, British-India, and the colonized islands of the Caribbean Sea - romanticized and kissed with Hollywood's pulp representation of "adventure." The ramshackle buildings of western influence and equatorial vernacular buildings evoke an exotic village appropriate to their location. John Hench said, "I began with a story idea that conveyed adventure and the spirit of Africa. At a glance, guests know that this is a special place for adventure."

1962 brought more adventure to Adventureland... Complementing the addition of an entire pool of frolicking Indian elephants to Adventureland's star attraction, was the opening of the tropically themed Tahitian Terrace Restaurant, where the "Royal Tahitians" perform beneath the spreading limbs of a huge "Disneydendron." While inspecting this mammoth tree of cement limbs and artificial leaves, Walt gazed from the rear terrace of the restaurant and commented, "You can't see the show from here...the foliage is in the way. Let's do something about it." When his engineers confessed that it would be virtually impossible to raise the creation without great expense, Walt suggested that they simply add six feet to the trunk. The trunk was cut near the base, six extra feet of reinforced steel and cement were added - and the problem was solved!

Today, the Tahitian Terrace restaurant continues the tradition of a lavish Hawaiian luau with traditional Polynesian music and dance. The rhythmic native drum beats of the Royal Tahitians provide much of the live entertainment for the "after-dinner" review. A talented cast of hula dancers and skilled torch twirlers add more to the exotic excitement, particularly the daring fire walkers. The original show, however, has since been updated with the magic of Walt Disney Animation's 2016 film Moana.

***
​

We'll pick up with the Moana show as soon as I'm back to writing.

​

Okay, so I used to work at Disneyland in Adventureland. I was a Ride Operator at the Indiana Jones Adventure. I have seen and been on the ride virtually hundreds of time. I know its inner-workings and design by heart. I've been all over the inside of its show building, even underneath the lava pit. But dang, that picture of Mara I used is genuinely the creepiest thing I've seen come from Disneyland.

 

[MANEATINGWREATH]

As always, vocal feedback is appreciated! But, I can't help but feel fuzzy whenever I wake up to a lot of likes and heart-eyed reactions, too. But vocal feedback is always appreciated, trust me. A lot of work has gone into this passion project.

Interesting tidbit... In the previous post for Adventureland, I mentioned that creatures can be heard screeching and snarling with a "**** for blood." Odd. I didn't use a curse word... I can understand why the word would be blurred out by asterisks, but still. Let's just say it's a four letter word that starts with an L, then a U, then an S, and finally, a T. These creatures have a L*U*S*T* for blood. I don't mean this in the NSFW tone at all. So, please forgive me if I'm wrong in its use.

Today is a brief update. Sorry!

***

​

The Tahitian Terrace is the current home of Moana: The Heart of Te Fiti. The waterfall curtain parts... This atmosphere stage show combines visual storytelling, dancing, puppetry and music to recount Moana's adventures with the demigod, Maui, to restore the heart of Te Fiti. The show features, apart from the traditional Hawaiian entertainment, dozens of tailor-made props, specially created costumes and handcrafted decorations, all based on the 2016 film, Moana, and Polynesian culture. The costumes themselves are inspired by styles traditionally worn in Fiji, Samoa and Tahiti.

​

A near-decimated packing house, once called "Tropical Imports," still laden with cargo and goods to be shipped overseas, is home to our favorite Jungle Friends, in particular, a famous orangutan, a groovy sloth bear, a sly meerkat, a militant elephant, a comical gorilla, and a wise mandrill; not forgetting Tarzan, Jane and Mowgli. The Paradise Springs Swingers, a Dixieland band in the vein of ole' King Louie himself, provide Big Band and Swing from an old storefront, aptly costumed in tattered regalia, with withered moss and dusted cobwebs.

The "Swingers" aren't the only entertainment in Paradise Springs. The rooftop of the former Tropical Imports has served as the stage for other live groups, many whom perform calypso flavored music during the spring and summer seasons. One of the most popular, the Trinidad and Tobago Showboat Orchestra, has performed at both Disneyland and Walt Disney World for decades, a decided Caribbean flare for our adventure of the far east.

​

The zeppelin that crashed prior to the discovery of the Forgotten Kingdom has managed to stick around (in pieces), and for quite awhile. In fact, what remnants remain of the gargantuan aircraft have since been converted into furniture, utilities and shelves for the inside of the Adventureland Bazaar.

The Bazaar is one of Disneyland's most exotic shopping opportunities, a yesteryear boutique of costume jewelry, eastern fashions, pith helmets, rubber snakes, (fake) shrunken heads, tribal masks, exotic candies, Hawaiian shirts, and other rare trinkets and curios from around the world. This bizarre bazaar is filled with the haunting musical sounds evocative of 1,001 Arabian Nights, although, Shrunken Ned might be the real reason to visit the Bazaar. The obvious victim of a foul headhunting accident, the "jungle witch doctor" is Adventureland's only self-service practitioner, offering useless medical advice at the drop of a coin. "Oh no," Ned proclaims from his perch, a rusted meat hook, as you display your tongue for examination. "It is worse than I ever imagined - we'll have to remove the entire head! Luckily, in your case, you won't miss it! Ha ha! Yes, a bit of jungle humor there, eh, what?"

​

The "Big Game Shooting Gallery" was wholly authentic, utilizing real rifles that shot actual pellets at tin targets. This was, however, discontinued. Disneyland's largest and most colorful shooting gallery was dismantled and replaced with Colonel Hathi's Safari Club, which still remains today. The story goes that, Colonel Hathi, militant elephant of The Jungle Book, was once the pet of a member of S.E.A. - Colonel Critchlow Suchbench. Hathi and Suchbench embarked on one grand adventure after the next, as depicted through murals in the Safari Club. They scaled Mount Everest, (awkwardly) sailed across the Delaware, and vacationed in Polynesia. Their adventures came to a halt in the Forgotten Kingdom when Suchbench vanished in a local bar... Hathi has faithfully waited for his master, but alas, to no avail. The gruff elephant has built an arcade from bamboo and banana leaves to pass the time.

Walt never wanted an "off-the-shelf" arcade game that guests could see anywhere else. In both the Penny Arcade and Colonel Hathi's Safari Club are arcade games of the pre-video, mechanical variety. Nearly every game was customized to a greater or less degree for Disneyland. The arcade, however, features a rare pinball machine originally designed by Williams Electronics in 1993. The "Indiana Jones Pinball Machine" features real music and voice clips from the Indiana Jones series, even a reprisal of Sallah by John Rhys-Davies. The metal cabinet has been redecorated with bamboo and "straw," to better match the unique and one-of-a-kind Safari Club.

***
​

I'll try to get a post up later tonight! Feedback is appreciated.

 

[orlando678-]

As always, vocal feedback is appreciated! But, I can't help but feel fuzzy whenever I wake up to a lot of likes and heart-eyed reactions, too. But vocal feedback is always appreciated, trust me. A lot of work has gone into this passion project.

Interesting tidbit... In the previous post for Adventureland, I mentioned that creatures can be heard screeching and snarling with a "**** for blood." Odd. I didn't use a curse word... I can understand why the word would be blurred out by asterisks, but still. Let's just say it's a four letter word that starts with an L, then a U, then an S, and finally, a T. These creatures have a L*U*S*T* for blood. I don't mean this in the NSFW tone at all. So, please forgive me if I'm wrong in its use.

Today is a brief update. Sorry!

***



View attachment 367908
​

The Tahitian Terrace is the current home of Moana: The Heart of Te Fiti. The waterfall curtain parts... This atmosphere stage show combines visual storytelling, dancing, puppetry and music to recount Moana's adventures with the demigod, Maui, to restore the heart of Te Fiti. The show features, apart from the traditional Hawaiian entertainment, dozens of tailor-made props, specially created costumes and handcrafted decorations, all based on the 2016 film, Moana, and Polynesian culture. The costumes themselves are inspired by styles traditionally worn in Fiji, Samoa and Tahiti.

​

A near-decimated packing house, once called "Tropical Imports," still laden with cargo and goods to be shipped overseas, is home to our favorite Jungle Friends, in particular, a famous orangutan, a groovy sloth bear, a sly meerkat, a militant elephant, a comical gorilla, and a wise mandrill; not forgetting Tarzan, Jane and Mowgli. The Paradise Springs Swingers, a Dixieland band in the vein of ole' King Louie himself, provide Big Band and Swing from an old storefront, aptly costumed in tattered regalia, with withered moss and dusted cobwebs.

The "Swingers" aren't the only entertainment in Paradise Springs. The rooftop of the former Tropical Imports has served as the stage for other live groups, many whom perform calypso flavored music during the spring and summer seasons. One of the most popular, the Trinidad and Tobago Showboat Orchestra, has performed at both Disneyland and Walt Disney World for decades, a decided Caribbean flare for our adventure of the far east.

View attachment 367914
​

The zeppelin that crashed prior to the discovery of the Forgotten Kingdom has managed to stick around (in pieces), and for quite awhile. In fact, what remnants remain of the gargantuan aircraft have since been converted into furniture, utilities and shelves for the inside of the Adventureland Bazaar.

The Bazaar is one of Disneyland's most exotic shopping opportunities, a yesteryear boutique of costume jewelry, eastern fashions, pith helmets, rubber snakes, (fake) shrunken heads, tribal masks, exotic candies, Hawaiian shirts, and other rare trinkets and curios from around the world. This bizarre bazaar is filled with the haunting musical sounds evocative of 1,001 Arabian Nights, although, Shrunken Ned might be the real reason to visit the Bazaar. The obvious victim of a foul headhunting accident, the "jungle witch doctor" is Adventureland's only self-service practitioner, offering useless medical advice at the drop of a coin. "Oh no," Ned proclaims from his perch, a rusted meat hook, as you display your tongue for examination. "It is worse than I ever imagined - we'll have to remove the entire head! Luckily, in your case, you won't miss it! Ha ha! Yes, a bit of jungle humor there, eh, what?"

View attachment 367940
​

The "Big Game Shooting Gallery" was wholly authentic, utilizing real rifles that shot actual pellets at tin targets. This was, however, discontinued. Disneyland's largest and most colorful shooting gallery was dismantled and replaced with Colonel Hathi's Safari Club, which still remains today. The story goes that, Colonel Hathi, militant elephant of The Jungle Book, was once the pet of a member of S.E.A. - Colonel Critchlow Suchbench. Hathi and Suchbench embarked on one grand adventure after the next, as depicted through murals in the Safari Club. They scaled Mount Everest, (awkwardly) sailed across the Delaware, and vacationed in Polynesia. Their adventures came to a halt in the Forgotten Kingdom when Suchbench vanished in a local bar... Hathi has faithfully waited for his master, but alas, to no avail. The gruff elephant has built an arcade from bamboo and banana leaves to pass the time.

Walt never wanted an "off-the-shelf" arcade game that guests could see anywhere else. In both the Penny Arcade and Colonel Hathi's Safari Club are arcade games of the pre-video, mechanical variety. Nearly every game was customized to a greater or less degree for Disneyland. The arcade, however, features a rare pinball machine originally designed by Williams Electronics in 1993. The "Indiana Jones Pinball Machine" features real music and voice clips from the Indiana Jones series, even a reprisal of Sallah by John Rhys-Davies. The metal cabinet has been redecorated with bamboo and "straw," to better match the unique and one-of-a-kind Safari Club.

***
​

I'll try to get a post up later tonight! Feedback is appreciated.

I love how you linked IP characters into the immersive overarching disneyverse theme and story. Keep the good stuff coming!!

 

[Evilgidgit]

Is that costumed character supposed to be Hathi, Winifred, or their son?

 

[MANEATINGWREATH]

Is that costumed character supposed to be Hathi, Winifred, or their son?

I want to say it's Winifred. I've only seen the Colonel Hathi costume, personally.

 

[MANEATINGWREATH]

Let's finish up Adventureland! This update was inspired by several sources, including The Art of Disneyland, Disneyland - The First 30 Years, DisneyChris.com, and ThemeParkTourist.

***

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The world famous Jungle Cruise remains one of the park's most elaborate "E-Ticket" attractions to this day. In 1955, it was considered by many to be Disneyland's "finest achievement." The Jungle Cruise has been the subject of perpetual addition, removal, change, and updating since its opening. Significant renovations have occurred in 1956, 1957, 1961, 1962, 1964, 1976, 1985, 1993, 1994, 1999, and 2005. When it opened as "Jungle Rivers of the World," the Jungle Cruise was intended to be educational as well as entertaining, representing stretches of rivers such as Burma's Irrawaddy, the Nile of Egypt, and the Rapids of Kilimanjaro. The names of the river launches were chosen with this idea in mind: the Amazon Belle, Ganges Gal, Zambezi Miss, and Congo Queen among them. Over the years, the tone has evolved from one of reality and education to an exotic adventure-fantasy.

“Jungle Navigation Co. Ltd - Est. 1931
‘World Class’ Riverboats Departing Daily from Paradise Springs Harbor
Passengers - Freight - Pets - Feed - Cursed Relics and Wild Animals by Permit Only
Deep Jungle - African Veldt
‘Guaranteed’ Safe Passage Thru Hippo Pool & Cannibal Country
Connecting with Riverboats to Schweitzer Falls & Temple of the Forbidden Eye”
​

In the trusted hands of our outspoken guide, we creep down rivers rarely traversed by civilized man, well into the heart of darkness... Beautiful plants, fierce creatures and other such remnants of a fantastical yesteryear inhabit the mystic jungles and waterways. Aboard one of sixteen thirty-passenger tramp riverboats, we explore twisted, danger-filled rivers and venture through impenetrable forests, the secret world of dancing natives and charging hippos. A band of exuberant gorillas overrun a deserted safari camp - a rhinoceros has trapped a misguided safari - ancient spirits materialize in an ethereal rage. As always, waiting around the final bend in the river is Trader Sam, "Head Salesman in the Jungle."

​

In 1962, an entire pool of frolicking Indian elephants brought the new Disneyland process of "Audio-Animatronics" to the Jungle Cruise. Recognizing the limited animation available both technologically and in terms of the figures' staging and physiognomy, Imagineer Marc Davis included kinetic interaction with water elements to heighten the entertainment value of the Sacred Bathing Pools of the Indian Elephants. Marc favored a more lighthearted approach to the tableaux alongside the jungle rivers. Although the animals looked naturalistic, an element of caricature and comedy was added to each figure.

Never content with the status quo, in 1964, Walt, Marc and the Imagineers again surveyed the regions of "darkest Africa" just two years after the addition of the Elephant Bathing Pool. This time, an African Veldt was added and filled with a variety of "wildlife," big and small, namely the famous "Lost Safari." The staging of the lions feeding on a "sleeping" zebra in the African Veldt was part of the mix of reality and fantasy that the Jungle Cruise evolved into.

The original Jungle Cruise boathouse featured an impressive lookout tower, but after only six years, the maturing jungle canopy - already thirty feet high - made the tower impractical and out of scale, and was soon after demolished. A new two-story Victorian boathouse was built in 1994, with a theme tied into the nearby Indiana Jones attraction, set in 1935. Today, as we wait for our journey, we hear the comical "Global Broadcasting Service" interlude a number of crackling songs from the Swing and Big Band era.

​

1994 saw an incredible expansion and reroute of the Jungle Cruise. The addition of Indiana Jones and the Lost Expedition called for much of the original river to be rerouted, expanded or replaced altogether. Adventureland, once the smallest land in Disneyland, became one of Disneyland's largest based solely on attraction real estate. The new route takes our boat through the inner-most sanctums of Mara's waterlogged Temple of the Forbidden Eye. Even the Disneyland Railroad acts as a passer-by through the massive, subterranean temple.

The current Jungle Cruise is centered around the massive archaeological dig looming beyond the trees: a spectacular Southeast Asian temple right out of the movies. The soaring pyramid stands along the banks of a misty, forgotten river, with waterfalls thundering all around it. The Temple of the Forbidden Eye is this very temple. Somewhere inside, Indiana Jones is en route to his solution for cracking the "case of the missing tourists."

​

The African Veldt scene has been relocated and re-themed, its former property now the location of the Forbidden Eye. But, rather than just sailing around the exterior and elsewhere into the jungle, we become a part of the story and sail through the temple along a cooled lava vent. Ore cars fly past and WWII troop transports careen by. But, this of course is only a small portion of the redesign. Marc Davis himself was brought from retirement to redesign the remainder of the classic attraction. Much of the humor, drama and brilliance in staging he brought to the Walt Disney World version in 1971 were once more replicated for Disneyland. This Jungle Cruise would become, fittingly, the standard for all Jungle Cruises to follow.

​

Back ashore, our travels bring us to the aroma of pineapple, meats and seafood from the local mess hall. The Angry Rhino Tavern is the former "Sunkist, I Presume." No matter, the current establishment is an indoor saloon and pub, typical to an isolated trading post in the jungle. The angered head of a rhino sits mounted above the hollow fireplace, perhaps one and the same with the rhino of the Lost Safari...? Nevertheless, the angry rhino often comes to life, bellowing steam from its nostrils and even grunting in displeasure. The menu here is delectable sushi, fine Hawaiian shaved ice, and delicious, barbecued shish kebab skewers.

A Statue of Dr. Albert Falls stands in the heart of town, half-collapsed and covered in moss. The once handsome Dr. Falls stands on the back of a slain lion. As legend has it, Dr. Falls was alone in the jungle when, from nowhere, he was attacked and swallowed whole by a ferocious lion. He quickly climbed out and slew the mighty big cat with only his hands, soon after founding the town of Paradise Springs on the site of his victory. While the statue is a bit neglected today, its original purpose remains - a compass for lost travelers - Albert's arm points east and the lion's tail points west.

From the weathered statues of tigers and elephants scattered amidst the underbrush to the false storefronts and houses owned by some adventurer or jungle denizen off on a fool's quest, the modern Adventureland is perhaps one of the most detailed lands ever conceived for a Disney Park. One such detail is that of an old phone booth, crawling in moss, still in operation. Picking up the receiver will barrage one's ears with chatter and transmissions from the surrounding region: “Aloha! This is the operator from the Remote South Seas Island Outpost. I’m sorry, but we have been unable to find the Swiss Family Robinson. Thank you. Mahalo!”

​

From the pages of Jonathan Whyss's novel, Swiss Family Robinson, came the 1961 Disney film of the same name. One year later, the Swiss Family Treehouse literally "grew" to life-size in Adventureland. The tree used six tons of reinforced steel and 110 cubic yards of concrete in construction. With over 300,000 handmade vinyl leaves and blossoms, the 80-foot high wonder weighed almost 150 tons when it opened to Disneyland visitors. "The world is full of nice, ordinary little people who live in nice, ordinary little houses on the ground...but didn't you ever dream of having a house up in a treetop?" Resonating from a pipe organ salvaged from a shipwreck, we hear the memorable "Swissapolka" throughout our climb and descent of the famous treehouse.

"Dateline: Paradise Springs, 1935.

TOURISTS FLOCK TO MYSTERIOUS TEMPLE!

The remote jungles of a Forgotten Kingdom - from all over the world they are flocking here, following the strange story of a mysterious temple and gifts from the gods. The story begins, one year ago, world famous archaeologist 'Indiana Jones' follows a tattered map to an ancient edifice. Could this be the fabled Temple of the Forbidden Eye? According to Jones, the temple contains a Chamber of Destiny - where an ancient idol lured visitors with promises of gifts - eternal youth, earthly riches, or visions of the future. But, many who looked into the eyes of this double-dealing deity took a detour to doom! A chilling tale indeed... But not chilling enough to cool off the hot pursuit of thousands of greedy globe-trotters! They're ready for a supernatural shopping spree..."

​

An overgrown bamboo forest and canyon of volcanic rock lead us well past the last outpost of the Swiss Family Treehouse and into the midst of an archaeological dig. Crumbling relics and fallen artifacts lead our trail inside the clifftop Temple of the Forbidden Eye...

Within the mysterious tombs of this long-lost temple, we follow Indy's footsteps and encounter intricate booby traps, decayed skeletons, and the flutter of unseen vampire bats... Carvings and frescos tell the story of Mara, a powerful deity who promises great treasures - and vengeance to those foolish enough to gaze into its all-seeing eyes. The unearthed artifacts and shimmer of lanterns lead our steps to a rusty motor pool for Indiana Jones Adventure. The rugged troop transport vehicles will not only carry us down a well-hidden track, but also act as a self-contained motion base complete with audio system and safety apparatus - and looks for all the world like it belongs in the "Forgotten Kingdom" in the 1930s. Given the unique enhanced vehicle motion system that was developed for this attraction (EMV), Imagineers were given free rein to create an adventure right out of the movies.

An "outdoor" bit of off-roading in the jungle returns us inside the temple and into the Chamber of Destiny... Someone, probably you, foolishly looks into Mara's eyes and, in no time at all, we are thrust into the midst of inconceivable dangers - screaming mummies, swarms of giant insects, spear-throwing wraiths, collapsing bridges, slithering snakes, - and a massive, two-ton rolling boulder. This is, of course, not forgetting a near-climactic race along the water's edge whilst the temple collapses around us.

​

Legend recalls an abandoned mining operation not far from the Temple of the Forbidden Eye. In fact, a short trek from the excavation brings us to such an abandoned operation, where dark caverns and hollowed arsenals lead to an underground hearth of sorts, still in operation, waiting for us.

John Williams' famed musical score to the Indiana Jones series can be heard throughout the entire area. As if the mine itself is haunted by the spirits of the deceased mine workers, our private ore car departs sharply from the subterranean junction, embarking on an unforgettable roller coaster ride all-too-familiar with fans of Indiana Jones and the Temple of Doom. The swaying, tilting Runaway Ore Cars has sudden drops and corkscrews, a first for Walt's Disneyland. The finale is shared with a dramatic scene of the Indiana Jones Adventure, Jungle Cruise and Disneyland Railroad - a volcanic chasm. The entirety of Indiana Jones and the Lost Expedition Complex is shared in one brief but spectacular moment.

The Adventureland Veranda replaced the former Aunt Jemima's Pancake House (our reality's current "River Belle Terrace") in early 1971. A similar restaurant of the same name opened in Walt Disney World just nine months later. The former comfort food location closed its obstructed view of Frontierland's Rivers of America and focused more on the exotic side of things. The Frontierland side still took after News Orleans' French Quarter. The Adventureland side, however, was redesigned to better match a collage of the colonized Caribbean and western perception of China. More so dramatic in scale was the complete "flip" of the outdoor patio. The original patio was enclosed and pressed against the trail in Frontierland. The new patio would look into the traffic of adjacent Adventureland.

Interior murals capture the varied adventures of Africa, Asia and South America, most famous in nature. Overhead compartments are filled to overflowing with suitcases, excavation equipment and gear for whatever bold expedition might lie ahead. International flags, license plates, and memorabilia of an international military adorn the storied walls. The melting pot of cuisine is distinctly in influence from China and the Middle East. The outdoor veranda has interspersed detail that hints at an ongoing excavation in the surrounding vegetation.

The dense jungle turns into a temperate evening in New Orleans, Louisiana. The beaten path of the world's tropics leads to the historic French Quarter of the Delta City. The music of Dixieland fills the air. We have just stepped back in time to New Orleans Square.

***​

 

[MANEATINGWREATH]

One last update for today! Just in case I don't get anything out tomorrow. This is not a complete overview of NOS.

In this alternate timeline, NOS cost $21 million to build and has five acres of real estate. In the real world, NOS cost $18 million and has only three acres of real estate.

Naturally, Jason Surrell's Pirates of the Caribbean: From the Magic Kingdom to the Movies has been an excellent resource in the portrayal of alternate-reality New Orleans Square.

***

New Orleans Square

"She was the nation's most colorful and exciting city, America's capital of aristocracy, a bristling port exporting more commodities than New York. Cotton was king and the good life was its decree. Its unique atmosphere will live again in New Orleans Square, Disneyland."
- WED Press Release, 1966

​

Walt once spoke of his vision for New Orleans Square: "Disneyland has always had a big river and a Mississippi sternwheeler. It seemed appropriate to create a new attraction at the bend of the river. And so, New Orleans Square came into being - a New Orleans of a century ago when she was the Gay Paree of the American frontier... From the lacy iron grillwork of its balconies to the sound of a Dixieland jazz band and the sight of the majestic riverboat 'Mark Twain' steaming 'round the bend at the foot of Royal Street, New Orleans Square recalls her namesake, the fabled 'Queen of the Delta,' as it was a century ago when cotton was king and the steamboat ruled the Mississippi."

​

The Old South had always had a major design influence on Frontierland. Sam McKim created the first general view of New Orleans Square in 1957. His design called for the addition of a Thieves' Market, a Wax Museum, and on the outskirts of town, a Haunted House, in addition to the existing Swift Chicken Plantation. These original plans, of course, changed over time. Although a number of Disney Imagineers contributed to the project throughout the first half of the 1960s, the now classic design of New Orleans Square was established largely by Herb Ryman. Herb drew a number of sketches in portrayal of life in the old French Quarter and an evil pirates' hideout. "I said I had some ideas, I knew how New Orleans Square ought to look, I knew how it ought to be," Ryman recalled. "But it was not my project." Walt replied, "It is now, do anything you wish. I'm coming back at noon tomorrow and I want my Square.

Evidently, Walt was pleased with what he saw that next day. I had split the three walls open into three facades. I believed that the winding streets curving out of view would arouse people's curiosity and invite them to explore." In Ryman's plan, the largely front-facing "Thieves' Market" show building was broken and split into a "neighborhood," thus creating a more intimate setting for Walt's Delta City. "Walt would never let us show any sign of aging. He said, 'No, I don't want it to look old.' And I said, well, New Orleans is old; it's been there for hundreds of years. And he said, 'I want this to look clean, and the paint is fresh, just like the day it was built.'"

​

The various show components of New Orleans Square evolved significantly since their first appearance on a souvenir map in 1958. The previously indoor Thieves' Market turned into an outdoor district of shops, restaurants and boutiques nestled among the winding streets and back alleys, and included everything from an antiques shop to a perfumery. The Haunted House became a Haunted Mansion, and it sat on a slight rise overlooking the Rivers of America. The Rogues' Gallery (the "Wax Museum") was now dubbed the Pirate Wax Museum. Both attractions would showcase a walk-through tour of the dark side of the Delta City, long known as a land of pirates, vampires, ghosts, and voodoo...

Today, Disney Imagineers have reproduced the grand city of Louisiana in every minute detail. There are winding streets, ornate, iron-trellised balconies, romantic courtyards, and exquisite, gourmet restaurants. Even the quaint little shops that line the narrow avenues of this romantic land add to its charm and warmth. Of course, New Orleans Square is enhanced even further by its strolling Dixieland musicians, The Royal Street Bachelors, who wander through the narrow promenades playing authentic Dixieland jazz.

​

In bringing his version of the Crescent City to life at Disneyland, Walt took his time and spared no expense. Planning of New Orleans Square began in the aforementioned 1957, ground was broken in 1961, but the Grand Opening did not occur until July 24, 1966. During this decade a new pinnacle of design sophistication was reached, and a new level of technical complexity came to Disneyland in Pirates of the Caribbean and The Haunted Mansion, both progeny of the 1964 - 1965 New York World's Fair, and both located in New Orleans Square. The Pirate Wax Museum and "Haunted House" had come a long way.

New Orleans mayor, Victor Schiro, joined Walt Disney for the opening of New Orleans Square. The five-acre, $21 million expansion authentically captured the beauty and intrigue found in the winding streets, iron-laced balconies and the intimate shops and courtyards of the famous Louisiana city a century ago. A New Orleans reporter covering the story said, "It's the next best thing to being there..." New Orleans Square was the second new land built at Disneyland since Liberty Street in 1958. The price tag was a little more than equal to the amount the United States paid for the real New Orleans in the Louisiana Purchase.

​

In the late 1950s, Walt Disney introduced the concept of a pirate adventure to his staff at WED. Like so many other Disneyland dreams that eventually became reality, the idea for a pirate show, namely a "Rogues' Gallery" or "Pirate Wax Museum," was far ahead of the technology required to achieve the desired effects. It was not until the middle 1960s that the Pirates of the Caribbean show could move forward toward actual realization. The research, story development and actual construction of the project required several years and the expenditure of millions of dollars.

In the Spring of 1967, the rowdiest crew of black-hearted swashbucklers who ever plundered the Spanish Main "came to life" in a thrilling "Audio-Animatronics" adventure. Today, the Pirates of the Caribbean stands as one of the finest examples of the art of "Imagineering" - the blending of creative imagination with technical know-how. The attraction could be considered Disney's "crown jewel"; one of Walt Disney's greatest achievements and a living legacy of the master showman.

“What poor hull lies smashed on the cruel rocks, pounded by the angry sea? Who knows the gallant efforts o’ the wretched crew to save the ship? I knows, ‘cause I was there! ‘Twas the royal fortune, bound for the Spanish Main, with enough treasure aboard to… Dead men tell no tales!”

​

The stately manor house that holds Pirates of the Caribbean was directly inspired by the famed Cabildo in New Orleans's Jackson Square. The Cabildo was built in 1799 to house the Spanish colonial government, and is perhaps best known as the site in which the Louisiana Purchase was signed in 1803. The genteel appearance of the manor is in stark contrast to the hidden dangers that lurk inside... An ornate grand foyer welcomes visitors from the hustle of the Big Easy and into the home's finely appointed lobby. Paintings of pirate ships, sea monsters and epic ocean battles and a map of the Western Hemisphere adorn the walls, along with portraits of an aristocratic gentlemen and his lady, perhaps the master and mistress of the house. A decorative birdcage (perhaps inspired by a mechanical piece Walt had purchased in New Orleans years prior), an old treasure chest, and a scale model of a galleon complete this picture of Southern gentility, while offering a taste of the adventure to come... Caricatures on the mansion walls are based on some of Marc Davis's earliest designs for a "pirate show."

Sailing silently through a moonlit Blue Bayou, our ramshackle boat plunges down two waterfalls and deep into an underground cavern where we are greeted by several eerie reminders of the tumultuous buccaneer period. The thunder of rampaging waterfalls can be heard on every side, skeletons hold sway over a mountain of pirate treasure, and a haunting voice issues an ominous warning of danger lurking ahead... And danger there is...

“No fear have ye of evil curses sez you… HARRrrr - HU - HUMmm. Properly be warned, sez I. Who knows when that evil curse will strike the greedy beholders o’ this bewitched treasure… Dead men tell no tales.”

***
​

Obviously, there's a whole lot more to come!

 

[MANEATINGWREATH]

As always, vocal feedback is most appreciated. I'm honestly shocked I was able to complete the whole of Adventureland in one day. That's really unlike me.

In this universe, the Pirates of the Caribbean franchise does exist. However, the film-heavy changes were never implemented into the ride. Some film-inspired changes and inclusions did occur, but they're a whole lot different and more subtle from what we know today. The politically correct re-trod of the Chase and Auction scene, however, has been fully implemented, even in this universe... Although I will say that they are done differently here. A few years ago, I'd be all for not changing them and keeping them classic. But sadly, we live in a world where it's just not okay having a potential trigger for some rider in a Disney Park. I firmly believe that everyone should feel comfortable, happy and apart from the everyday world when visiting Disneyland. I understand that they are pirates, and real pirates did sin like this, but POTC is largely fantasy anyway. Everyone should be able to enjoy the experience of POTC in our current world. But we won't talk about the politics that come with all this today. My friend Tony Goldmark did a great video about the recent POTC changes on his popular YouTube series, "Some Jerk with a Camera." Check it out (language advisory).

The Art of Disneyland and DisneyChris.com were today's reference guide. Yesterland helped in the design of Rogues' Gallery's arcade and One-of-a-Kind Shop in particular.

Anyhow, please read through everything on Page One & Two if you haven't already. Let's continue on with New Orleans Square.

***

“Hear ye a dead man’s tale o’ a dastardly deed. Brave seamen, these… Helped bury the gold they did, then silenced forever. Har! So thought that black ‘earted divil! … But stay, I told their tale ‘afore...now I be tellin’ it again. Here be where the gold… Dead men tell no tales!”
​

Rounding a corner, we are suddenly caught in a crossfire between a stone-walled fortress on the right and a cannonading pirate ship on the left, the latter complete with bellowing Audio-Animatronics buccaneers and gunfire aplenty. After avoiding a barrage of flying cannonballs that land too close to our boat for comfort, we sail next into a seaport town where a few rum-fuddled looters ransack and burn the community, chase after and auction off valuable treasure, and sing and laugh to the fetching tune, "Yo Ho (A Pirate's Life for Me)." Keep a spry eye out for Captain Jack Sparrow from the Pirates of the Caribbean film series, as he schemes to get his hands on the spoils. And finally, with the cracking and popping of burning wood roaring all around us, we sail in and thankfully quickly out of a storage room filled with gunpowder, cannonballs and whiskey-filled, gun-shooting pirates.

How do you take a grim subject like pillaging pirates burning an innocent town and make it into family entertainment? The Disney Team approached it in cinematic terms - with a heavy accent of fun. "I moved away from the historical to create something more humorous," Marc Davis recalled in 1999. Like a film comedy, however, Imagineers such as Davis and Xavier Atencio realized that "when all is funny, none is funny," so the attraction, even today and after several thematic renovations, is carefully and skillfully balanced between the profane and the comic.

​

Dorothea Redmond had an evocative sense of mood and style that resonated from her compositions, most often in her preferred medium of watercolor. The Blue Bayou Restaurant, a romantic and haunting "exterior," housed completely indoors, like a spectacular permanent movie set, caught the imaginations and paintbrushes of several Imagineers. Capturing the eerie but strangely idyllic mood of the moonlit bayou, with the melancholy but welcoming light from the bait shack, was done exceptionally well by Duane Alt. More impressive is how much of Alt's visual spirit and that of Dorothea Redmond's Blue Bayou, as pictured above, were able to translate into the final reality of the attraction itself.

The Blue Bayou is perhaps Disneyland's most elegant dining location, a timeless capture of the romance, beauty and elegance of a southern swampland in the glow of twilight. Here we might dine under the moon and stars while boats carrying passengers aboard the Pirates of the Caribbean drift by, just before charting their course down a series of waterfalls. We are surrounded in the essence of New Orleans as overhead strings of colorful balloon lanterns cast an ethereal glow, dotting the darkness where crickets chirp, frogs croak and fireflies wink. The flavors of the Big Easy await; bone-in ribeye steak, roasted chicken maison, petite lobster tail, Louisiana gumbo, and more decadent elements of authentic Cajun and Creole cuisine.

​

Our adventure with the fabulous Pirates of the Caribbean exits out onto Royal Street near, fittingly, Pieces of Eight, a converted warehouse filled to overflowing with ill-gotten goods, stolen, bartered for or otherwise... The spoils of a pirate's life are sold here, namely fool's coins and gems, plastic swords, hook-for-hand replacements, miniature telescopes, eye patches and more, all under the watchful, and only eye of "First Mate Jenkins." Jenkins, a "tough guy" parrot with a peg leg, captain's hat, eye patch and anchor tattoo, squawks and whistles from above the register, often caught singing: "Yo ho, yo ho, a parrot's life for me! Squawk!"

Captain Hook, Anne Bonny and Mary Read, Long John Silver, Edward "Blackbeard" Teach, Black Bart, Calico Jack and Henry Morgan are among the legends and terrors who find their legacy - in wax - in the dark Rogues' Gallery*. In this hall of infamy, the most infamous cutthroat seafarers are united under one roof, their crimes detailed through placards and well-humored narration, as spoken by the salty tongue of an unseen mariner. Rogues' Gallery is all that remains of the original concept for Pirates of the Caribbean. The museum also happens to house one-of-a-kind, pirate-themed arcade games in beautiful wooden cabinets with rope edges. Such "retro" games include "Freebooter Shooter," a shoot-em-up game with drunken pirate-targets, and "Whack-a-Croc," inspired by the pesky crocodile that follows Captain Hook. Fortune Red, a mechanical pirate soothsayer with a disgruntled grin and finger pointed at an "X Marks the Spot" on an unfurled treasure map, offers to tell our fortune at the drop of a coin - no doubloons necessary.

*In our Mirror Disneyland, the real world "Royal Veranda" does not exist at the corner of Pirates of the Caribbean and Pieces of Eight. Instead, the Rogues' Gallery museum fills the real estate. Remember, this reality's New Orleans Square is two acres larger than what actually exists. In fact, Mirror Disneyland's Pirates never received the outdoor queue embedded in the earth. Rather, the manor home has a large interior queue, just like the Tokyo Disneyland version.

"If this looks like a page out of an old New Orleans photo album, it was planned that way."​

In a change from the pristine facades of its Midwestern neighbor, Main Street, U.S.A., color styling in New Orleans Square incorporated tonally reserved hues with a wash of "aging" over the brand-new paint to obtain the real feel of "Old New Orleans." The result didn't look dirty or unkempt, but added a patina of age and baroque character appropriate to the romance of the river bend.

Walt Disney made no secret about his love for Dixieland music, and from Disneyland's earliest beginnings, the venerable sound of New Orleans jazz has filled the Magic Kingdom. Equal was his love for the Delta City itself. The fantastic Disney Gallery is an attraction and merchandise exhibition located right above the Pirates of the Caribbean, tucked away from the world below, a hidden treasure waiting to be discovered by passerby. Originally, the second-floor space had been conceptually designed as Walt Disney's "Royal Suite," where Walt and Roy could entertain and host notable public figures and family. The location instead, in 1987, became home to an art exhibition that lined the walls and rooms, filled with conceptual artwork, scale models and memorabilia to capture the imagination and hearts of visitors the world over. The Disney Gallery features an elegant Victorian interior with chandeliers and hand-woven carpets. The music is an appropriately themed interpretation of Disney Classics, each performed in a baroque style, complete with harpsichord.

​

Located at Number 33 Royal Street, New Orleans Square, is one of Disneyland's best-kept secrets. "The most exclusive address in all Disneyland" has long been shrouded in mystery and is marked only by a "33" sign next to a locked green door. The second-story restaurant inside is decorated with antique furniture collected by Walt and Lillian Disney on their family vacations to New Orleans. Some of the furnishings include actual props and set pieces used in classic Disney films and attractions, such as The Haunted Mansion, Mary Poppins and The Happiest Millionaire.

Club 33 was originally conceived by Walt Disney as a place to entertain dignitaries, VIPs and corporate sponsors, though he died shortly before the club opened in 1967. The private club is exclusive to members only, and has a waiting list that runs well past a decade in length. Members pay a mere $11,000 yearly, entitling themselves entrance to Disneyland, exclusive entertainment amenities and access to the only alcohol served in Walt's original Magic Kingdom - until Star Wars: Galaxy's Edge opened in 2019.

The idea of having an antique shop within Disneyland is said to have come from Walt Disney himself. The One-of-a-Kind Shop is the most unique venue in all Disneyland; the gifts here cannot be found anywhere else. An eclectic (but elegant) selection of antique clocks, jewelry, playing cards, statuettes, miniatures, 19th Century objets d'art, Italian masks, old photographs and other treasures from the past are sold here. The style and craftsmanship of a bygone era are the true attraction; a testament to the beauty and grandeur of 19th Century Americana. Lafitte Jewelers and Cristal d'Orleans emulate an Old South version of Main Street, U.S.A.'s China Closet and Crystal Arts, only, the merchandise here is distinctly more "New Orleans" and far less "Disney." Mlle. Antoinette's Perfumerie and a Caricature Portrait Artist add an additional touch of authenticity and detail to the already impressive atmosphere of New Orleans Square. The varied Flower Marts and Candy Carts further build a thematic "panorama" of beauty and elegance.

New Orleans Square has numerous courtyards and sheltered walkways just off-the-beaten-path of Disneyland's hustle and bustle. Coming from the second-floor windows, we might overhear some of the Big Easy's denizens caught in several comical scenarios, including a southern seance, a destructive feline and a clever, wisecracking mockingbird. The lush Court of Angels opened with New Orleans Square in 1966. The hidden gem was one of the last Disneyland fixtures designed by Walt Disney before his untimely death. The beautiful Court has been the popular spot for family photos, engagements, and even character meet 'n' greets, but more often than not remains a quiet and reflective oasis.

​

Porte d'Orleans, found in the heart of the French Quarter, is well-versed and stocked in a variety of Cajun spices, chicory-coffee, beignet mixes, hot sauces and kitchenware authentic to the "Queen of the Delta." The Creole Cafe, home to the world-famous Monte Cristo, features dark woods, brass fixtures and stained glass that transport us to the Big Easy's oldest neighborhood. We can "people-watch" on the elegant covered patio or dine inside with the vintage artifacts and furnishings of "Walt's Day." Amidst character displays from The Princess and the Frog, we find the very same espresso machine that served Walt cups of his favorite brew. The famous French Market restaurant is based on the New Orleans original in the historic French Quarter. The large outdoor cafe has delicious Creole dishes and southern fried soul food. The non-alcoholic Mint Julep Bar is located nearby. The French Market was, for several years, the common performance venue for "Teddy Buckner" and his band of "Jazz All-Stars." Today, the French Market continues the tradition of live music, often featuring a performance or two by the Jambalaya Jazz Band and "Queenie," their soulful leading lady.

In the darkest corner of the old French Quarter, flickering candles and a sign made from human bones welcome us to the dimly lit interior of Dr. Facilier's Voodoo Emporium. The eerie "Voodoo" Emporium is a popular shop where all manner of Gothic and occult themed paraphernalia can be found in great abundance. The macabre abode of Dr. Facilier, a.k.a. "The Shadowman," has merchandise of the Disney Villains, The Haunted Mansion and Tim Burton's The Nightmare Before Christmas, and (super)naturally, items of the occult and beyond - tarot cards, crystal balls, voodoo dolls, mysterious daggers and more. Possessed masks, living dolls, glowing spell books and ethereal shadows are the norm in this bizarre boutique. In fact, the miniaturized Witch from Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs is kept in a birdcage here, begging and bartering with passers-by for her freedom.

​

The train depot that serves Frontierland and New Orleans Square is notable for its adjacent telegraph office, where the constant clatter of Morse code delivers the 1955 dedication of Disneyland. This is, naturally, the second stop of the Disneyland Railroad: New Orleans Square Station.

***
​

In our next update, we'll finish New Orleans Square on a haunting note.

 

[DisneyManOne]

My friend Tony Goldmark did a great video about the recent POTC changes on his popular YouTube series, "Some Jerk with a Camera." Check it out (language advisory).

You know Tony Goldmark? Nice!

 

[MANEATINGWREATH]

You know Tony Goldmark? Nice!

Yes, I'm actually in his One Movie Later vlog of Wonder Park. Haha. I'm the guy sitting next to him on the couch.

 

[MANEATINGWREATH]

It seems a lot of viewers are surprised I'm in a Some Jerk with a Camera video haha. I'll link the video I was in here. BUT WARNING: LANGUAGE ADVISORY, AS WITH ANYTHING ON HIS CHANNEL.

​

I had to sit through probably the worst animated film I've seen in theaters to be apart of that video. I'm the guy in the middle between Tony and Morgan. Trust me, being in the review was worth it, but seeing that atrocity of a film was not lol.

Can I just say how surprised I am with myself for practically making one to two posts daily? I've never been on a roll like this haha. I have a scheduled power outage at my house tomorrow (as well as a performance at night), so don't expect any updates tomorrow. Hopefully I'm right back on track on Thursday!

Anyhow, I would really love to hear some vocal feedback in this thread! It always feels good to get likes and reactions, but vocal questions, comments and concerns are always a pleasant surprise, too. @spacemt354, any chance you still do maps? I'd love to get a map done of this alternate Disneyland.

The Haunted Mansion is my all-time favorite attraction. I honestly had to dedicate practically an entire post to it. Jason Surrell's wonderful The Haunted Mansion: Imagineering a Disney Classic was a large reference, not forgetting Disneyland: The First Thirty Years, DisneyChris.com and The Art of Disneyland.

***

​

The Disneyland Band will often leave Main Street, U.S.A. and wander throughout the Magic Kingdom. Occasionally, their music will find them in an odd place or two, namely outside an unusual and foreboding manor home at a bend in the Rivers of America. The ominous "Grim Grinning Ghosts" is their performance of choice, performed here in the sound and style of a New Orleans jazz funeral; beautiful, eerie, but triumphant.

In early layouts for Main Street, U.S.A., the land included a small residential area located behind the east side of Main Street. The small, crooked avenue "dead-ended" at a crumbling haunted house on a hill overlooking the turn-of-the-century Midwestern town. Harper Goff drew up the concept in a panoramic view entitled "Church, Graveyard, and Haunted House"; it was the first rendering of a haunted house at Disneyland. The residential area was eventually discarded and replaced by Liberty Street.

Walt resurrected his Haunted House concept in 1957. The planned site had been relocated to the southwest corner of Frontierland on a site then occupied by Magnolia Park. Walt planned to transform Magnolia Park and the surrounding area into a New Orleans-themed companion piece for Frontierland. Walt mentioned the project during an interview with the BBC, as he expressed his concern for all of the ghosts that had been displaced from their ancestral homes due to the London blitz during World War II and new construction to make way for modern housing. He then announced plans to build a sort of retirement home at Disneyland for all of the world's homeless spirits.

“When hinges creak in doorless chambers, and strange and frightening sounds echo through the halls. Whenever candlelights flicker where the air is deathly still - that is the time when ghosts are present, practicing their terror with ghoulish delight!”
​

The Haunted House rose from the grave again in 1961, along with New Orleans Square, both of which had first appeared on the Disneyland Souvenir Map back in 1958. However, the Magnolia Park home of the Haunted House had been taken over by an expansion of the Jungle Cruise. With the Adventureland border shifting west, a small piece of land was designated for a new and improved New Orleans Square. Walt moved the attraction north to the site of the old Swift Chicken Plantation restaurant.

​

In all the legend and lore of "haunted New Orleans," there was one old house, scarcely noticed by day, but carefully avoided by night. It was always ramshackle, seemingly abandoned, and thoroughly rumored to be a Haunted Mansion.

New Orleans Square's Haunted Mansion is just as foreboding. A peculiar chill shivers through you... The hairs on your neck stand straight-up... And you feel as if someone is watching - as you hasten past the family plot...

Disneyland's most spirited attraction features not only its 999 floating, jumping, dancing residents, but also stretching rooms, creaking doors, and other little surprises guaranteed to send shivers up the spine of even the bravest visitor. But we are not left to shiver on our own! Disneyland even supplies an official "Ghost Host" to keep our company during our little tour, and he takes no time at all to introduce himself. The moment we have entered the Mansion's chilling parlor area, he begins his running commentary that will follow us wherever we go.

Imagineer Ken Anderson found a photo of an antebellum mansion in Baltimore and was so captivated by its shape and ornamentation that he translated the design almost verbatim into this neglected and windswept setting shown above. It was over a brownline print of this drawing that Sam McKim painted his now famous color rendering of the Mansion. Much as they had with Pirates of the Caribbean, the Imagineers combined genuine thrills with a large dose of humor, but with somewhat less balanced results than their previous E-Ticket effort. Claude Coats, Ken Anderson, Marc Davis, X Atencio, Rolly Crump, and Yale Gracey all worked on the show elements for The Haunted Mansion.

​

For six years, the distant, ominous Haunted Mansion stood unoccupied upon the New Orleans shores of the Rivers of America. A sign posted in front offered passers-by a once-in-a-lifetime invitation...

"Notice!
All Ghosts
And Restless Spirits

Post-lifetime leases are
now available in this
HAUNTED
MANSION
don't be left out in the sunshine! Enjoy
active retirement in this country club
atmosphere the fashionable address for
famous ghosts, ghosts trying to make a name
for themselves...and ghosts afraid to
live by themselves! Leases include License
to scare the daylights out of guests
visiting the Portrait Gallery, Museum of
the Supernatural, graveyard and other
happy haunting grounds. for reservations
send resume of past experience to:

Ghost Relations Dept. Disneyland
Please! Do not apply in person."
​

And soon the letters came, from many parts of the world. There was the nine-year-old who wrote, "On Halloween, I help in a spook house at our school," and the 12-year-old who claimed to have "scared my mom clear out of her wits." And the frustrated New England spinster, chagrined because "not one of my neighbors believes in witches...ANYMORE." Walt Disney once remarked, "We'll keep up the grounds and things outside, and the ghosts can take care of the inside."

​

The Haunted Mansion is one of Disneyland's most popular E-Ticket attractions. Here, the emphasis is more on the light than the fright, and dark humor and comical puns abound. Disneyland's happy haunting ground is home to 999 spooky residents, famous, infamous or otherwise. In the midst of the ethereal manor's halls and walls, we glide past a rattling casket in the conservatory, float by a grand ballroom and its waltzing apparitions, and spin through a cemetery where the spirited residents regale us in song.

Imagineer Rolly Crump returned to work on the Haunted Mansion after the New York World's Fair, and pitched to Walt sketches of a "candle man" with flames burning on his body and melting wax running down his chest, an otherworldly chair that stood up and chatted with visitors, and man-eating plants chowing down behind the glass walls of a conservatory. Walt's reaction: "This stuff is really weird, Rolly. What in the heck are we going to do with it?" "I'm not sure, Walt. But I feel that unless we put something in that's different, the Haunted Mansion is just going to be the same old thing." Walt tracked down Rolly the following morning. "You son of a gun. That stuff drove me crazy all night long, but now I know how to use it." Walt then described an idea for the inside of the Mansion's entrance - a spill area showcasing an unnerving display of oddities from all over the world. Guests could spend as much time as they wanted there, entering and exiting separately from the main show.

Rolly had submitted well over a hundred ideas for the Haunted Mansion since he had begun working on the show in the late 1950s, and now he set about developing some for his new, Walt-christened "Museum of the Weird." One of the highlights would be a freestanding gypsy wagon infested with spirits that would spring to life every few minutes. Doors swung open, bells rang, the wagon's contents flew around, torches burst into flames, canopies billowed, and a palmistry hand painted onto a side panel came to life.

Though Walt passed on long before his personal vision for the Mansion and the Museum could come into fruition, the Museum did find a home in Mirror Disneyland. However, the Museum had nothing to do with the Haunted Mansion. In fact, Marc Davis, Yale Gracey and Rolly Crump combined their imaginative forces to create an immersive backstory and design for the Haunted Mansion's spectacular cousin in a brand-new land: Folktale Forest.

But, we'll explore this so called "Museum of the Weird" at another time. For next, we shall explore the beginnings and entrance to Folktale Forest.

***​

 

[spacemt354]

It seems a lot of viewers are surprised I'm in a Some Jerk with a Camera video haha. I'll link the video I was in here. BUT WARNING: LANGUAGE ADVISORY, AS WITH ANYTHING ON HIS CHANNEL.

​

I had to sit through probably the worst animated film I've seen in theaters to be apart of that video. I'm the guy in the middle between Tony and Morgan. Trust me, being in the review was worth it, but seeing that atrocity of a film was not lol.

Can I just say how surprised I am with myself for practically making one to two posts daily? I've never been on a roll like this haha. I have a scheduled power outage at my house tomorrow (as well as a performance at night), so don't expect any updates tomorrow. Hopefully I'm right back on track on Thursday!

Anyhow, I would really love to hear some vocal feedback in this thread! It always feels good to get likes and reactions, but vocal questions, comments and concerns are always a pleasant surprise, too. @spacemt354, any chance you still do maps? I'd love to get a map done of this alternate Disneyland.

The Haunted Mansion is my all-time favorite attraction. I honestly had to dedicate practically an entire post to it. Jason Surrell's wonderful The Haunted Mansion: Imagineering a Disney Classic was a large reference, not forgetting Disneyland: The First Thirty Years, DisneyChris.com and The Art of Disneyland.

***

​

The Disneyland Band will often leave Main Street, U.S.A. and wander throughout the Magic Kingdom. Occasionally, their music will find them in an odd place or two, namely outside an unusual and foreboding manor home at a bend in the Rivers of America. The ominous "Grim Grinning Ghosts" is their performance of choice, performed here in the sound and style of a New Orleans jazz funeral; beautiful, eerie, but triumphant.

View attachment 368370​

In early layouts for Main Street, U.S.A., the land included a small residential area located behind the east side of Main Street. The small, crooked avenue "dead-ended" at a crumbling haunted house on a hill overlooking the turn-of-the-century Midwestern town. Harper Goff drew up the concept in a panoramic view entitled "Church, Graveyard, and Haunted House"; it was the first rendering of a haunted house at Disneyland. The residential area was eventually discarded and replaced by Liberty Street.

Walt resurrected his Haunted House concept in 1957. The planned site had been relocated to the southwest corner of Frontierland on a site then occupied by Magnolia Park. Walt planned to transform Magnolia Park and the surrounding area into a New Orleans-themed companion piece for Frontierland. Walt mentioned the project during an interview with the BBC, as he expressed his concern for all of the ghosts that had been displaced from their ancestral homes due to the London blitz during World War II and new construction to make way for modern housing. He then announced plans to build a sort of retirement home at Disneyland for all of the world's homeless spirits.

“When hinges creak in doorless chambers, and strange and frightening sounds echo through the halls. Whenever candlelights flicker where the air is deathly still - that is the time when ghosts are present, practicing their terror with ghoulish delight!”
​

The Haunted House rose from the grave again in 1961, along with New Orleans Square, both of which had first appeared on the Disneyland Souvenir Map back in 1958. However, the Magnolia Park home of the Haunted House had been taken over by an expansion of the Jungle Cruise. With the Adventureland border shifting west, a small piece of land was designated for a new and improved New Orleans Square. Walt moved the attraction north to the site of the old Swift Chicken Plantation restaurant.

View attachment 368230
​

In all the legend and lore of "haunted New Orleans," there was one old house, scarcely noticed by day, but carefully avoided by night. It was always ramshackle, seemingly abandoned, and thoroughly rumored to be a Haunted Mansion.

New Orleans Square's Haunted Mansion is just as foreboding. A peculiar chill shivers through you... The hairs on your neck stand straight-up... And you feel as if someone is watching - as you hasten past the family plot...

Disneyland's most spirited attraction features not only its 999 floating, jumping, dancing residents, but also stretching rooms, creaking doors, and other little surprises guaranteed to send shivers up the spine of even the bravest visitor. But we are not left to shiver on our own! Disneyland even supplies an official "Ghost Host" to keep our company during our little tour, and he takes no time at all to introduce himself. The moment we have entered the Mansion's chilling parlor area, he begins his running commentary that will follow us wherever we go.

Imagineer Ken Anderson found a photo of an antebellum mansion in Baltimore and was so captivated by its shape and ornamentation that he translated the design almost verbatim into this neglected and windswept setting shown above. It was over a brownline print of this drawing that Sam McKim painted his now famous color rendering of the Mansion. Much as they had with Pirates of the Caribbean, the Imagineers combined genuine thrills with a large dose of humor, but with somewhat less balanced results than their previous E-Ticket effort. Claude Coats, Ken Anderson, Marc Davis, X Atencio, Rolly Crump, and Yale Gracey all worked on the show elements for The Haunted Mansion.

View attachment 368231​

For six years, the distant, ominous Haunted Mansion stood unoccupied upon the New Orleans shores of the Rivers of America. A sign posted in front offered passers-by a once-in-a-lifetime invitation...

"Notice!
All Ghosts
And Restless Spirits

Post-lifetime leases are
now available in this
HAUNTED
MANSION
don't be left out in the sunshine! Enjoy
active retirement in this country club
atmosphere the fashionable address for
famous ghosts, ghosts trying to make a name
for themselves...and ghosts afraid to
live by themselves! Leases include License
to scare the daylights out of guests
visiting the Portrait Gallery, Museum of
the Supernatural, graveyard and other
happy haunting grounds. for reservations
send resume of past experience to:

Ghost Relations Dept. Disneyland
Please! Do not apply in person."
​

And soon the letters came, from many parts of the world. There was the nine-year-old who wrote, "On Halloween, I help in a spook house at our school," and the 12-year-old who claimed to have "scared my mom clear out of her wits." And the frustrated New England spinster, chagrined because "not one of my neighbors believes in witches...ANYMORE." Walt Disney once remarked, "We'll keep up the grounds and things outside, and the ghosts can take care of the inside."

View attachment 368232
​

The Haunted Mansion is one of Disneyland's most popular E-Ticket attractions. Here, the emphasis is more on the light than the fright, and dark humor and comical puns abound. Disneyland's happy haunting ground is home to 999 spooky residents, famous, infamous or otherwise. In the midst of the ethereal manor's halls and walls, we glide past a rattling casket in the conservatory, float by a grand ballroom and its waltzing apparitions, and spin through a cemetery where the spirited residents regale us in song.

Imagineer Rolly Crump returned to work on the Haunted Mansion after the New York World's Fair, and pitched to Walt sketches of a "candle man" with flames burning on his body and melting wax running down his chest, an otherworldly chair that stood up and chatted with visitors, and man-eating plants chowing down behind the glass walls of a conservatory. Walt's reaction: "This stuff is really weird, Rolly. What in the heck are we going to do with it?" "I'm not sure, Walt. But I feel that unless we put something in that's different, the Haunted Mansion is just going to be the same old thing." Walt tracked down Rolly the following morning. "You son of a gun. That stuff drove me crazy all night long, but now I know how to use it." Walt then described an idea for the inside of the Mansion's entrance - a spill area showcasing an unnerving display of oddities from all over the world. Guests could spend as much time as they wanted there, entering and exiting separately from the main show.

Rolly had submitted well over a hundred ideas for the Haunted Mansion since he had begun working on the show in the late 1950s, and now he set about developing some for his new, Walt-christened "Museum of the Weird." One of the highlights would be a freestanding gypsy wagon infested with spirits that would spring to life every few minutes. Doors swung open, bells rang, the wagon's contents flew around, torches burst into flames, canopies billowed, and a palmistry hand painted onto a side panel came to life.

Though Walt passed on long before his personal vision for the Mansion and the Museum could come into fruition, the Museum did find a home in Mirror Disneyland. However, the Museum had nothing to do with the Haunted Mansion. In fact, Marc Davis, Yale Gracey and Rolly Crump combined their imaginative forces to create an immersive backstory and design for the Haunted Mansion's spectacular cousin in a brand-new land: Folktale Forest.

But, we'll explore this so called "Museum of the Weird" at another time. For next, we shall explore the beginnings and entrance to Folktale Forest.

***​

The park is looking great so far MEW!

And yeah I could use a bit of a break - it might be slow and steady but doing the map as a side project I'd really enjoy!

 

[MANEATINGWREATH]

The park is looking great so far MEW!

And yeah I could use a bit of a break - it might be slow and steady but doing the map as a side project I'd really enjoy!

No worries! I'm sort of doing the same thing where this project is more of an enjoyable thing that I will (eventually) take slow and steady. I haven't been around a lot in the past year or so, so it's really great to see these boards are still thriving and well. It certainly seems like you have been able to keep yourself busy and be a major contribution to the thriving nature of the boards. The good thing about designing a map for Mirror Disneyland is, it's the real world Disneyland, just a little bit larger (about a 100 acres or so) and with minor to major differences here and there.

 

[DisneyManOne]

I wonder, will the Country Bears play a part in Mirror Disneyland? Because, since Tony Goldmark has been mentioned a few times, I am reminded of the words spoken by his colleague, Charlie Callahan, in this video:

"Disneyland may be in the South, but it's in the wrong South. And that lovable ursine jug band just could not survive in the land of dogs and purses."​

 

[MANEATINGWREATH]

I wonder, will the Country Bears play a part in Mirror Disneyland? Because, since Tony Goldmark has been mentioned a few times, I am reminded of the words spoken by his colleague, Charlie Callahan, in this video:

"Disneyland may be in the South, but it's in the wrong South. And that lovable ursine jug band just could not survive in the land of dogs and purses."​

The Country Bears are still in Mirror Disneyland because, dang, I do love me some Country Bears. Sure, they don't work nearly as well in Disneyland as they still do in Florida or Japan, but in my reality, they work just fine. Also, fun fact, I know Charlie Callahan as well. But only in passing. He's definitely an acquaintance. I also know Doggans lol.

Today’s update took influence from SEVERAL sources. Seriously, a lot. Yesterland.com, DisneyChris.com, Disneyland: The First Thirty Years, The Art of Disneyland, and most of all, Jason Surrell’s The Disney Mountains: Imagineering at Its Peak. I rarely use photos from the wonderful Daveland website, but Daveland did have the only bit of concept art for Bear Country I could find. I honestly think this might be one of the largest posts so far, not odd, considering how much I adore the real world Critter Country, Splash Mountain and Country Bear Jamboree. Man, I do love the Country Bear Jamboree.

***

Folktale Forest

“ENTERING
FOLKTALE FOREST

‘A BACKWOODS REFUGE FOR THE FAIRYTALE FEW’
PERMITS MUST BE OBTAINED FOR TREE-CHOPPING,
FISHING, APPLE SEED PLANTING, HUNTING AND HIBERNATING
(PERMANENT RESIDENTS EXCEPTED)
NO PERMIT NECESSARY FOR FEEDING BEARS

D. CROCKETT
PARK RANGER

J. APPLESEED
NATURALIST”​

The pavement in New Orleans Square turns from grey to maroon. The Old South of Louisiana has transformed into the tall pine trees, quaint waterfalls and rolling streams of a Pacific Northwest oasis. A rustic sign, as detailed above, welcomes our transition into Folktale Forest, where, rumor has it, the iconic myths and legends of North American folklore reside in living, breathing form.

The American Indian and the culture of Native America were components of Disneyland from the beginning. The Indian Village in Frontierland was part of Disneyland from opening day, and stood until 1971. The Indian Village displayed ancient Native American customs and crafts, while entertaining guests with authentic dances from such tribes as the Apache, Navajo, Commance and Pawnee. All dances were performed with the permission of the respective tribal councils and the U.S. Bureau of Indian Affairs. However, Disneyland was - and still is - forever changing…

​

It was a spring day in 1966. With several new projects on the drawing boards, including the enormous Walt Disney World in Florida, Walt Disney had begun a typical process - tossing out ideas to see what would “grow.”

“Hey, Marc,” Disney Legend Marc Davis recalled Walt Disney saying one day in the early 1960s, “let’s do something with bears. Yeah, a bear band, you know, to play music and things…” Walt’s “bear idea” matured into a stage musical featuring a cast of Audio-Animatronics down-home ursine performers singing, yodeling, and playing country music, intended as a centerpiece attraction at a Central California development called Mineral King. Walt would often come by Marc’s office to check the progress of the “Bear Show,” and seemed to have a special fondness for the ideas and characters, laughing out loud on occasion at a particular sketch or design. It is widely believed, by Marc in particular, that the “Country Bear Jamboree” was Walt Disney’s “last laugh.”

The Mineral King project never materialized, but the “Bear Show” opened at Walt Disney World in 1971. It was such a rousing hit there that plans for creating a duplicate in Disneyland began almost immediately. The southwest section of Frontierland, once the location of the Indian Village, became the Pacific Northwest of Folktale Forest, opening in 1972. The Country Bear Jamboree, opening on an extended run, was the hit show of Disneyland’s then official eighth land.

In its early years, Folktale Forest only had a few facilities besides the “Bear Show” and another new attraction, “The Roost,” a Marc Davis-led project based on Rolly Crump’s Museum of the Weird, but their utility didn’t minimize the attention to detail. The overall Pacific Northwest feel of the area was designed to differentiate the “geographic location” of Folktale Forest from the Old Southwest of Frontierland, the mighty Mississippi of the Rivers of America, and the Delta of New Orleans Square.

Later, in 1983, Disney Legend Tony Baxter was tasked with the problem of “what to do with Folktale Forest,” which was, at the time, an underutilized and lightly trafficked “land.” The Country Bears had never caught on at Disneyland. Meanwhile, on Liberty Street, America Sings was playing to half-empty houses. The public had since lost interest in the reverent celebration of America’s music. Its imminent closure would mean the loss of 114 Davis-designed Audio-Animatronics critters. Tony’s solution turned to a film that he long considered to be one of the great untapped resources in the Disney Vault, Walt Disney’s 1946 classic Song of the South, based on the “Uncle Remus” folktales of Joel Chandler Harris.

The film was a perfect fit for Folktale Forest; Brer Rabbit, Brer Fox, and Brer Bear would feel right at home with the Country Bears, Johnny Appleseed and Paul Bunyan. The characters had been making live appearances in the Magic Kingdoms for years and the Disney version of Tales of Uncle Remus had never gone out of print, but the film itself had become publicly unavailable for its depiction of African-Americans in the postwar South. Fortunately, Tony felt strongly that portions of Song of the South had all the fixings of an E-Ticket adventure, which he initially dubbed “Zip-a-Dee River Run,” and then CEO Michael Eisner agreed.

“What do you think if we recast all those figures from America Sings as characters from ‘Song of the South’ - because they look like little critters in a bayou - and that was it.”
- Tony Baxter​

Tony, Bruce Gordon and John Stone began work immediately on what would become Splash Mountain. The exterior of the attraction would be composed of the rolling green hills and red clay riverbanks of the Deep South, all overlooked by Chick-a-Pin Hill, the gnarled tree stump home of Brer Fox. Chick-a-Pin Hill would become the attraction’s central icon and a landmark for Folktale Forest, as well as the point of departure for a climactic, five-story plunge into the Briar Patch at the base of the mountain. “We want everyone to think the ride is over with the drop,” said show producer Bruce Gordon. “But then they re-enter the show for the grand musical finale.” A grand Zip-A-Dee Lady showboat was, in its time, the largest animated prop ever made for a Disneyland attraction, measuring 50 feet long and 30 feet tall.

Tony and Bruce chose to create a composite of all the stories featured in Song of the South, with its own beginning, middle, and end. The story was told primarily through music, which allowed the various critters to sing Brer Rabbit’s tale as riders passed by in hollowed-out logs. With the arrival of Chick-a-Pin Hill, a “point-of-transition” was established. The Haunted Mansion is the first “landmark,” followed by a trek into the surrounding bayou country, or more appropriately, Folktale Forest. Tony’s intent was to remake Folktale Forest as a natural extension of New Orleans Square, creating a collective, but fanciful, “Dixieland” set in the Deep South.

Splash Mountain opened on July 17, 1989, Disneyland’s 34 Anniversary, and included the record setting five-story, 47-degree plunge down Chick-a-Pin Hill at over forty miles per hour, making it, to this day, the fastest attraction in all Disneyland.

Folktale Forest opened in March, 1972. The small land has remained relatively the same - other than the arrival of Splash Mountain - since its opening day. The area is a rustic, "outdoorsy" reflection of North American folklore. Marc Davis himself oversaw the land's construction and design. The forest would pay tribute to the mythology of Davy Crockett, Paul Bunyan, Tom Sawyer, Johnny Appleseed, John Henry, Casey Jones, Pecos Bill, and of course, Walt's beloved "Bear Show." It was the first new land to open since its neighbor, New Orleans Square, in 1966.

The gargantuan footprints of Paul Bunyan lead our trail into Folktale Forest. Fortunately, the prints aren't deep enough to make us lose our footing, but are certainly shallow enough to impose intrigue and wonder at the size of the man who made them. Even so, the hoof-prints of Babe, Paul's blue ox, trail right alongside Paul's. If one listens closely, they might hear the booming voice of the mighty lumberjack (Thurl Ravenscroft) singing out in the backwoods: "With my double blade ax and my hobnail boots, I go where the timber's tall. When there's work to be done, don't mess around just sing right out for Paul!" The tall redwoods rustle - certainly, Paul and Babe are the cause.

Apart from the tall pines and ferns, rolling green hills and red clay riverbanks of Chick-a-Pin Hill, a number of blossoming apple trees line our entrance and exit into Folktale Forest. An aged fence is our only barricade between us and the beauty of Johnny Appleseed's handiwork. In fact, Johnny's much smaller (compared to Paul's) footprints are seen in the surrounding earth, fresh and new. Like the voice of Paul Bunyan heard out in the wilderness, we every so often can hear the ethereal spirit of Johnny Appleseed's heavenly creed: "Oh, the Lord is good to me, and so I thank the Lord for giving me the things I need, the sun, the rain, and the apple seed. The Lord is good to me." Naturally, we find this to be the location of Johnny Appleseed's Fruit Cart. The makeshift merchant's stall appears to have been built by Johnny himself - of course with the help of his critter companions.

​

The Bluegrass Boys are a favorite performance troupe of the original and current Folktale Forest, and often perform alongside costumed characters from the Country Bear Jamboree and Splash Mountain. The wide open esplanade of the Folktale Forest proper is the perfect location for an afternoon or evening hoedown under the stars. Live square dancing became a new tradition of Disneyland with the addition of Folktale Forest in 1972. The Hoedown Happening begins without notice. A lone operator from Splash Mountain walks into the street and starts waving a hat. He (or she) is soon joined by other residents of Folktale Forest, including the Country Bears and other critters.

The Little Hiawatha Trading Post, nestled in the foundation of Splash Mountain, is an old wooden cabin with a "cobblestone" chimney and thick grass growing on the roof. The former "Indian Trading Post" was renamed for Little Hiawatha, the titular character of a 1937 Silly Symphony. The rustic shop is unique for its selection of Native American arts and crafts, including a large selection of pottery, turquoise jewelry, totems, and kachina dolls. The former "Indian War Canoes" became the Davy Crockett Explorer Canoes. Named after the legendary 19th Century icon, the 20-passenger Explorer Canoes are real, free-floating canoes; there is no motor or track. The seasonal canoes offer a stunning glimpse of frontier wildlife and iconic locales, including an idyllic Native American village, and the majesty of "Nature's Wonderland." The north bank of the Columbia Gorge, complete with a beautiful waterfront and 5 sparkling waterfalls is particularly memorable.

​

Davy Crockett might have won his famous race with Mike Fink ("King of the River") long ago, but Mike Fink has his name plastered on the marquee. The classic Mike Fink Keel Boats disembark from the water's edge near Folktale Forest. The Gullywhumper and Bertha Mae depart daily, albeit seasonally, and have the namesake of being the actual boats used in the filming of The Legends of Davy Crockett. Of course, the boats have been heavily redesigned and converted for safety's sake. The Rafts to Tom Sawyer's Island also depart from Folktale Forest.

Aunt Polly, Tom Sawyer's loving guardian, has her own restaurant near the bend in the river. Aunt Polly's Kitchen, once tucked away from the hustle and bustle of Disneyland, is one of the most tranquil, down-home dining spots in the Magic Kingdom. We must cross a bridge and stroll through a small pine forest to reach this rustic retreat nestled in the shadow of Splash Mountain, where a white-washed fence and a wood sculpture of Tom welcomes us with an all-important question: "Hungry?" Crispy fried chicken, boysenberry, apple and raspberry pies, fresh greens, sweet potato fries, and other comfort foods come from Aunt Polly's titular kitchen. House-Made Funnel Cake is what's for dessert.

Surrounded by lush foliage, we glimpse the spectacular Rivers of America from the restaurant's sprawling 2-story terrace. It's a welcome escape to say the least.

***
​

We'll continue with the rest of Folktale Forest on Thursday! There are FOUR major attractions in Folktale Forest, as well as additional shops left to cover. Clearly, my Folktale Forest is significantly larger than the real-life Critter Country. Remember, Mirror Disneyland is 215 Acres roughly.

Until then, stay tuned. Also, any feedback? This was post in particular took a ton of work to make a reality.

 

[DisneyManOne]

Also, fun fact, I know Charlie Callahan as well. But only in passing. He's definitely an acquaintance. I also know Doggans lol.

I'll admit: One of the reasons I want to move to Florida, apart from working for Disney, is because I want to do a review show similar to Tony, Charlie and Dave, but about Florida theme parks. I want to be the East Coast equivalent to their West Coast-based videos. Besides, the title of "Florida theme park reviewer" has been up for grabs ever since Dave moved back to California lol.

 

[MANEATINGWREATH]

I'll admit: One of the reasons I want to move to Florida, apart from working for Disney, is because I want to do a review show similar to Tony, Charlie and Dave, but about Florida theme parks. I want to be the East Coast equivalent to their West Coast-based videos. Besides, the title of "Florida theme park reviewer" has been up for grabs ever since Dave moved back to California lol.

It's certainly not an easy task lol. What about "Orfando"?

 

[Evilgidgit]

I'll admit: One of the reasons I want to move to Florida, apart from working for Disney, is because I want to do a review show similar to Tony, Charlie and Dave, but about Florida theme parks. I want to be the East Coast equivalent to their West Coast-based videos. Besides, the title of "Florida theme park reviewer" has been up for grabs ever since Dave moved back to California lol.