Twilight_Roxas
Well-Known Member
Cool can’t wait to see what events you planned for the parks.
-
Welcome to the WDWMAGIC.COM Forums!
Please take a look around, and feel free to sign up and join the community.
Mirror Disneyland Resort - I'm Back! 2024 Edition
- Thread starter MANEATINGWREATH
- Start date
Next update coming this week!
Gaaaaaah, what a week. Sorry for the delay in posting an update! Like I said - please give me time with this final draft. I can't pump things out as quickly as I used to!
Today's update is very brief, but still worthwhile. Enjoy!
In the design of Disneyland, everything is a form of storytelling. We, the audience, will physically experience one adventure after the next, seldom as spectators, but almost always as "participants" in the drama. In contrast to a county fair or carnival, Disneyland is a seamless, thematic epic. This perfect blend of yesterday, tomorrow and fantasy is in favor of the wild animals, alien creatures, and storybook castles that are found just beyond its gates.
Walt's love of model trains is often cited as an inspiration to the creation of Disneyland. Once we have shuffled through the ornate turnstiles of the Main Gate, our gaze is set upon the clock tower and gingerbread-trim of Main Street Station. In the foreground - a Mickey Mouse Floral.
Often we hear the echoes of the station master calling out announcements, as an authentic steam locomotive pulls into the station for a Grand-Circle Tour of the Magic Kingdom: The Disneyland Railroad. The romance of early steam travel is captured to the minute detail in this Opening Day attraction, where the many sights and sounds along the rails showcase, among other things, a crumbling temple in ancient jungles, and a settler’s cabin ablaze on the frontier.
Trains are scheduled to arrive every 5 to 10 minutes at most times throughout the day, and travel clockwise around the Park. The five meticulously restored, working narrow-gauge engines are named for American locomotive legends. The sole exception is Ward Kimball, named after the Disney Animator who famously inspired Walt’s love of the rails. The engines are:
Between the Tomorrowland and Main Street stations, a daring view awaits - the Grand Canyon.
The 306-foot-long diorama, which features the art of prolific scenic artist Delmer Yoakum, was described at its 1958 opening as the “longest diorama in the world.” It contains the world’s largest woven canvas, which provides for the rails a stunning re-creation of Arizona’s “Great Abyss.” To the music of Ferde Grofé’s “Grand Canyon Suite,” wildlife examines our train with hesitant curiosity. A thunderstorm brings with it a brilliant light to the promise of a shimmering rainbow, all while a flock of mountain goats looks proudly on.
Set in a misty swamp, our train has traveled back millions of years to a time where dinosaurs ruled the realms of the fantastic Primeval World. Our ancestors never heard the sounds we are about to hear, nor witnessed the sights we are about to see, for this is a world that trembles beneath giant feet.
Opening on July 1, 1966, the Primeval World Diorama uses the Audio-Animatronics dinosaurs that were created for the 1964 - 1965 New York World's Fair, and featured in an attraction called the Ford Magic Skyway. The life-size dinosaurs featured in this diorama were inspired directly by the "Rite of Spring" segment in Fantasia. The Magic Skyway also included cavemen and other Ice Age fauna, but these prehistoric creatures did not make the trip to Disneyland.
From the brick courtyard beneath Main Street Station, we pass through one of two tunnels on either side of the Mickey Floral and beneath the railroad tracks. A bronze plaque above either tunnel read a now famous sentiment:
An iconic trait of the Magic Kingdom, colorful posters line either tunnel beneath the railroad tracks, each interchanging (digitally) to showcase the coming attractions and adventures. Each poster features simple animation; i.e. for The Haunted Mansion, the Hitchhiking Ghosts wave their thumbs whilst bats flutter above and the full moon shimmers.
"For those of us who remember the carefree times it recreates, Main Street will bring back happy memories. For younger visitors, it is turning back the calendar to the days of grandfather's youth."
- Walt Disney
Imagineers realized that a single point of entry would best accommodate their new park. This would serve to acclimate the park guests and allow them a certain innate understanding of the park layout, while also enabling the designers to control the storytelling by creating a manageable sequence of experiences and images.
As the Victorian houses of Los Angeles's Bunker Hill were being razed in the 1950s, Walt dreamed of rebuilding them. The Main Street of Disneyland yields to that of a Victorian residential district, circa 1890 - 1910. Imagineer Harper Goff's youth in Fort Collins, Colorado was also significant in the development of Main Street, U.S.A. Town Square, where we first enter Disneyland, is akin to stepping back in time to a vibrant community gathering place of small town America at the turn-of-the-century.
"We have dedicated this happy place to the ideals, the dreams, and the hard facts that have created America. This dedication is engraved in a plaque at the foot of the flagpole in the Disneyland Town Square. Suddenly, as we come into the square, the cares and worries of today are left behind, and we find ourselves in a little town in the year 1900. On one hand is the City Hall, and on the other is a Fire Station. The marching band appears in full regalia. We see the emporium, the popcorn man, the old music store, and all the many shops. But let's take the horse-drawn streetcar and ride down Main Street."
- Walt Disney
It was a short update, but it will do for now! Stay tuned til Sunday!
Today's update is very brief, but still worthwhile. Enjoy!
***
Disneyland Park
“I love the nostalgic myself. I hope we never lose some of the things of the past.”
- Walt Disney
Disneyland Park
“I love the nostalgic myself. I hope we never lose some of the things of the past.”
- Walt Disney
In the design of Disneyland, everything is a form of storytelling. We, the audience, will physically experience one adventure after the next, seldom as spectators, but almost always as "participants" in the drama. In contrast to a county fair or carnival, Disneyland is a seamless, thematic epic. This perfect blend of yesterday, tomorrow and fantasy is in favor of the wild animals, alien creatures, and storybook castles that are found just beyond its gates.
Main Street, U.S.A.
“Many of us fondly remember our small hometown and its friendly way of life at the turn of the century. To me, this era represents an important part of our nation’s heritage. On Main Street we have endeavored to recapture those by-gone days.”
- Walt Disney
“Many of us fondly remember our small hometown and its friendly way of life at the turn of the century. To me, this era represents an important part of our nation’s heritage. On Main Street we have endeavored to recapture those by-gone days.”
- Walt Disney
Walt's love of model trains is often cited as an inspiration to the creation of Disneyland. Once we have shuffled through the ornate turnstiles of the Main Gate, our gaze is set upon the clock tower and gingerbread-trim of Main Street Station. In the foreground - a Mickey Mouse Floral.
“Your attention, please - The Disneyland Limited, now arriving from a trip around Walt Disney’s Magic Kingdom. Passengers will stand by to board.”
Often we hear the echoes of the station master calling out announcements, as an authentic steam locomotive pulls into the station for a Grand-Circle Tour of the Magic Kingdom: The Disneyland Railroad. The romance of early steam travel is captured to the minute detail in this Opening Day attraction, where the many sights and sounds along the rails showcase, among other things, a crumbling temple in ancient jungles, and a settler’s cabin ablaze on the frontier.
“Your attention, please - The Disneyland Limited, now leaving for a Grand-Circle Tour of the Magic Kingdom, with stops at Main Street Station, New Orleans Square, Fantasyland, and Tomorrowland. All passengers - BOARD!”
Trains are scheduled to arrive every 5 to 10 minutes at most times throughout the day, and travel clockwise around the Park. The five meticulously restored, working narrow-gauge engines are named for American locomotive legends. The sole exception is Ward Kimball, named after the Disney Animator who famously inspired Walt’s love of the rails. The engines are:
- C.K. Holliday
- E.P. Ripley
- Ernest Marsh
- Fred Gurley
- Ward Kimball
Between the Tomorrowland and Main Street stations, a daring view awaits - the Grand Canyon.
“But, it wasn’t always that way…”
Set in a misty swamp, our train has traveled back millions of years to a time where dinosaurs ruled the realms of the fantastic Primeval World. Our ancestors never heard the sounds we are about to hear, nor witnessed the sights we are about to see, for this is a world that trembles beneath giant feet.
Opening on July 1, 1966, the Primeval World Diorama uses the Audio-Animatronics dinosaurs that were created for the 1964 - 1965 New York World's Fair, and featured in an attraction called the Ford Magic Skyway. The life-size dinosaurs featured in this diorama were inspired directly by the "Rite of Spring" segment in Fantasia. The Magic Skyway also included cavemen and other Ice Age fauna, but these prehistoric creatures did not make the trip to Disneyland.
From the brick courtyard beneath Main Street Station, we pass through one of two tunnels on either side of the Mickey Floral and beneath the railroad tracks. A bronze plaque above either tunnel read a now famous sentiment:
“HERE YOU LEAVE TODAY
AND ENTER THE WORLD
OF YESTERDAY, TOMORROW
AND FANTASY”
AND ENTER THE WORLD
OF YESTERDAY, TOMORROW
AND FANTASY”
An iconic trait of the Magic Kingdom, colorful posters line either tunnel beneath the railroad tracks, each interchanging (digitally) to showcase the coming attractions and adventures. Each poster features simple animation; i.e. for The Haunted Mansion, the Hitchhiking Ghosts wave their thumbs whilst bats flutter above and the full moon shimmers.
"For those of us who remember the carefree times it recreates, Main Street will bring back happy memories. For younger visitors, it is turning back the calendar to the days of grandfather's youth."
- Walt Disney
Imagineers realized that a single point of entry would best accommodate their new park. This would serve to acclimate the park guests and allow them a certain innate understanding of the park layout, while also enabling the designers to control the storytelling by creating a manageable sequence of experiences and images.
As the Victorian houses of Los Angeles's Bunker Hill were being razed in the 1950s, Walt dreamed of rebuilding them. The Main Street of Disneyland yields to that of a Victorian residential district, circa 1890 - 1910. Imagineer Harper Goff's youth in Fort Collins, Colorado was also significant in the development of Main Street, U.S.A. Town Square, where we first enter Disneyland, is akin to stepping back in time to a vibrant community gathering place of small town America at the turn-of-the-century.
"We have dedicated this happy place to the ideals, the dreams, and the hard facts that have created America. This dedication is engraved in a plaque at the foot of the flagpole in the Disneyland Town Square. Suddenly, as we come into the square, the cares and worries of today are left behind, and we find ourselves in a little town in the year 1900. On one hand is the City Hall, and on the other is a Fire Station. The marching band appears in full regalia. We see the emporium, the popcorn man, the old music store, and all the many shops. But let's take the horse-drawn streetcar and ride down Main Street."
- Walt Disney
***
It was a short update, but it will do for now! Stay tuned til Sunday!
Twilight_Roxas
Well-Known Member
I just had a thought is your Mirror Disneyland going to keep Snow White’s Scary Adventure or replace with Snow White’s Enchanted Wish?
I really, really like Enchanted Wish. Because Mirror Disneyland has more real estate, my thought process is I'll have Enchanted Wish, but a longer version that includes some additional scary elements (like the haunted forest).
***
In Town Square, we can board an old-fashioned Fire Engine, Horseless Carriage, Omnibus, or Horse-Drawn Streetcar, for a one-way trip to the center of Disneyland via Main Street, U.S.A. To choose a mode of transportation, each of the Main Street Vehicles has a designated stopping zone marked by a decorative sign. City Hall is the home of Guest Relations. Friendly cast members are always on hand to answer questions, provide touring tips, make reservations and assist visitors with special needs. The second floor of the adjoint Fire Stationwas once the onsite apartment of Walt Disney, and its interior furnishings have been preserved just as he left them five decades ago. The furnishings within Walt's apartment include Victorian antiques that he and Mrs. Disney collected over the years.
In Town Square, we can board an old-fashioned Fire Engine, Horseless Carriage, Omnibus, or Horse-Drawn Streetcar, for a one-way trip to the center of Disneyland via Main Street, U.S.A. To choose a mode of transportation, each of the Main Street Vehicles has a designated stopping zone marked by a decorative sign. City Hall is the home of Guest Relations. Friendly cast members are always on hand to answer questions, provide touring tips, make reservations and assist visitors with special needs. The second floor of the adjoint Fire Stationwas once the onsite apartment of Walt Disney, and its interior furnishings have been preserved just as he left them five decades ago. The furnishings within Walt's apartment include Victorian antiques that he and Mrs. Disney collected over the years.
A long standing tradition of Disneyland is a performance by a firehouse Dixieland band. The Hook 'n' Ladder Co. is no exception to this familiar joy of the Magic Kingdom. The world-famous Dapper Dans often perform in Town Square to welcome us as we enter the park. Their four-part harmonic repertoire includes barbershop ballads, as well as many memorable tunes from the Disney canon. To maintain the industry standard in customer service, the Disneyland Lost & Found and Locker Facility can also be found in Town Square, a beacon for Disney's excellence in customer service.
Disneyland's ten-year anniversary was celebrated with the dedication of one of Walt Disney’s most momentous and dramatic accomplishments: Great Moments with Mr. Lincoln. Previewed at the 1964 - '65 New York World's Fair, this stirring production was brought to Disneyland on July 18, 1965, where it has ever since fascinated and inspired audiences the world over.
It is well documented that no other historical figure had inspired Walt Disney more than Abraham Lincoln. It had long been his desire to immortalize Lincoln’s words and life, and the State of Illinois Pavilion at the World’s Fair provided for Walt a canvas onto which his Lincoln tribute would be born. Imagineers were challenged for the first time to create a human performer - an Audio-Animatronics figure to simulate human movement realistically, while also preserving the delicate dignity of a "Presidential" presentation. The result was so life-like that National Geographic magazine called the figure “alarming” in its realism.
Veteran Disney actor Paul Frees narrates, while actor Royal Dano voices the immortal Lincoln in this moving tribute to our 16th President, which at opening featured the world's first Audio-Animatronics human figure - though today, next-generation technology has allowed for Lincoln more emotion and vitality than before. The conclusion of this patriotic presentation at the Main Street Opera House exits not only into Main Street, but also into neighboring Liberty Street, a monument to the freedoms and dreams that made it all possible: Colonial America. Liberty Street is the Boston of Johnny Tremain, circa 1775. But we'll visit our founding fathers later in our visit…
A Disneyland tradition since 1955 is the Flag Retreat Ceremony held every evening, just before sundown, at the base of the Town Square flagpole. The moving yet understated ceremony serves as a reminder to us all that Walt Disney himself wanted Disneyland to honor the ideals, the dreams and the hard facts that have created America. A War Memorial stands in Town Square as tribute to the brave men and women who have served in America's Armed Forces, though the soldier depicted is that of a Union lieutenant in the Civil War.
A band concert in the park was a common civic diversion of small town American life at the turn-of-the-century. The Disneyland Band hearkens back to that time with their daily concerts in Town Square. The iconic program includes energetic musicians, synchronized marches, popular songs of the early twentieth century, and beloved songs from the world of Disney.
The ground floor buildings of Main Street are built on a 9/10 scale, with the second and third stories built progressively smaller; forced perspective at work. Throughout, the air is filled with song. The Background Music (BGM) is a collection of popular songs authentic to the gaslight era, as well as many recognizable show tunes from the Broadway stage and motion-picture screen. Like the credits in a movie, the windows on Main Street are named to honor those who have contributed to the development of Disneyland. Though some windows reference shops typical to what one would have encountered in the 1890s - "Open wide! This won't hurt a bit," we hear from the D.D.S. inside the so-called "Painless Dentist." Nearby “Hotel Marceline” has the sound of a running shower and a shave. The name given to this hotel is derived from Walt's own hometown of Marceline, Missouri, often said to be the inspiration behind Main Street, U.S.A.
The two-story Main Street Emporium is the largest shop in the park, a testament to the grandeur and nostalgia of a real-life Victorian department store. Wooden escalators, crystal chandeliers, and sweeping rotundas set our stage before a number of goods and services - colorful souvenirs, bright clothing, and tantalizing toys. Per tradition, storefront window vignettes portray scenes of the Disney Canon: Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs, Pinocchio, Fantasia, and The Jungle Book.
Late into the night, an organist provides a live concert on his Wurlitzer organ, a haunting musical backdrop for the romantic evening hours spent on Main Street. The organist is an unofficial "proprietor" for the Wurlitzer Music Hall, where millions have been treated to live music, whether it be by electric organ, concert grand, or antique player piano. Instruments of all variety and origin are for sale, along with the world's largest library of Disney sheet music. The popular "Disneyland Forever'' kiosks allow for us to instantly download or create personalized playlists with selections chosen from a library of rare Disneyland audio recordings. The Great American Egg House benefits from the entertainment of its musical neighbor, where the breakfast offerings remain much the same as they were in 1955, as does the restaurant's view of the quaint, early morning activity around and about Town Square.
Much of Main Street, U.S.A. has remained untouched since at least 1957. While select shops have come and gone, much of Main Street has remained the same with Walt's original vision. Here we experience the simple pleasures of small town American life as it were a century or more ago, enjoying the sights and sounds of a bygone era. America was growing fast. Towns and villages were now cities. Soon the gaslight was replaced by electricity. At this time, little Main Street was still the most important spot in the nation, combining the color and adventure of frontier days with the excitement of the new twentieth century.
The Magic Shop has been a Disneyland staple for decades, and is even where comedian Steve Martin began his career. Sandwiched between the magic shop and Main Street Cinema is Great American Pastimes, a small shop once known as the Main Street Tobacconist; a cigar store Indian still positioned out front. The current store specializes in vintage sports memorabilia and merchandise. The distinctive sound of early 1900s cinema can be heard in all its ragtime glory from inside the Main Street Cinema. The films shown here are an assortment of live-action short and feature-length subjects of the silent era, as well as classic Mickey Mouse shorts, including the one that made him a star: Steamboat Willie. Oddly enough, the old movie house is haunted by its very own phantom, Lon Chaney's titular role in The Phantom of the Opera (1925), the only Universal character to appear outside the gates of Disney-Universal Studios. This bizarre trademark from 1955 oddly continues into the present, a macabre gag for the ages. The eerie phantom lurks around the lobby and slithers into the viewing room to frighten unsuspecting guests, though all in good fun.
"The old Market House filled with penny candy and fat, juicy pickles right out of the barrel," wrote Martin A. Sklar in 1969, brought guests "the personal adventure of examining, shopping, and inhaling the nectar of nostalgia." The pot-bellied stove and woodsy warmth remain in the old Market House today, a warm blend of nostalgic general store and modern Starbucks Coffee. A deli counter and selection of meats and cheeses are on one end of the store, while on the other, the familiar setup of a Starbucks - had Starbucks been built in 1900. Mounted on the walls of the Market House are several old-fashioned telephones. Lifting the receiver to our ear, we might hear a comical party line conversation authentic to the 1890s.
Center Street runs perpendicular with Main Street. East Center Street has perhaps the most beautiful sight in Disneyland - the Main Street Flower Mart. There isn't a wilted petal in sight - the flowers are always fresh - as they are all made of plastic. East Center Street conveniently travels into neighboring Liberty Street.
An early sponsor of Disneyland was Upjohn Pharmaceuticals. The original contract included a shop and exhibition to replicate an early 20th century apothecary, complete with a mock pharmacy counter displaying antique medicine bottles. Guests could buy pain relievers, vitamins, and jars filled with "Pixie Dust." Today, Walgreen's has taken over. Walgreen's Apothecary retains what made the original Upjohn Pharmacy unique, including the faux countertop and antique medicine bottles. Like its predecessor, the old apothecary continues to sell over-the-counter pain relievers, vitamins, cold medicine, cough drops, and the aforementioned jars of "Pixie Dust," not to mention convenient snacks, candies and toiletries. The original Candle Shop also remains intact. The scent of candle-wax and vanished flame fills the air; candles of every shape, size and color line the shelves and counters.
Walt Disney was passionate about the value of books, and a Book Store was a component of Main Street from its earliest designs.
"There is more treasure in books than in all the pirates' loot on Treasure Island."
- Walt Disney
- Walt Disney
This is your friendly neighborhood bookstore of yesteryear. The reading selection includes bestsellers, classics, magazines - and perhaps the world's finest assortment of Disney-related books anywhere: Disneyland travel guides, books about Imagineering, history books, Walt Disney biographies, Japanese manga, behind-the-scenes documents, photo books, and books for children and adults about Disney films. Familiar dolls known this “small world” over mark the entrance to Davis, Crump, Gibson & Blair - Toymakers to the World.
Disneyland shares a long history with citrus fruit. Since 1960, the Sunkist Citrus House has offered 100% fresh-squeezed Sunkist orange juice and ice cold pink and yellow lemonade, not forgetting coffee, dessert rolls, lemon tarts, cheesecake, and the famous Sunkist frozen juice bar.
At the northwestern end of Main Street is an old-time soda fountain and hot dog joint, known today as Coke Corner. Musical entertainment is provided by a ragtime pianist, often joined by the Dapper Dans. Enjoy crowd-pleasing American classics like specialty hot dogs, sourdough chili bowls, soft pretzels, desserts and fountain drinks. After Coke Corner's original pianist, Rod Miller retired in 2006, a new tradition began with Robert Glen ("Ragtime Robert").
Halfway down Main Street, on the corner of East Center Street, is the famous Hallmark Store, formerly the "Hallmark Communication Center." Founded in 1910 by Joyce Hall, Hallmark is the oldest and largest manufacturer of greeting cards in the United States. Main Street's own Hallmark Store delves in the sale of greeting cards, picture postcards, toys, gift wrap, candies, and Hallmark Keepsake Ornaments, a holiday staple. Disney Clothiers Ltd. is one of the most popular shops in Disneyland, specializing in all manner of Disney clothing. One of the most unique souvenirs in Disneyland can be found at the Silhouette Studio, where talented silhouette artists cut out accurate likenesses suitable for personalized framing. A virtual wonderland of china porcelain and priceless bric-a-brac, Crystal Arts and the adjoint China Closet are more a unique attraction than gift shop. Here talented craftsmen create hand-blown crystal souvenirs in full display of passers-by. Items of all kinds are available, including glass miniatures and towering crystal castles. Exclusive Disney statuettes by Jim Shore, Lladro, Hummel, Precious Moments and Swarovski are also for sale, right alongside the many snow globes, ornaments and music boxes also on display.
Crystal Arts and the China Closet are found inside the old - but short-lived - Wizard of Bras shop, Disneyland's one and only intimate apparel store. It once showcased the history of women's underwear on a rotating display. Walt's own misgivings about the exhibit led to its premature removal.
Nikon has been an official sponsor of Disneyland since 2013. Nikon Photo Supply sits in a rather carefree corner near the end of Main Street, right next to the Baby Care Center and First Aid location - not forgetting the "exit" (or entrance) of Liberty Street nearby. The camera store offers hour long film development, cameras for rent, and on-site photo experts. Patrons can also pose for a souvenir portrait in early 20th century costumes in the attached photo parlor.
***
Credit to @DisneyManOne for the Toymakers to the World store!
Most likely another update coming on Thursday! Stay tuned.
Delayed update this week (obviously, because Thursday is way behind us). I'll try to get it out by no later than Tuesday!
Sorry, guys, short update today - PART ONE OF CENTRAL PLAZA.
In the next update, I will finish out Central Plaza and try to get most of, if not all of Liberty Street out at the same time. It's been an exhausting couple of weeks for me and I don't want to push myself to insanity with being a perfectionist on this.
As always, thoughts and feedback are so kindly appreciated. I know my loyal readers are probably pretty tired of reading through something very similar to the previous two drafts, but I promise the changes are there and that this is the quintessential version of Mirror Disneyland!
The Central Plaza celebrates the wonders of nature and the joys of the imagination, offering to visitors an absolute escape from the everyday world. This is the "Hub" of the Magic Kingdom. At the end of Main Street, fanning out like the spokes in a wheel, are the other “lands” - easy to find, easy to enter, each a complete and different thematic destination: Main Street, U.S.A., Liberty Street, Frontierland, Adventureland, Fantasyland, Tomorrowland, New Orleans Square, and Folktale Forest*.
*New Orleans Square and Folktale Forest are not accessible from the Central Plaza. Instead, guests must travel through a respective "neighbor" to reach them.
Popular songs of the Disney canon provide an orchestral backdrop to the color and excitement of the Central Plaza. With no shortage in benches, tables or shaded trees, the Hub is an ideal place to relax and take in the scenery. The storied "Partners” statue was built in tribute to Walt and his most treasured creation: Mickey Mouse. Walt and Mickey, hand-in-hand, look down Main Street from the center of the plaza, with a plaque at its base reading:
The Central Plaza is an off-shoot to turn-of-the-century Main Street. Several musical groups associated with Main Street often perform in the Plaza, including the Dapper Dans, Disneyland Band and Keystone Cops saxophone quartet, with the Dapper Dans often riding past on their four-seat bicycle. The Plaza Popcorn Wagon is one of countless colorful snack wagons found throughout the Park. In the case of Disneyland’s popcorn wagons, each has its own unique flavor of popcorn and a “Roastie Toastie” on hand, aka the tiny character cranking the tumbler full of freshly popped corn above the cashier. Each Roastie Toastie reflects the theme of their land. Flavors of popcorn include Butter and White Cheddar (Main Street), Garlic Parmesan, Lemon Pepper and Barbecue (Frontierland), Cheddar Bacon and Gumbo (New Orleans Square), Caramel, Cinnamon and Honey (Fantasyland), and Ghost Pepper and Curry (Adventureland). And that’s not to discount the many churro, turkey leg, ice cream, and cotton candy carts also found throughout Disneyland.
In 2012, the former Plaza Pavilion became the Victorian gabled structure we now recognize as the Jolly Holiday Bakery Café. The winds have changed and brought with them an enchanted array of sandwiches, including cold roast beef and bleu cheese on a crispy French baguette, or a toasted ham & Swiss cheese sandwich with apple chutney. Chicken noodle soup and tomato bisque with grilled cheese top the gourmet offerings, with seasonal pastries and blended coffee drinks for dessert. The decor speaks of Number Seventeen Cherry Tree Lane, carousel horses, kites, and all. Next we drop "inn" at the elegant Plaza Inn, one of Disneyland's most luxuriant restaurants. All appointments are authentic mementos of the gay and glamorous '90s - including the stained glass ceilings, entry hall and foyer, as taken from the historic St. James home in Los Angeles. The menu brings to us “memories” of good eats - steaks and chops, salads and soups, fish and crustacean. Luxury aside, the Plaza Inn retains its roots - an "all-you-care-to-enjoy" buffet. Out front, the Little Red Wagon Corn Dog Cart has had its horse-drawn delivery wagon parked near the Plaza Inn for years, where its friendly driver sells Main Street’s world-famous corn dogs.
A traditional cavalcade of favorite Disney friends, Fantasy on Parade shares in the same unbridled enchantment and vivid pageantry of the 1966 original, ever evolving and always changing to suit the spectators of today, tomorrow and yesterday. The parade winds its way from Fantasyland through to Main Street with the expected array of glorious, state-of-the-art floats and marching bands, costumed performers on colorful stilts, pendulums and swings, knights on horses - and even a steampunk and mechanical fire-breathing dragon. The current version of the parade runs from January through August, only unavailable for the Halloween and Christmas seasons, as well as for the occasional minor refurbishment, special event, or anniversary parade.
“Ladies and gentlemen, boys and girls,” the Voice of Disneyland echoes. “In just a few minutes, the lights will be dimmed so that you may fully experience a cherished and beloved pageant beyond the boundaries of imagination: The Main Street Electrical Parade. This sparkling fantasy recreates scenes from many of Walt Disney’s most memorable film classics in over half a million colorful, twinkling lights. We hope you’ll enjoy the unusual, electrifying magic and exciting fantasy of the Main Street Electrical Parade.”
One of the most unusual and beautiful pageants to ever glitter its way down Main Street made its debut in 1972: the Main Street Electrical Parade. The Electrical Parade has dazzled spectators with its half-a-million tiny, twinkling lights for nearly 50 years, all with scenes in depiction of fanciful scenes from Walt Disney's film classics - though this has since expanded to welcome scenes and characters from the modern film canon.
It required nearly 100 artists and craftsmen to create the sparkling, battery-powered parade floats, some measuring up to 14-feet high and 75-feet long. The Main Street Electrical Parade would, by popular demand, become bigger and brighter every year since its debut, and will celebrate its 50th consecutive anniversary in 2022 - it never left, and probably never will.
Ever since Benny Goodman first performed at Disneyland in 1961, the Magic Kingdom has played host to a variety of Big Bands. The Elliot Brothers, Lionel Hampton, Charlie Barnet, Gene Krupa and Les Brown are among those who have performed at Disneyland, along with other "greats" of the Swing era, including Harry James, Count Basie, and Duke Ellington. Carnation Plaza Gardens opened August 18, 1956. The colorful dance pavilion and bandstand hosted these same legends and icons of the Swing and Big Band era. Since 1958, Carnation Plaza has had music and dancing on summer evenings, seven nights a week. But, on April 30, 2012, the historic dance floor and stage closed. Work began to transform the original pavilion into Fantasy Faire, a natural extension of neighboring Fantasyland, which opened to the public on March 12, 2013.
In the next update, I will finish out Central Plaza and try to get most of, if not all of Liberty Street out at the same time. It's been an exhausting couple of weeks for me and I don't want to push myself to insanity with being a perfectionist on this.
As always, thoughts and feedback are so kindly appreciated. I know my loyal readers are probably pretty tired of reading through something very similar to the previous two drafts, but I promise the changes are there and that this is the quintessential version of Mirror Disneyland!
***
The Central Plaza
"Just whistle while you work
Put on that grin and start right in to whistle loud and long
Just hum a merry tune
Just do your best and take a rest and sing yourself a song
When there's too much to do
Don't let it bother you, forget your troubles,
Try to be just like a cheerful chick-a-dee"
The Central Plaza
"Just whistle while you work
Put on that grin and start right in to whistle loud and long
Just hum a merry tune
Just do your best and take a rest and sing yourself a song
When there's too much to do
Don't let it bother you, forget your troubles,
Try to be just like a cheerful chick-a-dee"
The Central Plaza celebrates the wonders of nature and the joys of the imagination, offering to visitors an absolute escape from the everyday world. This is the "Hub" of the Magic Kingdom. At the end of Main Street, fanning out like the spokes in a wheel, are the other “lands” - easy to find, easy to enter, each a complete and different thematic destination: Main Street, U.S.A., Liberty Street, Frontierland, Adventureland, Fantasyland, Tomorrowland, New Orleans Square, and Folktale Forest*.
*New Orleans Square and Folktale Forest are not accessible from the Central Plaza. Instead, guests must travel through a respective "neighbor" to reach them.
Popular songs of the Disney canon provide an orchestral backdrop to the color and excitement of the Central Plaza. With no shortage in benches, tables or shaded trees, the Hub is an ideal place to relax and take in the scenery. The storied "Partners” statue was built in tribute to Walt and his most treasured creation: Mickey Mouse. Walt and Mickey, hand-in-hand, look down Main Street from the center of the plaza, with a plaque at its base reading:
“I think what I want Disneyland to be most of all is a happy place - a place where adults and children can experience together some of the wonders of life, of adventure, and feel better because of it.”
- Walt Disney
- Walt Disney
The Central Plaza is an off-shoot to turn-of-the-century Main Street. Several musical groups associated with Main Street often perform in the Plaza, including the Dapper Dans, Disneyland Band and Keystone Cops saxophone quartet, with the Dapper Dans often riding past on their four-seat bicycle. The Plaza Popcorn Wagon is one of countless colorful snack wagons found throughout the Park. In the case of Disneyland’s popcorn wagons, each has its own unique flavor of popcorn and a “Roastie Toastie” on hand, aka the tiny character cranking the tumbler full of freshly popped corn above the cashier. Each Roastie Toastie reflects the theme of their land. Flavors of popcorn include Butter and White Cheddar (Main Street), Garlic Parmesan, Lemon Pepper and Barbecue (Frontierland), Cheddar Bacon and Gumbo (New Orleans Square), Caramel, Cinnamon and Honey (Fantasyland), and Ghost Pepper and Curry (Adventureland). And that’s not to discount the many churro, turkey leg, ice cream, and cotton candy carts also found throughout Disneyland.
In 2012, the former Plaza Pavilion became the Victorian gabled structure we now recognize as the Jolly Holiday Bakery Café. The winds have changed and brought with them an enchanted array of sandwiches, including cold roast beef and bleu cheese on a crispy French baguette, or a toasted ham & Swiss cheese sandwich with apple chutney. Chicken noodle soup and tomato bisque with grilled cheese top the gourmet offerings, with seasonal pastries and blended coffee drinks for dessert. The decor speaks of Number Seventeen Cherry Tree Lane, carousel horses, kites, and all. Next we drop "inn" at the elegant Plaza Inn, one of Disneyland's most luxuriant restaurants. All appointments are authentic mementos of the gay and glamorous '90s - including the stained glass ceilings, entry hall and foyer, as taken from the historic St. James home in Los Angeles. The menu brings to us “memories” of good eats - steaks and chops, salads and soups, fish and crustacean. Luxury aside, the Plaza Inn retains its roots - an "all-you-care-to-enjoy" buffet. Out front, the Little Red Wagon Corn Dog Cart has had its horse-drawn delivery wagon parked near the Plaza Inn for years, where its friendly driver sells Main Street’s world-famous corn dogs.
Fantasy on Parade first debuted on December 18, 1966, a mere three days following the tragic death of Walt Disney. Since its debut, Fantasy on Parade has grown from that of an event once exclusive to the holiday season to that of an ongoing - and long running- parade, one in which has seen more updates, more performances, and more Disney magic than perhaps any other parade in history…
A traditional cavalcade of favorite Disney friends, Fantasy on Parade shares in the same unbridled enchantment and vivid pageantry of the 1966 original, ever evolving and always changing to suit the spectators of today, tomorrow and yesterday. The parade winds its way from Fantasyland through to Main Street with the expected array of glorious, state-of-the-art floats and marching bands, costumed performers on colorful stilts, pendulums and swings, knights on horses - and even a steampunk and mechanical fire-breathing dragon. The current version of the parade runs from January through August, only unavailable for the Halloween and Christmas seasons, as well as for the occasional minor refurbishment, special event, or anniversary parade.
“Ladies and gentlemen, boys and girls,” the Voice of Disneyland echoes. “In just a few minutes, the lights will be dimmed so that you may fully experience a cherished and beloved pageant beyond the boundaries of imagination: The Main Street Electrical Parade. This sparkling fantasy recreates scenes from many of Walt Disney’s most memorable film classics in over half a million colorful, twinkling lights. We hope you’ll enjoy the unusual, electrifying magic and exciting fantasy of the Main Street Electrical Parade.”
"Ladies and gentlemen, boys and girls... Disneyland proudly presents our spectacular festival pageant of nighttime magic and imagination in thousands of sparkling lights and electro-syntho-magnetic musical sounds - the Main Street Electrical Parade!"
One of the most unusual and beautiful pageants to ever glitter its way down Main Street made its debut in 1972: the Main Street Electrical Parade. The Electrical Parade has dazzled spectators with its half-a-million tiny, twinkling lights for nearly 50 years, all with scenes in depiction of fanciful scenes from Walt Disney's film classics - though this has since expanded to welcome scenes and characters from the modern film canon.
It required nearly 100 artists and craftsmen to create the sparkling, battery-powered parade floats, some measuring up to 14-feet high and 75-feet long. The Main Street Electrical Parade would, by popular demand, become bigger and brighter every year since its debut, and will celebrate its 50th consecutive anniversary in 2022 - it never left, and probably never will.
Ever since Benny Goodman first performed at Disneyland in 1961, the Magic Kingdom has played host to a variety of Big Bands. The Elliot Brothers, Lionel Hampton, Charlie Barnet, Gene Krupa and Les Brown are among those who have performed at Disneyland, along with other "greats" of the Swing era, including Harry James, Count Basie, and Duke Ellington. Carnation Plaza Gardens opened August 18, 1956. The colorful dance pavilion and bandstand hosted these same legends and icons of the Swing and Big Band era. Since 1958, Carnation Plaza has had music and dancing on summer evenings, seven nights a week. But, on April 30, 2012, the historic dance floor and stage closed. Work began to transform the original pavilion into Fantasy Faire, a natural extension of neighboring Fantasyland, which opened to the public on March 12, 2013.
***
Next time we'll pick right back up with Fantasy Faire and the rest of the Central Plaza! Stay tuned.
DisneyManOne
Well-Known Member
You know, I was actually thinking about something a few days ago. With Star Wars: Galaxy's Edge appearing at Disney-Universal Studios, I was actually wondering: Have you ever considered putting Tony Baxter's legendary Discovery Bay in this new Mirror Disneyland? I know this would technically be at odds with the Tomorrowland/Discoveryland hybrid that is your Mirror Tomorrowland, but it is something to think about.
DisneyFan32
Well-Known Member
- In the Parks
- Yes
And Roger Rabbit's Toontown in Disney-Universal Studios as you can have other cartoon studios IPs such Warner Bros., MGM, Paramount, Hanna-Barbera, etc part of Roger Rabbit's Toontown.
I do have plans for the property that belongs to Galaxy's Edge/Discovery Bay. Discovery Bay ends up as a really neat water park in Mirror Disneyland; I briefly hinted at it in the acreage overview of the resort.
You can count on that!
Thank you for your patience, everyone! It is in this post that you will begin to see the changes made from the previous Mirror Disneyland. I'm going to go ahead and repost the previous Central Plaza post with this one so the flow is more consistent.
The Central Plaza celebrates the wonders of nature and the joys of the imagination, offering to visitors an absolute escape from the everyday world. This is the "Hub" of the Magic Kingdom. At the end of Main Street, fanning out like the spokes in a wheel, are the other “lands” - easy to find, easy to enter, each a complete and different thematic destination: Main Street, U.S.A., Liberty Street, Frontierland, Adventureland, Fantasyland, Tomorrowland, New Orleans Square, and Folktale Forest*.
*New Orleans Square and Folktale Forest are not accessible from the Central Plaza. Instead, guests must travel through a respective "neighbor" to reach them.
Popular songs of the Disney canon provide an orchestral backdrop to the color and excitement of the Central Plaza. With no shortage in benches, tables or shaded trees, the Hub is an ideal place to relax and take in the scenery. The storied "Partners” statue was built in tribute to Walt and his most treasured creation: Mickey Mouse. Walt and Mickey, hand-in-hand, look down Main Street from the center of the plaza, with a plaque at its base reading:
The Central Plaza is an off-shoot to turn-of-the-century Main Street. Several musical groups associated with Main Street often perform in the Plaza, including the Dapper Dans, Disneyland Band and Keystone Cops saxophone quartet, with the Dapper Dans often riding past on their four-seat bicycle. The Plaza Popcorn Wagon is one of countless colorful snack wagons found throughout the Park. In the case of Disneyland’s popcorn wagons, each has its own unique flavor of popcorn and a “Roastie Toastie” on hand, aka the tiny character cranking the tumbler full of freshly popped corn above the cashier. Each Roastie Toastie reflects the theme of their land. Flavors of popcorn include Butter and White Cheddar (Main Street), Garlic Parmesan, Lemon Pepper and Barbecue (Frontierland), Cheddar Bacon and Gumbo (New Orleans Square), Caramel, Cinnamon and Honey (Fantasyland), and Ghost Pepper and Curry (Adventureland). And that’s not to discount the many churro, turkey leg, ice cream, and cotton candy carts also found throughout Disneyland.
In 2012, the former Plaza Pavilion became the Victorian gabled structure we now recognize as the Jolly Holiday Bakery Café. The winds have changed and brought with them an enchanted array of sandwiches, including cold roast beef and bleu cheese on a crispy French baguette, or a toasted ham & Swiss cheese sandwich with apple chutney. Chicken noodle soup and tomato bisque with grilled cheese top the gourmet offerings, with seasonal pastries and blended coffee drinks for dessert. The decor speaks of Number Seventeen Cherry Tree Lane, carousel horses, kites, and all. Next we drop "inn" at the elegant Plaza Inn, one of Disneyland's most luxuriant restaurants. All appointments are authentic mementos of the gay and glamorous '90s - including the stained glass ceilings, entry hall and foyer, as taken from the historic St. James home in Los Angeles. The menu brings to us “memories” of good eats - steaks and chops, salads and soups, fish and crustacean. Luxury aside, the Plaza Inn retains its roots - an "all-you-care-to-enjoy" buffet. Out front, the Little Red Wagon Corn Dog Cart has had its horse-drawn delivery wagon parked near the Plaza Inn for years, where its friendly driver sells Main Street’s world-famous corn dogs.
A traditional cavalcade of favorite Disney friends, Fantasy on Parade shares in the same unbridled enchantment and vivid pageantry of the 1966 original, ever evolving and always changing to suit the spectators of today, tomorrow and yesterday. The parade winds its way from Fantasyland through to Main Street with the expected array of glorious, state-of-the-art floats and marching bands, costumed performers on colorful stilts, pendulums and swings, knights on horses - and even a steampunk and mechanical fire-breathing dragon. The current version of the parade runs from January through August, only unavailable for the Halloween and Christmas seasons, as well as for the occasional minor refurbishment, special event, or anniversary parade.
“Ladies and gentlemen, boys and girls,” the Voice of Disneyland echoes. “In just a few minutes, the lights will be dimmed so that you may fully experience a cherished and beloved pageant beyond the boundaries of imagination: The Main Street Electrical Parade. This sparkling fantasy recreates scenes from many of Walt Disney’s most memorable film classics in over half a million colorful, twinkling lights. We hope you’ll enjoy the unusual, electrifying magic and exciting fantasy of the Main Street Electrical Parade.”
One of the most unusual and beautiful pageants to ever glitter its way down Main Street made its debut in 1972: the Main Street Electrical Parade. The Electrical Parade has dazzled spectators with its half-a-million tiny, twinkling lights for nearly 50 years, all with scenes in depiction of fanciful scenes from Walt Disney's film classics - though this has since expanded to welcome scenes and characters from the modern film canon.
It required nearly 100 artists and craftsmen to create the sparkling, battery-powered parade floats, some measuring up to 14-feet high and 75-feet long. The Main Street Electrical Parade would, by popular demand, become bigger and brighter every year since its debut, and will celebrate its 50th consecutive anniversary in 2022 - it never left, and probably never will.
Ever since Benny Goodman first performed at Disneyland in 1961, the Magic Kingdom has played host to a variety of Big Bands. The Elliot Brothers, Lionel Hampton, Charlie Barnet, Gene Krupa and Les Brown are among those who have performed at Disneyland, along with other "greats" of the Swing era, including Harry James, Count Basie, and Duke Ellington. Carnation Plaza Gardens opened August 18, 1956. The colorful dance pavilion and bandstand hosted these same legends and icons of the Swing and Big Band era. Since 1958, Carnation Plaza has had music and dancing on summer evenings, seven nights a week. But, on April 30, 2012, the historic dance floor and stage closed. Work began to transform the original pavilion into Fantasy Faire, a natural extension of neighboring Fantasyland, which opened to the public on March 12, 2013.
Fantasy Faire, the “newest” corner of Fantasyland and the Central Plaza, has more detail and charm than the previous Carnation Plaza had in its later years. The Royal Theatre is the same old dance pavilion just repurposed, and, as promised in the initial press release, big band and swing dancing have returned with Fantasy Faire and stuck around ever since - though during the day, the Royal Theatre is home to a different form of live entertainment altogether - comical reenactments of Tangled, Frozen, Aladdin, and Beauty and the Beast, as performed by traveling minstrels Mr. Smythe and Mr. Jones. Storytelling at Royal Theatre is a funny and fantastical glimpse into a professional(?) reenactment of the aforementioned tales. The talented thespians Smythe and Jones showcase their own spin on these classic tales, filled with the desired - or undesired - wit, humor, and slapstick as deemed necessary by medieval standards.
Fantasy Faire carries the same charm and detail found in nearby Fantasyland. The architecture is of the Old World; stone and timbered walls, chimney vents, arched windows, and tiled rooftops with steeply pitched gables. Pinocchio’s mischievous cat, Figaro can be seen dozing on a windowsill near a bird in a cage, only to wake when the bird sings. Clopin's Music Box is an oddity, but a treasure all the same. Clopin Trouillefou, king of the gypsies, stars in his own mechanical marvel: a turn-of-the-crank brings a musical "Topsy Turvy" to an animated diorama of Notre-Dame’s “Festival of Fools.” A rickety bulletin board is near-littered with inside jokes and references - wanted posters for a foxy Robin Hood and bear-rific Little John - a live-in housekeeper job listing for the Seven Dwarfs - an advertisement for “Air-Herc” sandals (“New from Greece!”) - a botched wanted poster for Eugene “Flynn” Rider. In the center of the faire, a 16-foot-high stone sculpture pays homage to Rapunzel's Tower. A miniature Rapunzel is seen gazing out her window. After sundown, Rapunzel’s hair, twisting down and around the sculpture, periodically comes to life with a twinkling of lights and music.
The main attraction here is the Royal Hall, where the beloved Disney Princesses gather each day to meet their guests. Between the Royal Hall and Theatre sits Fairy Tale Treasures, a Princess-themed gift and souvenir boutique, with a long corridor attached stretching into the adjoined Frontierland. Belle's father, Maurice from Beauty and the Beast, has invented a makeshift food cart, Maurice's Treats, where the culinary "inventions" include bread-twists in a choice of chocolate, strawberry or cheddar cheese garlic flavors. Maurice also has a signature beverage - the "Boysen Apple Freeze," a tasteful blend of 100% apple juice with boysenberry flavor and foam. It seems fitting that Maurice set his wagon not far from a remnant of his “poor, provincial town”: Gaston’s Tavern.
The manliest of manly places, Gaston’s Tavern serves up such satisfying sweets as “The Grey Stuff” cupcake and warm cinnamon rolls, not to mention hearty turkey legs, pot pies and roasted pork shanks. Of course there are antlers in all of the decorating, and a bronze fountain out front of the dashing Gaston high atop the bumbling LeFou. The real Gaston often hangs around outside, sometimes interacting (to varying results) with Belle as she passes him by.
Long before Fantasy Faire, Carnation Plaza had its own slice of Fantasyland in a darkened corner of trees and hills not far from the dance floor, an area and attraction which remain today as a natural extension of Fantasy Faire. When compared to Cinderella Castle at both Walt Disney World and the then recently opened Tokyo Disneyland, the small size of Disneyland’s Sleeping Beauty Castle lent Imagineer Tony Baxter and his team for 1983’s “New Fantasyland” to expand the story for the original castle in a “dead” area of the Carnation Plaza real estate. A cavernous labyrinth was carved deep “beneath” Sleeping Beauty Castle in late 1981, though several delays would not open the caves to visitors until 1986.
Groups of around 20 to 30 people are ushered into an extended wing of Sleeping Beauty Castle. One of Disneyland’s few “live narrated” attractions, a castle servant will lead us on a tour of seldom seen chambers - the ballroom and art gallery among others, promising us an enchanting experience. We start in the gallery, where portraits of Scrooge McDuck, Pinocchio, Snow White, Merlin, and Taran (The Black Cauldron) hang above an ornate fireplace. Just as we are encouraged to applaud for these Heroes, the Magic Mirror of Snow White interrupts, frustrated that the Villains have again been overlooked in favor of the Heroes. The portraits transform into Magica De Spell, Stromboli, the Evil Queen disguised as the Wicked Witch, Madam Mim, and the Horned King. The Magic Mirror invites us to enter the sealed dungeons hidden below, with our castle servant leading us down a dark flight of stairs and into the jagged rocks and subterranean waters of these mysterious caves and corridors, bats screeching all around us.
The Sleeping Beauty Castle Mystery Tour was described by one press release as “Sleeping Beauty Castle is Disneyland’s symbol, and Mystery Tour is its ride.” Though far from any “ride,” the walk-through Mystery Tour is a sister attraction to the now extinct Cinderella Castle Mystery Tour at Tokyo Disneyland. With inspiration from Japanese “ghost houses,” the Mystery Tour is a year-round haunted attraction, a creepy labyrinth overrun by the Disney Villains. Chance encounters with Mad Madam Mim, Jafar and Iago (added in 1992), Chernabog, and Hades (added in 1997) link the Mystery Tour’s signature scenes: first, the lair of a sleeping dragon, filled top to bottom with gold and jewels, and also with scorched suits of armor and bones picked clean. The dragon stirs and awakens, but an unwitting skeleton activates a large elevator, bringing us out of the lair and into a chamber filled with ripped tapestries that illustrate the “Legend of the Black Cauldron.” Our servant describes the legend, but is interrupted when the Magic Mirror again beckons for us to continue further, pitting us now against the fearsome Horned King as he summons the undead “Cauldron Born” into reanimation. A chosen guest (a child more often than not) is given the Sword of Light as means of defense against the Horned King. With the sword aimed in the right direction, the Horned King falls from his perch in a humiliating defeat, with the Cauldron Born returning to death and a new passage opening to reveal a powerful message:
The castle servant has brought us back into Fantasy Faire, and awards the special guest with a real medal as a reward. In it is engraved: “An official statement from Disneyland. We pay honor to the bravery, sincerity, and pure-mindedness of the hero who received power from the Sword of Light. The hero is now proclaimed a true knight and living legend of Fantasyland! GOOD CONQUERS EVIL!”
The Mystery Tour is considered a member of Disneyland’s “Terrifying Trio,” three attractions considered unusually macabre for the Magic Kingdom: The Haunted Mansion - ExtraTERRORestrial Alien Encounter - Sleeping Beauty Castle Mystery Tour. Despite the closure of the Tokyo Disneyland version in 2006, the Disneyland version remains open, even having enjoyed a large-scale refurbishment in 2019.
One of the wonderful things about Disneyland is its meticulous maintenance and attention to detail. Even aged 65-years, you’d never be able to tell, even on close inspection. The landscaping is groomed to perfection - attractions, effects and details are as close to perfect as possible, cosmetically and functionally. Walkways, benches, and eating areas are always spotless.
The Central Plaza was reworked in 2014 to include sculpted gardens, charming fountains, meticulous lawns, additional pathways, expanded restaurant seating, and even a special viewing area for fireworks and other performances, such as the Main Street Electrical Parade and Fantasy on Parade. In the front of Sleeping Beauty Castle is a large stage where some of Disneyland’s biggest live shows take place. The show generally coincides with the Park’s current promotion, whether it be an anniversary, holiday, or animated release.
In addition to live shows during the day, Sleeping Beauty Castle is often the star of a firework spectacular at night. Although the firework shows change year to year, this year’s “model” is Disney Dreams.
The original “Disney Dreams!” was a nighttime spectacular first seen at Disneyland Paris in 2012. For Disneyland’s 65h Anniversary on July 17, 2020, Disney Dreams “West” was at long last introduced, a successor to the original show in every right - a proper celebration of 65 years of Disneyland magic.
The show features projection mapping onto Sleeping Beauty Castle, the Matterhorn and Main Street, with fireworks, water fountains, fire, lasers, searchlights, mist screens and other special effects. The story tells of Peter Pan’s shadow spilling all the magic out from the Second Star to the Right, taking Pan’s shadow on a wild adventure through not only scenes and songs from iconic Disney films, but also through famous Disneyland attractions, from The Haunted Mansion to Pirates of the Caribbean.
When Captain Hook captures Pan’s shadow, the Disney Villains arrive and wreak havoc, ending in a climactic battle between Pan and Hook, Tinker Bell restoring magic to the Star and bringing all to a happy end.
If you ever had a dream, and had that dream come true, then you probably know a little something about the magic of Sleeping Beauty Castle.
Sleeping Beauty Castle is a fairytale world resplendent with pomp, circumstance and pixie dust. From all corners of the world, visitors come to cross over its drawbridge and enter the timeless world of the imagination called Fantasyland.
"When You Wish Upon a Star," sung by Jiminy Cricket, sets the tone for those entering Fantasyland through the royal portico and drawbridge. As we pass through, the Sleeping Beauty story is retold in mosaics through over 10,000 individual tiles, their colors flecked with real gold. The scenes speak of romance, magic, and beautiful dreams all come true. This incredible mosaic was first introduced in 1983 with the rest of "New Fantasyland," inspired by the Cinderella Castle mosaic at Walt Disney World.
Sleeping Beauty Castle is a fairytale made real, a focus for the wonder that is the Magic Kingdom. The architectural style is a composite of French and Bavarian influence from the Middle Ages. The 75-foot tall spires appear to be even higher through the visual technique of forced perspective, with larger stones placed near the base, and progressively smaller ones toward the top.
A beautifully carved set of marble statues arrived as a gift to Walt Disney, who gave John Hench the assignment of finding means to display them in Disneyland. The problem? Snow White was the same size as all the Dwarfs. Hench solved the scale problem with clever staging and perspective, placing Snow White high on a hill near a small deer. The Snow White Grotto and wishing well have remained east of Sleeping Beauty Castle ever since. The ethereal voice of Snow White "wishing for the one I love" echoes from deep within the well. Coins tossed in the well are donated to children's charities around the world, in particular the Children's Hospital of Orange County, a short drive from Disneyland itself.
***
STAY TUNED!
***
The Central Plaza
"Just whistle while you work
Put on that grin and start right in to whistle loud and long
Just hum a merry tune
Just do your best and take a rest and sing yourself a song
When there's too much to do
Don't let it bother you, forget your troubles,
Try to be just like a cheerful chick-a-dee"
The Central Plaza
"Just whistle while you work
Put on that grin and start right in to whistle loud and long
Just hum a merry tune
Just do your best and take a rest and sing yourself a song
When there's too much to do
Don't let it bother you, forget your troubles,
Try to be just like a cheerful chick-a-dee"
The Central Plaza celebrates the wonders of nature and the joys of the imagination, offering to visitors an absolute escape from the everyday world. This is the "Hub" of the Magic Kingdom. At the end of Main Street, fanning out like the spokes in a wheel, are the other “lands” - easy to find, easy to enter, each a complete and different thematic destination: Main Street, U.S.A., Liberty Street, Frontierland, Adventureland, Fantasyland, Tomorrowland, New Orleans Square, and Folktale Forest*.
*New Orleans Square and Folktale Forest are not accessible from the Central Plaza. Instead, guests must travel through a respective "neighbor" to reach them.
Popular songs of the Disney canon provide an orchestral backdrop to the color and excitement of the Central Plaza. With no shortage in benches, tables or shaded trees, the Hub is an ideal place to relax and take in the scenery. The storied "Partners” statue was built in tribute to Walt and his most treasured creation: Mickey Mouse. Walt and Mickey, hand-in-hand, look down Main Street from the center of the plaza, with a plaque at its base reading:
“I think what I want Disneyland to be most of all is a happy place - a place where adults and children can experience together some of the wonders of life, of adventure, and feel better because of it.”
- Walt Disney
- Walt Disney
The Central Plaza is an off-shoot to turn-of-the-century Main Street. Several musical groups associated with Main Street often perform in the Plaza, including the Dapper Dans, Disneyland Band and Keystone Cops saxophone quartet, with the Dapper Dans often riding past on their four-seat bicycle. The Plaza Popcorn Wagon is one of countless colorful snack wagons found throughout the Park. In the case of Disneyland’s popcorn wagons, each has its own unique flavor of popcorn and a “Roastie Toastie” on hand, aka the tiny character cranking the tumbler full of freshly popped corn above the cashier. Each Roastie Toastie reflects the theme of their land. Flavors of popcorn include Butter and White Cheddar (Main Street), Garlic Parmesan, Lemon Pepper and Barbecue (Frontierland), Cheddar Bacon and Gumbo (New Orleans Square), Caramel, Cinnamon and Honey (Fantasyland), and Ghost Pepper and Curry (Adventureland). And that’s not to discount the many churro, turkey leg, ice cream, and cotton candy carts also found throughout Disneyland.
In 2012, the former Plaza Pavilion became the Victorian gabled structure we now recognize as the Jolly Holiday Bakery Café. The winds have changed and brought with them an enchanted array of sandwiches, including cold roast beef and bleu cheese on a crispy French baguette, or a toasted ham & Swiss cheese sandwich with apple chutney. Chicken noodle soup and tomato bisque with grilled cheese top the gourmet offerings, with seasonal pastries and blended coffee drinks for dessert. The decor speaks of Number Seventeen Cherry Tree Lane, carousel horses, kites, and all. Next we drop "inn" at the elegant Plaza Inn, one of Disneyland's most luxuriant restaurants. All appointments are authentic mementos of the gay and glamorous '90s - including the stained glass ceilings, entry hall and foyer, as taken from the historic St. James home in Los Angeles. The menu brings to us “memories” of good eats - steaks and chops, salads and soups, fish and crustacean. Luxury aside, the Plaza Inn retains its roots - an "all-you-care-to-enjoy" buffet. Out front, the Little Red Wagon Corn Dog Cart has had its horse-drawn delivery wagon parked near the Plaza Inn for years, where its friendly driver sells Main Street’s world-famous corn dogs.
Fantasy on Parade first debuted on December 18, 1966, a mere three days following the tragic death of Walt Disney. Since its debut, Fantasy on Parade has grown from that of an event once exclusive to the holiday season to that of an ongoing - and long running- parade, one in which has seen more updates, more performances, and more Disney magic than perhaps any other parade in history…
A traditional cavalcade of favorite Disney friends, Fantasy on Parade shares in the same unbridled enchantment and vivid pageantry of the 1966 original, ever evolving and always changing to suit the spectators of today, tomorrow and yesterday. The parade winds its way from Fantasyland through to Main Street with the expected array of glorious, state-of-the-art floats and marching bands, costumed performers on colorful stilts, pendulums and swings, knights on horses - and even a steampunk and mechanical fire-breathing dragon. The current version of the parade runs from January through August, only unavailable for the Halloween and Christmas seasons, as well as for the occasional minor refurbishment, special event, or anniversary parade.
“Ladies and gentlemen, boys and girls,” the Voice of Disneyland echoes. “In just a few minutes, the lights will be dimmed so that you may fully experience a cherished and beloved pageant beyond the boundaries of imagination: The Main Street Electrical Parade. This sparkling fantasy recreates scenes from many of Walt Disney’s most memorable film classics in over half a million colorful, twinkling lights. We hope you’ll enjoy the unusual, electrifying magic and exciting fantasy of the Main Street Electrical Parade.”
"Ladies and gentlemen, boys and girls... Disneyland proudly presents our spectacular festival pageant of nighttime magic and imagination in thousands of sparkling lights and electro-syntho-magnetic musical sounds - the Main Street Electrical Parade!"
One of the most unusual and beautiful pageants to ever glitter its way down Main Street made its debut in 1972: the Main Street Electrical Parade. The Electrical Parade has dazzled spectators with its half-a-million tiny, twinkling lights for nearly 50 years, all with scenes in depiction of fanciful scenes from Walt Disney's film classics - though this has since expanded to welcome scenes and characters from the modern film canon.
It required nearly 100 artists and craftsmen to create the sparkling, battery-powered parade floats, some measuring up to 14-feet high and 75-feet long. The Main Street Electrical Parade would, by popular demand, become bigger and brighter every year since its debut, and will celebrate its 50th consecutive anniversary in 2022 - it never left, and probably never will.
Ever since Benny Goodman first performed at Disneyland in 1961, the Magic Kingdom has played host to a variety of Big Bands. The Elliot Brothers, Lionel Hampton, Charlie Barnet, Gene Krupa and Les Brown are among those who have performed at Disneyland, along with other "greats" of the Swing era, including Harry James, Count Basie, and Duke Ellington. Carnation Plaza Gardens opened August 18, 1956. The colorful dance pavilion and bandstand hosted these same legends and icons of the Swing and Big Band era. Since 1958, Carnation Plaza has had music and dancing on summer evenings, seven nights a week. But, on April 30, 2012, the historic dance floor and stage closed. Work began to transform the original pavilion into Fantasy Faire, a natural extension of neighboring Fantasyland, which opened to the public on March 12, 2013.
Fantasy Faire, the “newest” corner of Fantasyland and the Central Plaza, has more detail and charm than the previous Carnation Plaza had in its later years. The Royal Theatre is the same old dance pavilion just repurposed, and, as promised in the initial press release, big band and swing dancing have returned with Fantasy Faire and stuck around ever since - though during the day, the Royal Theatre is home to a different form of live entertainment altogether - comical reenactments of Tangled, Frozen, Aladdin, and Beauty and the Beast, as performed by traveling minstrels Mr. Smythe and Mr. Jones. Storytelling at Royal Theatre is a funny and fantastical glimpse into a professional(?) reenactment of the aforementioned tales. The talented thespians Smythe and Jones showcase their own spin on these classic tales, filled with the desired - or undesired - wit, humor, and slapstick as deemed necessary by medieval standards.
Fantasy Faire carries the same charm and detail found in nearby Fantasyland. The architecture is of the Old World; stone and timbered walls, chimney vents, arched windows, and tiled rooftops with steeply pitched gables. Pinocchio’s mischievous cat, Figaro can be seen dozing on a windowsill near a bird in a cage, only to wake when the bird sings. Clopin's Music Box is an oddity, but a treasure all the same. Clopin Trouillefou, king of the gypsies, stars in his own mechanical marvel: a turn-of-the-crank brings a musical "Topsy Turvy" to an animated diorama of Notre-Dame’s “Festival of Fools.” A rickety bulletin board is near-littered with inside jokes and references - wanted posters for a foxy Robin Hood and bear-rific Little John - a live-in housekeeper job listing for the Seven Dwarfs - an advertisement for “Air-Herc” sandals (“New from Greece!”) - a botched wanted poster for Eugene “Flynn” Rider. In the center of the faire, a 16-foot-high stone sculpture pays homage to Rapunzel's Tower. A miniature Rapunzel is seen gazing out her window. After sundown, Rapunzel’s hair, twisting down and around the sculpture, periodically comes to life with a twinkling of lights and music.
The main attraction here is the Royal Hall, where the beloved Disney Princesses gather each day to meet their guests. Between the Royal Hall and Theatre sits Fairy Tale Treasures, a Princess-themed gift and souvenir boutique, with a long corridor attached stretching into the adjoined Frontierland. Belle's father, Maurice from Beauty and the Beast, has invented a makeshift food cart, Maurice's Treats, where the culinary "inventions" include bread-twists in a choice of chocolate, strawberry or cheddar cheese garlic flavors. Maurice also has a signature beverage - the "Boysen Apple Freeze," a tasteful blend of 100% apple juice with boysenberry flavor and foam. It seems fitting that Maurice set his wagon not far from a remnant of his “poor, provincial town”: Gaston’s Tavern.
The manliest of manly places, Gaston’s Tavern serves up such satisfying sweets as “The Grey Stuff” cupcake and warm cinnamon rolls, not to mention hearty turkey legs, pot pies and roasted pork shanks. Of course there are antlers in all of the decorating, and a bronze fountain out front of the dashing Gaston high atop the bumbling LeFou. The real Gaston often hangs around outside, sometimes interacting (to varying results) with Belle as she passes him by.
Long before Fantasy Faire, Carnation Plaza had its own slice of Fantasyland in a darkened corner of trees and hills not far from the dance floor, an area and attraction which remain today as a natural extension of Fantasy Faire. When compared to Cinderella Castle at both Walt Disney World and the then recently opened Tokyo Disneyland, the small size of Disneyland’s Sleeping Beauty Castle lent Imagineer Tony Baxter and his team for 1983’s “New Fantasyland” to expand the story for the original castle in a “dead” area of the Carnation Plaza real estate. A cavernous labyrinth was carved deep “beneath” Sleeping Beauty Castle in late 1981, though several delays would not open the caves to visitors until 1986.
Groups of around 20 to 30 people are ushered into an extended wing of Sleeping Beauty Castle. One of Disneyland’s few “live narrated” attractions, a castle servant will lead us on a tour of seldom seen chambers - the ballroom and art gallery among others, promising us an enchanting experience. We start in the gallery, where portraits of Scrooge McDuck, Pinocchio, Snow White, Merlin, and Taran (The Black Cauldron) hang above an ornate fireplace. Just as we are encouraged to applaud for these Heroes, the Magic Mirror of Snow White interrupts, frustrated that the Villains have again been overlooked in favor of the Heroes. The portraits transform into Magica De Spell, Stromboli, the Evil Queen disguised as the Wicked Witch, Madam Mim, and the Horned King. The Magic Mirror invites us to enter the sealed dungeons hidden below, with our castle servant leading us down a dark flight of stairs and into the jagged rocks and subterranean waters of these mysterious caves and corridors, bats screeching all around us.
The Sleeping Beauty Castle Mystery Tour was described by one press release as “Sleeping Beauty Castle is Disneyland’s symbol, and Mystery Tour is its ride.” Though far from any “ride,” the walk-through Mystery Tour is a sister attraction to the now extinct Cinderella Castle Mystery Tour at Tokyo Disneyland. With inspiration from Japanese “ghost houses,” the Mystery Tour is a year-round haunted attraction, a creepy labyrinth overrun by the Disney Villains. Chance encounters with Mad Madam Mim, Jafar and Iago (added in 1992), Chernabog, and Hades (added in 1997) link the Mystery Tour’s signature scenes: first, the lair of a sleeping dragon, filled top to bottom with gold and jewels, and also with scorched suits of armor and bones picked clean. The dragon stirs and awakens, but an unwitting skeleton activates a large elevator, bringing us out of the lair and into a chamber filled with ripped tapestries that illustrate the “Legend of the Black Cauldron.” Our servant describes the legend, but is interrupted when the Magic Mirror again beckons for us to continue further, pitting us now against the fearsome Horned King as he summons the undead “Cauldron Born” into reanimation. A chosen guest (a child more often than not) is given the Sword of Light as means of defense against the Horned King. With the sword aimed in the right direction, the Horned King falls from his perch in a humiliating defeat, with the Cauldron Born returning to death and a new passage opening to reveal a powerful message:
The castle servant has brought us back into Fantasy Faire, and awards the special guest with a real medal as a reward. In it is engraved: “An official statement from Disneyland. We pay honor to the bravery, sincerity, and pure-mindedness of the hero who received power from the Sword of Light. The hero is now proclaimed a true knight and living legend of Fantasyland! GOOD CONQUERS EVIL!”
The Mystery Tour is considered a member of Disneyland’s “Terrifying Trio,” three attractions considered unusually macabre for the Magic Kingdom: The Haunted Mansion - ExtraTERRORestrial Alien Encounter - Sleeping Beauty Castle Mystery Tour. Despite the closure of the Tokyo Disneyland version in 2006, the Disneyland version remains open, even having enjoyed a large-scale refurbishment in 2019.
***
One of the wonderful things about Disneyland is its meticulous maintenance and attention to detail. Even aged 65-years, you’d never be able to tell, even on close inspection. The landscaping is groomed to perfection - attractions, effects and details are as close to perfect as possible, cosmetically and functionally. Walkways, benches, and eating areas are always spotless.
The Central Plaza was reworked in 2014 to include sculpted gardens, charming fountains, meticulous lawns, additional pathways, expanded restaurant seating, and even a special viewing area for fireworks and other performances, such as the Main Street Electrical Parade and Fantasy on Parade. In the front of Sleeping Beauty Castle is a large stage where some of Disneyland’s biggest live shows take place. The show generally coincides with the Park’s current promotion, whether it be an anniversary, holiday, or animated release.
In addition to live shows during the day, Sleeping Beauty Castle is often the star of a firework spectacular at night. Although the firework shows change year to year, this year’s “model” is Disney Dreams.
The show features projection mapping onto Sleeping Beauty Castle, the Matterhorn and Main Street, with fireworks, water fountains, fire, lasers, searchlights, mist screens and other special effects. The story tells of Peter Pan’s shadow spilling all the magic out from the Second Star to the Right, taking Pan’s shadow on a wild adventure through not only scenes and songs from iconic Disney films, but also through famous Disneyland attractions, from The Haunted Mansion to Pirates of the Caribbean.
When Captain Hook captures Pan’s shadow, the Disney Villains arrive and wreak havoc, ending in a climactic battle between Pan and Hook, Tinker Bell restoring magic to the Star and bringing all to a happy end.
***
If you ever had a dream, and had that dream come true, then you probably know a little something about the magic of Sleeping Beauty Castle.
"When you wish upon a star
Makes no difference who you are
Anything your heart desires will come to you..."
Makes no difference who you are
Anything your heart desires will come to you..."
Sleeping Beauty Castle is a fairytale world resplendent with pomp, circumstance and pixie dust. From all corners of the world, visitors come to cross over its drawbridge and enter the timeless world of the imagination called Fantasyland.
"When You Wish Upon a Star," sung by Jiminy Cricket, sets the tone for those entering Fantasyland through the royal portico and drawbridge. As we pass through, the Sleeping Beauty story is retold in mosaics through over 10,000 individual tiles, their colors flecked with real gold. The scenes speak of romance, magic, and beautiful dreams all come true. This incredible mosaic was first introduced in 1983 with the rest of "New Fantasyland," inspired by the Cinderella Castle mosaic at Walt Disney World.
Sleeping Beauty Castle is a fairytale made real, a focus for the wonder that is the Magic Kingdom. The architectural style is a composite of French and Bavarian influence from the Middle Ages. The 75-foot tall spires appear to be even higher through the visual technique of forced perspective, with larger stones placed near the base, and progressively smaller ones toward the top.
A beautifully carved set of marble statues arrived as a gift to Walt Disney, who gave John Hench the assignment of finding means to display them in Disneyland. The problem? Snow White was the same size as all the Dwarfs. Hench solved the scale problem with clever staging and perspective, placing Snow White high on a hill near a small deer. The Snow White Grotto and wishing well have remained east of Sleeping Beauty Castle ever since. The ethereal voice of Snow White "wishing for the one I love" echoes from deep within the well. Coins tossed in the well are donated to children's charities around the world, in particular the Children's Hospital of Orange County, a short drive from Disneyland itself.
***
STAY TUNED!
DisneyManOne
Well-Known Member
Wow! I really love this new take on Fantasy Faire! I admit, I was going to ask if a Beauty and the Beast ride was going to be part of this Fantasyland, given that Gaston's Tavern opened here. But then I remembered that a retelling of Beauty and the Beast was part of the Royal Theater line-up, so that would make any ride sorta redundant. Frozen Ever After, which I assume is still part of your Mirror Fantasyland, would be exempt from that reasoning, given that it's a follow-up ride rather than a book-report ride.
And while I'm discussing princess-based dark rides, I remember back in Mirror Disneyland 2.0, when the Timeline claimed that The Little Mermaid: Ariel's Undersea Adventure would open at the Boardwalk. Given that your Boardwalk post didn't mention it, I wonder if this will open in Disneyland or at the Disney-Universal Studios? Or maybe the original DLP ride will open here instead?
And while I'm discussing princess-based dark rides, I remember back in Mirror Disneyland 2.0, when the Timeline claimed that The Little Mermaid: Ariel's Undersea Adventure would open at the Boardwalk. Given that your Boardwalk post didn't mention it, I wonder if this will open in Disneyland or at the Disney-Universal Studios? Or maybe the original DLP ride will open here instead?
Twilight_Roxas
Well-Known Member
@DisneyManOne If he did then Storybookland Canal, and Casey Junior would be replaced by Frozen Ever After, and the Enchanted Tale of Beauty and the Beast.
DisneyManOne
Well-Known Member
In all of MEW's Mirror Disneylands, Storybookland Canal and Casey Jr. remain open, while Frozen Ever After opens without replacing anything. As he stated at the start of this thread, this Mirror Disneyland takes place in a world where Walt got a lot more land to build Disneyland with, so Mirror Disneyland is significantly larger than its real-life counterpart.
Thanks! I'm not entirely sure what my plan is for Little Mermaid right now. I'm stuck between two ideas that I like a lot, but fortunately I have time to decide before we get to either area of that project. I was going to jump right into Fantasyland next, but I think I'm gonna cool it down and pick back up with Liberty Street next as initially promised.
DisneyManOne
Well-Known Member
By the way, I know this may sound kind of shrewd, but could I send you a list of what I intend to change in my Mirror WDW as I go through Mirror Walt Disney World-A? Since Mirror Walt Disney World-A was inspired by this world you have set up where Disney-Universal Studios means that Disney-MGM Studios never opened, I thought you might like to know how things will be set up to account for this massive change. That way, if you have to mention WDW, nothing could sound contradictory between our two threads. For example, in my Mirror WDW (both the regular version and the "A" version), Western River Expedition does, indeed, open, so the description of Thunder Mesa Expedition's history -- if you are still using that ride concept -- could be altered to address that.
You can if you'd like! I can't guarantee I'll have a perfect correlation between our two projects, but I'll do my best. Or I'll just leave out portions that reference WDW altogether for the most part.
Today we'll journey back in time to 1776!
At a rounded 230 acres today, Disneyland is large - even with all the expansions and additions from over the years, the Park still has room to grow. Despite this blessing of size, the first few years of Disneyland’s growth found new additions crammed in, packing the Park to the gills. As there was no precedent before it, Disneyland was a learning experience; a trial and error series of ideas and designs that have come and gone, some more successful than others.
The success of Disneyland led Walt and his Imagineers to realize that the Magic Kingdom needed more capacity, and fast. It was decided early on that Main Street needed an alternate route to help with foot-traffic and congestion on peak days. A street in celebration of early America and its independence began development, an obvious choice for a thematic extension of Main Street, U.S.A.
"In fact, this book intrigued us so much," Walt Disney said, speaking of Esther Forbes's novel Johnny Tremain, "that we not only made a technicolor motion-picture of it, we're also creating an entire new section in Disneyland the Park based upon it. As you know, Disneyland Park is a sort of a monument to the American way of life. But after reading 'Johnny Tremain,' we realized we had overlooked one major item in the blueprint - a memorial to the freedoms that made it all possible. Well, we're busy putting it in, right here off the Town Square. We're calling it 'Liberty Street.' Everything is in the planning stage, of course. But our research has taken us back to a period we like to recreate as a reminder that the liberty story is a story without end. In fact, Liberty Street will be Johnny Tremain's Boston of about 1775."
Walt Disney announced plans for Liberty Street in 1956, one year after Disneyland opened.
Set in the Revolutionary War-era, Liberty Street is set on the east side of Main Street, with its entrance just across from where the Main Street Opera House and Mad Hatter shop are located. This snapshot of colonial Philadelphia and Boston premiered on November 21, 1958, the same date that Walt Disney's Johnny Tremain was first shown on television. In attendance was President Dwight D. Eisenhower, who proudly saw to the ribbon-cutting. A firework spectacular and orchestra in the regalia of colonial Jamestown were on hand for the occasion.
Liberty Street opened with one attraction: the Hall of the Declaration of Independence. Eager patrons found it to be underwhelming to say the least. Visitors would watch as dramatic paintings of the American Revolution were illuminated with programmed spotlights and narration. The presentation would end in a viewing of the Declaration of Independence itself (a copy, obviously). Walt was never pleased with the end result of the attraction, and neither were the Imagineers. Still, the Hall remained open until 1965. A disgruntled Walt did something unusual for his character - he settled.
Great Moments with Mr. Lincoln opened at the Main Street Opera House on July 18, 1965. The toast of the recent New York World's Fair, now placed near the entrance to Disneyland, became an overnight sensation as it had in New York. The Hall of the Declaration of Independence quietly closed the next day on July 19, 1965. Temporarily, Liberty Street was left without a true attraction. An idea to relocate Great Moments with Mr. Lincoln inside Liberty Street’s vacant Independence Hall (where the Hall of the Declaration was housed) was also nixed. Veteran animator and Imagineer Marc Davis took the reins.
The four-act, six-theatre, revolving building used for General Electric's Carousel of Progress, was also a great success at the World's Fair, and had enjoyed equal success in Tomorrowland in 1967. However, when the Carousel closed for the show's relocation to Walt Disney World, the massive Carousel Theater in Tomorrowland remained empty. Marc Davis made the suggestion to bulldoze the interior of the Independence Hall and simply relocate the Carousel Theater to fill the new interior. Why?
America Sings. Following two years in development, America Sings, a comical, tune-filled adventure tracing nearly 200 years of our nation's musical heritage, opened on July 29, 1974. The beloved and nostalgic musical opened in celebration of the American Bicentennial. The old Independence Hall was now a clever facade for the well-concealed and relocated Carousel Theater. Described as "the first Disneyland 'mega-musical,'" the hosts were an avuncular Audio-Animatronics eagle named Sam (with the voice of Burl Ives), and his owl sidekick Ollie.
Undiluted and absolute Marc Davis. The artist considered this attraction exemplary of his finest work, and it is the purest representation of his unique amalgam of anatomy, caricature, animation, staging, and humor. Using the same revolving carousel technology as its predecessor, America Sings featured a cast of 110 Audio-Animatronics characters in a six-act show tracing the evolution of popular music in the United States. With hundreds of music cues, moving scenery, and the revolving auditorium, the show presented more programming, timing, and technical challenges than any other attraction to that date. The attraction introduced clever theatrical techniques to make the animal performers appear onstage, such as having characters rise up into view on one side of the stage while lighting directed the viewer's attention elsewhere. The Enchanted Tiki Room and Country Bear Jamboree had established the concept of an Audio-Animatronics musical revue before, but America Sings perfected it.
In 1983, Imagineer Tony Baxter began to dream up what he initially called "Zip-a-Dee River Run," a water flume thrill ride featuring the characters from Disney's Song of the South. When that dream emerged as Splash Mountain in 1989, a whole menagerie of critters were needed to fill the colorful cast. Nearly a hundred of the various animal figures seen in Splash Mountain were relocated from America Sings when it lowered the curtain for the last time in 1988.
Again, Liberty Street was left without an attraction.
The Carousel Theater was dismantled. It was announced that The American Adventure, an attraction made famous at EPCOT Center, would fill the vacant Independence Hall. Its success in Florida made it the obvious replacement for America Sings. In record time, The American Adventure was built and opened to the public on July 17, 1990, Disneyland's 35th Anniversary.
"Golden Dream," the patriotic theme of The American Adventure, composed by Robert Moline with lyrics by Randy Bright, became the unofficial anthem for Liberty Street. The attraction continues into today as Liberty Street's longest running and star attraction. Great Moments with Mr. Lincoln on Main Street has a unique dual exit - one path leads to Main Street, the other exits directly into the foyer of Independence Hall, forever uniting The American Adventure with its greatest inspiration: Great Moments with Mr. Lincoln.
Liberty Street is almost the same as it were in 1958. The architecture is a blend of several American colonies as they existed during our nation's earliest years. The town is filled with merchants and trades in reflection of the era. A flag for each of the 13 Colonies lines either side of the paved thoroughfare. Both the Liberty Tree and Liberty Bell have representation here. In fact, the mold for the Liberty Bell was taken from the real thing in Philadelphia. Disneyland was the first ever to copy the mold, and has proudly displayed its own Liberty Bell since 1958.
"The original Liberty Tree, a stately elm, was a rallying point for pre-revolutionary activities. The open space under its branches was called 'Liberty Hall' and a flag pole was erected through its branches with a hoisted flag, the symbol for action. Countless inflammatory cartoons and verses were nailed to its trunk and many Tories hung in effigy from its branches. Perhaps its proudest moment was the repeal of the Stamp Act when innumerable lanterns blazed among its branches for all to see."
- A Sign Near the Liberty Tree
The impressive live oak that makes the Liberty Tree was transported to Disneyland amidst construction in 1957. Walt himself was on hand to select and relocate the proud tree. The tree itself is well over two centuries old and is a worthy tribute to the real Liberty Tree in Boston. Historically, the real tree was a beacon for the American Revolution. Those rallied against the oppression of the British Empire would gather here in protest or plotting.
Main Street, U.S.A. has vanished. The street here is lit with candlelight and lantern fire. The old shutters on each building hang at odd angles - metal was not shipped to the U.S. during the Revolution. While most of the pavement on Liberty Street is red compared to Main Street's grey, a brown streak travels down either side of the thoroughfare. Interestingly, this streak goes directly to Liberty Street's only restroom facility. Given indoor plumbing was not yet invented in colonial America, our forefathers would simply toss their waste out the window and into the streets... Any questions?
One of our first stops (and sounds) is the Blacksmith Shop, where a skilled blacksmith makes antique hinges, lamps, and horseshoes among other items. The blacksmith hosts live demonstrations and is responsible for shoeing the horses that travel down Main Street each day. Paul Revere's Silver Shop is unique, wherein the available wares are all made from real silver. The second-floor window of the silver shop has two lanterns, a reference to the poem "Paul Revere's Ride" by Henry Wadsworth Longfellow. "One, if by land, and two, if by sea," reads the poem. These lanterns indicate that the British have arrived "by sea." Paul Revere made these signals in case he was unable to perform his famous ride across the Massachusetts countryside.
The masts of a sailing ship peer over the rooftops. Griffin's Wharf has been recreated here as a “living” diorama. A large matte painting shows the Atlantic oceanfront, circa 1773. Sailing ships, schooners and seagulls sail beneath the clouds and vivid blanket of the blue coastal sky. A half-size replica of The Dartmouth, one of the three British vessels ransacked in the Boston Tea Party, is docked in front of the mural. This ship is a clever entrance to the Revolutionary History Museum.
The Revolutionary History Museum has been recognized by the United States Government as a national museum, meaning it to be at the quality and content of Washington D.C.'s famous Smithsonian Institute.
Since 1958, admission has been free. The museum holds exhibits in portrayal of our country's birth, well into the Civil War, Industrial Revolution and beyond, though the focus remains on our earliest years. The museum was a passion project of Walt Disney. Much of what remains today was chosen and placed there by Walt himself, even the famous “U.S. Capitol in Miniature.”
A venerable entertainment troupe since 1958, the Fife & Drum Corps hearken to the spirit and celebration of the American Dream. The musicians, clad in the blue uniform of Revolutionary America, have been integral through Disneyland's 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 1975 at both Disneyland and Walt Disney World, and continued until September of 1976. The Fife & Drum Corps led the beloved America on Parade, and have performed in the "encore" for the Main Street Electrical Parade since July 4, 1976: "To Honor America."
Sleepy Hollow Tavern is a title befitting of our inner patriot or grim, grinning ghost. The menu is in celebration of all things Americana, from smoked turkey legs and cheeseburgers to pumpkin pie and New England clam chowder. This stately colonial home is Liberty Street's exclusive major dining hall. Aside from the food, the main attraction is the tavern itself being a replica of Baltus van Tassel’s farm house seen in 1949’s The Adventures of Ichabod and Mr. Toad. A sinister portrait of the Headless Horseman hangs above the fireplace - did that portrait just cackle?
The New England Print Shop began editing Disneyland's popular newspaper, The Disneyland News, in 1958, a newspaper that is still in syndication today. The newspaper can be purchased here (for $1), as well as in the colorful Newsstands found near the Main Gate. The skilled proprietor uses an old Washington hand press like the one Ben 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 soon took to the idea of having a real, operational post office inside Disneyland. Since 1961, "Samuel Osgood'' has serviced the many mailboxes found throughout Disneyland, and still accepts letters and packages today.
Ye Olde Christmas Shoppe is connected to Main Street's Hallmark Store on the other side - in fact, they are one and the same, only, Ye Olde Christmas Shoppe is far more expressive of the Yuletide season. The year-round decor of shimmering garland, lights, trees, and the sounds of warm holiday music and sleigh bells is a suited escape from the rest of the year. The shop is most famous for its massive holiday village, as designed and displayed by Department 56. Department 56 and Disney have collaborated to offer a village series exclusive to Disneyland: “Christmas at Disneyland,” a miniature portrayal of Disneyland and its many lands and attractions dressed for the holiday season. Colonial Shoppers next door is quite similar to a southern “country store.” The merchandise and decor is specialized in stuffed toys, charming kitchenware, clothing, hats, and vintage signs reminiscent of the Old South and Midwest
The Town Crier calls for passers-by, gathering us in front of the Revolutionary History Museum. The Muppets - consisting of Kermit the Frog, Miss Piggy, Fozzie Bear, Sam Eagle and The Great Gonzo - appear in the museum’s second-floor windows, bringing to life their fuzzy view of American history. The Muppets Present...Great Moments in American History is a reverent, hysterical, and historical performance in portrayal of the signing of the Declaration of Independence and the midnight ride of Paul Revere, told only as The Muppets can - a unique “window” into our nation’s past, if you will.
In the heart of Liberty Street is the stately Independence Hall. This historic building has housed a number of attractions since 1958, finally and currently, the inspiring 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 in beautiful and inspired reverence.
The American Adventure took Imagineers five years to complete for EPCOT Center in 1982, and a mere two for Disneyland from 1989 - 1990. A feat of entertainment, engineering and creative design, The American Adventure is held in a theater adorned with life-size statues of the “Spirits of Freedom” - statues that embody the ideals of individualism, innovation, and independence. Benjamin Franklin and Mark Twain will be our guides on this journey through time.
Pivotal moments in history appear and disappear seamlessly through the use of a massive computer-controlled movable device. More than ten different sets are stored under the stage and are moved forward or backward on cue by this American technological marvel. We will witness such landmark events like the landing of The Mayflower and the loss of the Great Depression - encounter such luminaries as Frederick Douglas, Teddy Roosevelt and Walt Disney. It is truly a show like none other.
Costumed in period finery from the 1800s, the Voices of Liberty performs in the rotunda of Independence Hall - an acoustics paradise. Their melodies delight while the Hall’s perfect ceiling amplifies and purifies their sound. The stunning “lobby” is intended as the “people’s mansion,” taking interior design cues from the classic Georgian style of the late 1700s, Colonial Williamsburg, Thomas Jefferon’s Monticello, and the Old State House in Boston. The lobby is filled with portraits of American historical moments and figures, as well as authentic artifacts dating as far back as the 1600s. One particular corridor empties into the Independence Hall directly from the exit of Great Moments with Mr. Lincoln on Main Street.
***
Liberty Street
Liberty Street
At a rounded 230 acres today, Disneyland is large - even with all the expansions and additions from over the years, the Park still has room to grow. Despite this blessing of size, the first few years of Disneyland’s growth found new additions crammed in, packing the Park to the gills. As there was no precedent before it, Disneyland was a learning experience; a trial and error series of ideas and designs that have come and gone, some more successful than others.
The success of Disneyland led Walt and his Imagineers to realize that the Magic Kingdom needed more capacity, and fast. It was decided early on that Main Street needed an alternate route to help with foot-traffic and congestion on peak days. A street in celebration of early America and its independence began development, an obvious choice for a thematic extension of Main Street, U.S.A.
"In fact, this book intrigued us so much," Walt Disney said, speaking of Esther Forbes's novel Johnny Tremain, "that we not only made a technicolor motion-picture of it, we're also creating an entire new section in Disneyland the Park based upon it. As you know, Disneyland Park is a sort of a monument to the American way of life. But after reading 'Johnny Tremain,' we realized we had overlooked one major item in the blueprint - a memorial to the freedoms that made it all possible. Well, we're busy putting it in, right here off the Town Square. We're calling it 'Liberty Street.' Everything is in the planning stage, of course. But our research has taken us back to a period we like to recreate as a reminder that the liberty story is a story without end. In fact, Liberty Street will be Johnny Tremain's Boston of about 1775."
Walt Disney announced plans for Liberty Street in 1956, one year after Disneyland opened.
Set in the Revolutionary War-era, Liberty Street is set on the east side of Main Street, with its entrance just across from where the Main Street Opera House and Mad Hatter shop are located. This snapshot of colonial Philadelphia and Boston premiered on November 21, 1958, the same date that Walt Disney's Johnny Tremain was first shown on television. In attendance was President Dwight D. Eisenhower, who proudly saw to the ribbon-cutting. A firework spectacular and orchestra in the regalia of colonial Jamestown were on hand for the occasion.
Liberty Street opened with one attraction: the Hall of the Declaration of Independence. Eager patrons found it to be underwhelming to say the least. Visitors would watch as dramatic paintings of the American Revolution were illuminated with programmed spotlights and narration. The presentation would end in a viewing of the Declaration of Independence itself (a copy, obviously). Walt was never pleased with the end result of the attraction, and neither were the Imagineers. Still, the Hall remained open until 1965. A disgruntled Walt did something unusual for his character - he settled.
Great Moments with Mr. Lincoln opened at the Main Street Opera House on July 18, 1965. The toast of the recent New York World's Fair, now placed near the entrance to Disneyland, became an overnight sensation as it had in New York. The Hall of the Declaration of Independence quietly closed the next day on July 19, 1965. Temporarily, Liberty Street was left without a true attraction. An idea to relocate Great Moments with Mr. Lincoln inside Liberty Street’s vacant Independence Hall (where the Hall of the Declaration was housed) was also nixed. Veteran animator and Imagineer Marc Davis took the reins.
The four-act, six-theatre, revolving building used for General Electric's Carousel of Progress, was also a great success at the World's Fair, and had enjoyed equal success in Tomorrowland in 1967. However, when the Carousel closed for the show's relocation to Walt Disney World, the massive Carousel Theater in Tomorrowland remained empty. Marc Davis made the suggestion to bulldoze the interior of the Independence Hall and simply relocate the Carousel Theater to fill the new interior. Why?
America Sings. Following two years in development, America Sings, a comical, tune-filled adventure tracing nearly 200 years of our nation's musical heritage, opened on July 29, 1974. The beloved and nostalgic musical opened in celebration of the American Bicentennial. The old Independence Hall was now a clever facade for the well-concealed and relocated Carousel Theater. Described as "the first Disneyland 'mega-musical,'" the hosts were an avuncular Audio-Animatronics eagle named Sam (with the voice of Burl Ives), and his owl sidekick Ollie.
Undiluted and absolute Marc Davis. The artist considered this attraction exemplary of his finest work, and it is the purest representation of his unique amalgam of anatomy, caricature, animation, staging, and humor. Using the same revolving carousel technology as its predecessor, America Sings featured a cast of 110 Audio-Animatronics characters in a six-act show tracing the evolution of popular music in the United States. With hundreds of music cues, moving scenery, and the revolving auditorium, the show presented more programming, timing, and technical challenges than any other attraction to that date. The attraction introduced clever theatrical techniques to make the animal performers appear onstage, such as having characters rise up into view on one side of the stage while lighting directed the viewer's attention elsewhere. The Enchanted Tiki Room and Country Bear Jamboree had established the concept of an Audio-Animatronics musical revue before, but America Sings perfected it.
In 1983, Imagineer Tony Baxter began to dream up what he initially called "Zip-a-Dee River Run," a water flume thrill ride featuring the characters from Disney's Song of the South. When that dream emerged as Splash Mountain in 1989, a whole menagerie of critters were needed to fill the colorful cast. Nearly a hundred of the various animal figures seen in Splash Mountain were relocated from America Sings when it lowered the curtain for the last time in 1988.
Again, Liberty Street was left without an attraction.
The Carousel Theater was dismantled. It was announced that The American Adventure, an attraction made famous at EPCOT Center, would fill the vacant Independence Hall. Its success in Florida made it the obvious replacement for America Sings. In record time, The American Adventure was built and opened to the public on July 17, 1990, Disneyland's 35th Anniversary.
"Golden Dream," the patriotic theme of The American Adventure, composed by Robert Moline with lyrics by Randy Bright, became the unofficial anthem for Liberty Street. The attraction continues into today as Liberty Street's longest running and star attraction. Great Moments with Mr. Lincoln on Main Street has a unique dual exit - one path leads to Main Street, the other exits directly into the foyer of Independence Hall, forever uniting The American Adventure with its greatest inspiration: Great Moments with Mr. Lincoln.
Liberty Street is almost the same as it were in 1958. The architecture is a blend of several American colonies as they existed during our nation's earliest years. The town is filled with merchants and trades in reflection of the era. A flag for each of the 13 Colonies lines either side of the paved thoroughfare. Both the Liberty Tree and Liberty Bell have representation here. In fact, the mold for the Liberty Bell was taken from the real thing in Philadelphia. Disneyland was the first ever to copy the mold, and has proudly displayed its own Liberty Bell since 1958.
"The original Liberty Tree, a stately elm, was a rallying point for pre-revolutionary activities. The open space under its branches was called 'Liberty Hall' and a flag pole was erected through its branches with a hoisted flag, the symbol for action. Countless inflammatory cartoons and verses were nailed to its trunk and many Tories hung in effigy from its branches. Perhaps its proudest moment was the repeal of the Stamp Act when innumerable lanterns blazed among its branches for all to see."
- A Sign Near the Liberty Tree
The impressive live oak that makes the Liberty Tree was transported to Disneyland amidst construction in 1957. Walt himself was on hand to select and relocate the proud tree. The tree itself is well over two centuries old and is a worthy tribute to the real Liberty Tree in Boston. Historically, the real tree was a beacon for the American Revolution. Those rallied against the oppression of the British Empire would gather here in protest or plotting.
Main Street, U.S.A. has vanished. The street here is lit with candlelight and lantern fire. The old shutters on each building hang at odd angles - metal was not shipped to the U.S. during the Revolution. While most of the pavement on Liberty Street is red compared to Main Street's grey, a brown streak travels down either side of the thoroughfare. Interestingly, this streak goes directly to Liberty Street's only restroom facility. Given indoor plumbing was not yet invented in colonial America, our forefathers would simply toss their waste out the window and into the streets... Any questions?
One of our first stops (and sounds) is the Blacksmith Shop, where a skilled blacksmith makes antique hinges, lamps, and horseshoes among other items. The blacksmith hosts live demonstrations and is responsible for shoeing the horses that travel down Main Street each day. Paul Revere's Silver Shop is unique, wherein the available wares are all made from real silver. The second-floor window of the silver shop has two lanterns, a reference to the poem "Paul Revere's Ride" by Henry Wadsworth Longfellow. "One, if by land, and two, if by sea," reads the poem. These lanterns indicate that the British have arrived "by sea." Paul Revere made these signals in case he was unable to perform his famous ride across the Massachusetts countryside.
The masts of a sailing ship peer over the rooftops. Griffin's Wharf has been recreated here as a “living” diorama. A large matte painting shows the Atlantic oceanfront, circa 1773. Sailing ships, schooners and seagulls sail beneath the clouds and vivid blanket of the blue coastal sky. A half-size replica of The Dartmouth, one of the three British vessels ransacked in the Boston Tea Party, is docked in front of the mural. This ship is a clever entrance to the Revolutionary History Museum.
The Revolutionary History Museum has been recognized by the United States Government as a national museum, meaning it to be at the quality and content of Washington D.C.'s famous Smithsonian Institute.
Since 1958, admission has been free. The museum holds exhibits in portrayal of our country's birth, well into the Civil War, Industrial Revolution and beyond, though the focus remains on our earliest years. The museum was a passion project of Walt Disney. Much of what remains today was chosen and placed there by Walt himself, even the famous “U.S. Capitol in Miniature.”
"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."
A venerable entertainment troupe since 1958, the Fife & Drum Corps hearken to the spirit and celebration of the American Dream. The musicians, clad in the blue uniform of Revolutionary America, have been integral through Disneyland's 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 1975 at both Disneyland and Walt Disney World, and continued until September of 1976. The Fife & Drum Corps led the beloved America on Parade, and have performed in the "encore" for the Main Street Electrical Parade since July 4, 1976: "To Honor America."
Sleepy Hollow Tavern is a title befitting of our inner patriot or grim, grinning ghost. The menu is in celebration of all things Americana, from smoked turkey legs and cheeseburgers to pumpkin pie and New England clam chowder. This stately colonial home is Liberty Street's exclusive major dining hall. Aside from the food, the main attraction is the tavern itself being a replica of Baltus van Tassel’s farm house seen in 1949’s The Adventures of Ichabod and Mr. Toad. A sinister portrait of the Headless Horseman hangs above the fireplace - did that portrait just cackle?
The New England Print Shop began editing Disneyland's popular newspaper, The Disneyland News, in 1958, a newspaper that is still in syndication today. The newspaper can be purchased here (for $1), as well as in the colorful Newsstands found near the Main Gate. The skilled proprietor uses an old Washington hand press like the one Ben 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 soon took to the idea of having a real, operational post office inside Disneyland. Since 1961, "Samuel Osgood'' has serviced the many mailboxes found throughout Disneyland, and still accepts letters and packages today.
Ye Olde Christmas Shoppe is connected to Main Street's Hallmark Store on the other side - in fact, they are one and the same, only, Ye Olde Christmas Shoppe is far more expressive of the Yuletide season. The year-round decor of shimmering garland, lights, trees, and the sounds of warm holiday music and sleigh bells is a suited escape from the rest of the year. The shop is most famous for its massive holiday village, as designed and displayed by Department 56. Department 56 and Disney have collaborated to offer a village series exclusive to Disneyland: “Christmas at Disneyland,” a miniature portrayal of Disneyland and its many lands and attractions dressed for the holiday season. Colonial Shoppers next door is quite similar to a southern “country store.” The merchandise and decor is specialized in stuffed toys, charming kitchenware, clothing, hats, and vintage signs reminiscent of the Old South and Midwest
.
The Town Crier calls for passers-by, gathering us in front of the Revolutionary History Museum. The Muppets - consisting of Kermit the Frog, Miss Piggy, Fozzie Bear, Sam Eagle and The Great Gonzo - appear in the museum’s second-floor windows, bringing to life their fuzzy view of American history. The Muppets Present...Great Moments in American History is a reverent, hysterical, and historical performance in portrayal of the signing of the Declaration of Independence and the midnight ride of Paul Revere, told only as The Muppets can - a unique “window” into our nation’s past, if you will.
In the heart of Liberty Street is the stately Independence Hall. This historic building has housed a number of attractions since 1958, finally and currently, the inspiring 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 in beautiful and inspired reverence.
The American Adventure took Imagineers five years to complete for EPCOT Center in 1982, and a mere two for Disneyland from 1989 - 1990. A feat of entertainment, engineering and creative design, The American Adventure is held in a theater adorned with life-size statues of the “Spirits of Freedom” - statues that embody the ideals of individualism, innovation, and independence. Benjamin Franklin and Mark Twain will be our guides on this journey through time.
Pivotal moments in history appear and disappear seamlessly through the use of a massive computer-controlled movable device. More than ten different sets are stored under the stage and are moved forward or backward on cue by this American technological marvel. We will witness such landmark events like the landing of The Mayflower and the loss of the Great Depression - encounter such luminaries as Frederick Douglas, Teddy Roosevelt and Walt Disney. It is truly a show like none other.
Costumed in period finery from the 1800s, the Voices of Liberty performs in the rotunda of Independence Hall - an acoustics paradise. Their melodies delight while the Hall’s perfect ceiling amplifies and purifies their sound. The stunning “lobby” is intended as the “people’s mansion,” taking interior design cues from the classic Georgian style of the late 1700s, Colonial Williamsburg, Thomas Jefferon’s Monticello, and the Old State House in Boston. The lobby is filled with portraits of American historical moments and figures, as well as authentic artifacts dating as far back as the 1600s. One particular corridor empties into the Independence Hall directly from the exit of Great Moments with Mr. Lincoln on Main Street.
***
DisneyManOne
Well-Known Member
This is a question that I've been thinking about for quite some time now. In Charlie Callahan's video about the three parks that inspired DCA, he claimed that WestCOT's "New World" section would have featured The American Adventure. In your Mirror universe where The American Adventure opens on Liberty Street instead, how will you work around that?