Neon at Disney Parks

When neon expert supreme Eric Lynxwiler makes a request, I listen! He recently alerted me to a Zoom Artist Talk hosted by MONA (Museum of Neon Art).



Get a Backstage Pass to Neon in Disney Parks with “The Wonderful World of Disney Neon.”



Here’s the 411: Zoom Artist Talk: Thursday, December 9, 2021 at 7pm PST MONA will host Steve Spiegel, Story Editor Executive for Walt Disney Imagineering for a one-night-only Zoom event on December 9th at 7pm to showcase the history of luminous tubing in Disney Parks. Disney theme parks are known for their rigorous attention to historic and aesthetic detail and the “Imagineers,” Disney’s team of artists, writers, engineers, and technicians use neon and other forms of lighting in multiple ways, from perfectly replicating Golden Age movie houses of Hollywood to transporting audiences into hyper-realistic future worlds. Audiences will be wowed by the layers of narratives presented through light at Disney theme parks worldwide, such as the dazzling neon collection at “Cars Land” in Disney California Adventure Park.



A Q&A will follow the presentation.

Steve Spiegel is the Story Editor Executive for Walt Disney Imagineering, the theme park design and development division of The Walt Disney Company. In this role, Steve has written notable Disney experiences including “Honey, I Shrunk the Audience!” “Star Tours – The Adventures Continue,” and “Guardians of the Galaxy – Mission: BREAKOUT!” He is also a co-founder of Signs United, an international community of vintage sign hunters, enthusiasts, and preservationists. His photographs of vintage neon have been featured in exhibits at The Museum of Neon Art in Glendale, CA, The Perfect Exposure Gallery in Los Angeles and in a “Signs From Different Worlds: Vienna meets Havana” exhibit in Vienna, Austria.

You can get tickets here.

See more MONA photos at my main website.

Radiator Springs Fun

Welcome to Cars Land! Hard to believe, but I really haven't done much photography in this area since it first opened in 2012. I typically avoid it because of the crowds. Time to rectify that! Our Tour Guide pointed out the wire in the telephone shown here.



Hidden Mickeys pretty much bore me now. They are totally expected just about everywhere in the Park, so the random surprise is not much of a surprise anymore. Still…this hidden one is somewhat cool and I had never noticed it before. Thanks Maria!



Standing in line for Radiator Springs Racers, Matt snapped furiously before his perfect hair was affected by the 40 mph attraction vehicles.





Janet was popping the dramamine again and ready to try Radiator Springs Racers for the first time.



Ah, the falls! Words cannot express how much I enjoy this attraction and the scenery along the way.



Pardon the grainy shots; I was too lazy to switch to my low light lens and I was also hoping to get some wider angle shots than I usually get with the fixed 50mm.















Watch out for the paint sprayer!









Next time, I will be sitting in front of Matt.



The big finish! Other than blocking most of my shots, Matt's hair seems to have been immune to the gusty winds of RSR.







Back "home" again:



A four-leaf clover from Bugs Land to ensure you have a magical weekend!



In other news, I am VERY excited to announce the release of a new book about Disneyland by Shannon Laskey that features photos by none other than moi (that's French for "me"). Click here for the press release. You can also find out more about the book on the official book website.



GET THE HARDBACK! This book is beautifully designed and the quality is outstanding.

Race on over to my main website for more Cars Land photos.

Trip Report: DCA Christmas Overlay

Across the way from Disneyland, DCA actually seemed MORE festive than its famous neighbor. The shop windows on Buena Vista Street had two-dimensional displays of Santa and his elves, done in the appropriate period style. I love 'em! He's checking his list:



and it would appear that this elf is the one checking it twice:



Here they are working feverishly to make the December 25th deadline:



Seeing these windows made it feel as if you were back in the 1920's, helping to create a totally immersive experience.



The tree in the Buena Vista Plaza was gorgeous, trimmed with plenty of vintage-style ornaments (photos to come!).



The Carthay Circle Restaurant had a huge festive wreath, tastefully hung on the exterior of the building:





Elias & Co. functioned exactly as an old-fashioned department store would have.



Interior displays included a Christmas train:



Mannequins sporting vintage New Year's Eve appropriate attire:





And of course a real-live Santa Claus. As a child, it was part of the annual holiday tradition to visit the local department store, sit on Santa's lap, and tell him what you wanted.





A nearby elf was handing out candy canes to the little ones; it looked just like something out of "A Christmas Story"!



Cars Land also got the full holiday treatment, with more lights, garland, and decor than Main Street!



Plenty of photo opps for the season:







The Cars Land version of a Christmas tree outside of Luigi's:



Check out the hubcap tree down by the Cars Land Town Square:



Flo's V-8 hand plenty of colorful lights hanging from the roof:



I'll leave you today with this fun little animation outside of Sarge's Surplus Store:



Thumbs up to the creative theming at DCA, adding a huge "plus" to these two new areas.

In home video news, "Dick Tracy," starring Warren Beatty, is now available on Blu-ray, and the cartoon colors truly pop in the hi-def format.



See more vintage & current DCA Christmas photos on my DCA Christmas web page.