Fantasyland Friday: Storybook Land Changes

Storybook Land, like other attractions at Disneyland, has seen a number of changes over the years since it first opened in 1956. One such change included the move of Toad Hall so that Agrabah could be added to the attraction. This 1950s image shows the original location of Toad Hall:



Look at all that movement! Casey Jr. circles Storybook Land while the Canal Boats journey through the water. Two different views of the same attraction; a photographer’s dream!



Flash forward to the addition of the Aladdin tableau where Toad Hall once lived, showing the bustling city of Agrabah. In Storybook Land, you will not see any bustle, as it is purely architecture and landscaping; no people or characters. You have to use your imagination!



Fortunately, Toad Hall was spared and put in another area of the attraction. See the Windmill in the lower portion of the frame? Keep that in your brain for a second.



Ratty’s house was also moved:



In October, the Disney Parks Blog excitedly announced the addition of a “Tangled” tableau to Storybook Land;

One of Disneyland’s original rides has reopened after an extended closure for refurbishment and the addition of a modern movie setting: Rapunzel’s tower from the 2010 film “Tangled.” The Storybook Land Canal Boats reopened on Friday, once again taking guests on a journey past the miniature villages of Disney classics like “Pinocchio,” “Alice in Wonderland” and “Cinderella.”

When making a change to Walt’s original Park, Disney Corporation typically tries to justify it by trotting out his famous quote, “Disneyland will never be completed…as long as there is imagination in the world.” If only true imagination was used in some of those changes! Some of the historic info the blog gives about the attraction includes these tidbits:

Walt long had a fascination with miniatures, which he collected for many years. His love of these petite creations was an inspiration for the creation of the attraction that would become the Storybook Land Canal Boats. The attraction reopened as Storybook Land Canal Boats in June 1956, inviting guests to tour a tiny wonderland of fantastical realms. Residences from some favorite stories were painstakingly recreated at 1:12 scale and surrounded by impressive works of horticulture. Today, tours through the peaceful waters are narrated by expert cast member guides who point out landmarks from some favorite Disney stories, like the castle from Cinderella perched high on the hill and the humble workshop where Geppetto carves his wooden masterpieces. Over the years, the attraction has evolved to introduce iconic scenes and sounds from Disney Animation stories such as Aladdin, The Little Mermaid, and Frozen. On the opening day of Disneyland 70 years ago in 1955, Canal Boats of the World debuted as a serene boat ride. The attraction underwent a transformation months later to bring beloved, small-scale fairytales to life along the banks.

What they failed to mention is that in order to make room for “Tangled,” they removed the Windmills from “The Old Mill” (1937). If you want to honor the history of Disney, why would you rip out that significant scene?!? “The Old Mill” was one of the Silly Symphonies animated shorts produced by Walt Disney, and was the first use of his multiplane camera, which was instrumental in the look of “Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs”(1937), released a month later. Below is a shot of said camera on display at the Walt Disney Family Museum in San Francisco:





In 2015, The Old Mill joined the Three Little Pigs as a Silly Symphonies short selected by the United States Library of Congress for preservation in the National Film Registry as being "culturally, historically, or aesthetically significant.” Below are a poster for the short as well as concept art by Gustav Tenggren:



This May 2007 image shows a good overall view of the area where Toad Hall exists, along with Gepetto’s Village and the Three Windmills. Hopefully, you were able to enjoy them before they were removed!



Faded closeups of two of the windmills from 1969:





Was there not enough imagination to figure out how to keep this historically significant scene?
 
See more Disneyland Storybook Land photos at my main website.

The Walt Disney Family Museum, Pt. 2

Today's post takes you over to the main building of the Walt Disney Family Museum. Many (including myself) raised a big question mark when the Museum's location was announced as San Francisco, but after seeing it in person, I cannot imagine a more lovely setting. With a view of the Golden Gate Bridge and a long front porch with plenty of seating, the building is extremely warm and inviting.

One of the first things you see inside is a section with furnishings from Walt's Disneyland Apartment.



Many of these original pieces can be seen in the famous photo from National Geographic:



According to the accompanying text from daughter Diane: "Dad and Mother spent many weekends in the apartment, often with some of their grandchildren. They decorated it in the Victorian style they both knew and loved."





I was most astounded by the abundance of things to see here; and not once did I feel like the museum was "padded" to fill up space. Every item on display was a revelation, rich in the history of Walt Disney. Here is his Certificate of Baptism:



An original signed cartoon by Walt himself:



A shot of young Walt using his camera to make a movie:



Lo and behold, the camera itself:



Throughout the museum, Walt's actual voice told much of his story by piecing together vintage interviews. This treasured piece of paper was Walt and Lillian's Certificate of Marriage. What I loved most about the museum was that it successfully intertwined Walt's personal life with his professional achievements, thus fleshing out a real person.



A cleanup animation drawing by Dick Huemer for the Silly Symphony "The Goddess of Spring" (1934):



A menu from the Studio Restaurant:



Note that in the steaks/chops section, the time it takes to cook some of the items is listed. Perhaps to help those on the time clock make a better decision?



A few items from "Pinocchio":





A reproduction of an Animator's Desk, based on the design by Kem Weber for the Burbank Studio.



The multiplane camera that gave so much depth to early Disney animation:



A few photos of Walt with Salvador Dali:



Concept art for "Night on Bald Mountain, Fantasia" (1940) by Kay Nielsen. So much of this concept art could stand on its own in a gallery. It is breathtaking, and often even more powerful than what reached the screen.



There was even a section on the infamous strike at the Disney Studio. In the accompanying text came this quote from concept artist Joe Grant: "I think Walt was a fair man; he would have done most of the stuff they were fighting for, but they didn't give him a chance."



A gorgeous watercolor by Mary Blair:



Her concept art for "Cinderella" (1950):



and "Peter Pan" (1953):



Even Disney's artists did their part to keep the servicemen's "morale" up:



David Hall's 1939 concept art when "Alice in Wonderland" was in its earliest stage of development. Just a tad bit freaky!



Tomorrow: Disneyland!

See more Walt Disney Family Museum photos on my WD Family Museum web pages.