Tower of Terror Comparison

Because I was not a fan of drop rides, I avoided the Tower of Terror attraction like the plague. The first time I saw it was in 2002 when I was “backstage” at Walt Disney World in Orlando; it had opened July 22, 1994.



When three-year-old Disney California Adventure in Anaheim was struggling, the Tower of Terror attraction was viewed as the Park’s savior when it opened May 5, 2004. It was truly the first “wow” ride that Anaheim’s second gate could boast about. Still, it lacked the attention to detail and lavish opulence of its east coast counterpart. The exterior bore little resemblance to the Southern California landmarks that Orlandp’s version was based on (The Los Angeles Biltmore, The Chateau Marmont, and The Mission Inn). Compare the center balcony detail from Orlando:



…inspired by the Chateau Marmont in Hollywood:



Not so distinctive was Anaheim; just plain with purple paint representing the lightning damage:



According to Wikipedia, Anaheim’s architectural style was “Pueblo Deco,” but that was truly stretching it. The windows looked too modern and the odd large box-like shape on top seemed like a poorly planned addition. This place would look more at home in Vegas. Orlando definitely was superior at evoking an old Hollywood hotel. Orlando also had a more extensive outdoor queue, with a winding path and overgrown gardens that give guests time to build anticipation and suspense before entering the lobby area.







In Anaheim, you had a short queue area to the right:



…and to the left. And that was it.



What about the interior? Orlando:





…which was inspired by the Los Angeles Biltmore:



The Anaheim version:





At first glance, both seem ornate, but the Orlando version looks more authentic and less like a movie set. It has been years since I’ve been on either attraction (Anaheim’s closed for retheming in January 2017), but I do recall that the Orlando version’s “elevator” went  horizontal (taking you through the hotel) before it rose to the top for the big drop. That was a nice touch. I guess if the U.S. had to sacrifice one of these, it’s a good thing it was the Anaheim version. Here are the ghosts from Orlando beckoning me to return. It’s only been… thirteen years!



See more WDW Tower of Terror photos at my main website.

At Home with the Presidents

In honor of Presidents’ Day, my Monday post will show the trio of homes that I have visited. I have yet to scan the 1971 negatives from my childhood trip to Mount Vernon, the home of George Washington, so this vintage shot will have to do. Located in Alexandra, Virginia, the Palladian style home began construction in 1734 and went through a number of expansions and remodels over the next 45 years, yielding the present structure that guests can tour today.  

The closest you can get to seeing Washington himself is in Orlando, where his animatronic performs daily in the Hall of Presidents at Walt Disney World:



I’ve been to Monicello twice; once in 1971 and then returned again (with my own camera!) in 2017.



Thomas Jefferson, the third U.S. President, began work on his neoclassic home in 1768, with a number of expansions and revisions that continued on until his death in 1826. 



He is also represented in the Hall of Presidents:



Want to see a panorama of the Hall of Presidents? Here you go:



I’ve never been to the home of our sixteenth president, Abraham Lincoln, but I have visited him at Disneyland’s Opera House:



…and seen his inferior counterpart in Orlando:



I also happened to catch him at the now defunct Tresor Gallery on Royal Street in New Orleans in 2015:



Jumping forward to our thirty-seventh president, Richard Nixon, I visited his birthplace in 2005.



Located on the grounds of the Richard Nixon Presidential Library in Yorba Linda, it is a very modest dwelling, built in 1912 from a mail order construction kit by his father, Frank Nixon.



What better place for the then vice president to celebrate the christening of the Disneyland Monorail in 1959 than at the Carnation Ice Cream Parlour? He is surrounded by his wife Pat, Louise the waitress, and daughter Tricia Nixon. General Manager Mr. Knowles seem to be giving an unspecified direction to the photographer from the background.



Now I’m craving an ice cream sundae.

See more Daveland photos at my main website.

Vintage Tour Through WDW's Haunted Mansion

The quality may not be spectacular, but these 1970's images from Orlando's Haunted Mansion in Liberty Square may still appeal to some, as vintage interior dark ride shots are rare. Shall we board our Doombuggy Time Machine?

As you can see by this photo from my most recent trip to WDW, the landscaping has seen a bit of growth in the last forty years!



Our vintage photographer obviously did not heed the "no flash" warning by the ghost host, as most of these shots suffer from high contrast. Still, this is one of my favorite scenes, as the glimpse of the hands emerging from the coffin give an "eerie sense of foreboding."



Madame Leota loses her face with flash photography; the projection effect gets obliterated.



That #$%^ railing got in the way of the two ballroom shots! Maybe there are some Haunted Mansion railing nuts out there?!?





The best shot of the bunch is this one from the attic, showing a corner glimpse of the original bride:



The flash not only blocked the hitchhiking ghost effect, but kept our photographer's identity anonymous.



It was probably to prevent the ghost host from punishing him for using a flash.

See more vintage & current Walt Disney World Haunted Mansion photos on my WDW Haunted Mansion web page.

More WDW Top of the World & Contemporary Hotel

Daveland reader Greg Kelly generously shared some photos from his collection as well as a few memories of working at the Top of the World Restaurant in The Contemporary Hotel at Walt Disney World.

I worked at the Top of the World Restaurant in the Contemporary Hotel from 1974 through 1976. These pictures were taken in 1974, probably in the summer. The camera I had (and still have!) was a small Kodak. If only the technology was as it was today, I would have some great shots!



The pictures of the King Sisters came out too dark (old flash cubes!) but I still thought I'd include them with the others. All were taken from the Top of the World catwalks. I took one of the Contemporary Hotel from a distance; I was lucky to be out in Florida when it was wide open spaces!!!

The King Sisters:









I have many happy memories of my days as a cast member at the Top of the World. One of my favorite would be during the second show, all of us would go in the break room and watch Saturday Night Live back in the day when it was just starting and hillarious!



Meeting celebrities was great too. I've been around a lot of celebrities ever since I was a kid, as my Dad sang with the Modernaires (1958 to 1964) and sang on the Red Skelton Show and the Danny Kaye Show. Thanks to that, I was used to it. In fact the Modernaires played at the Top of The World for a week and it was great seeing them as they (Paula Kelly, Vern Polk, and Hal Dickenson, God Bless their souls) watched me grow up.





I think the best story I can share was when my friend and I were taking a break in the cafeteria on a slow morning and our colleague came down and his eyes were as big as saucers. He said John Lennon was in the dining room. Well, we thought he was kidding, as we used to kid around a lot. Sure enough though, John Lennon was sitting on the lower level with a whole bunch of kids and probably Yoko Ono's family. That was a trip seeing him and being that close to him! My friends followed him to the restroom and got his autograph. I couldn't as I had been around several celebrities in the past as I mentioned, and felt I should leave him to his privacy! Still, it was an experience I won't forget!



One other quick one I can share was serving Lawrence Welk (just pouring his coffee) and he tipped me $5.00 dollars. In 1975, $5.00 had a bit more mileage to it!! He was a very cool guy. So was Buddy Greco; super cool as a matter of fact! Mel Torme, Rosemary Cloney, etc. Another interesting experience was when The Amazing Kreskin was peforming for a week—he was quite a talent!



I was quite fortunate to get hired at The Top of the World and to have been part of Walt Disney's dream! It was an honor and I had such a great time. Now it is the California Grill. The new Top of the World is in the structure next to the Contemporary Hotel which is a private club or special "Key Club.”



I can't wait to go back and visit. Just to see WDW and all of its growth seems so exciting!

Thanks to Greg for sending his stories and photos!

See more vintage and contemporary WDW Contemporary Hotel photos at my main website.

Trini Lopez at the WDW Contemporary Hotel

The Contemporary Hotel was pretty much the flagship property at the Walt Disney World resort when it was first constructed. Though the design looks far from contemporary today, it is still a popular place to stay. Back in the summer of 1978, my dad took my stepbrother and I to Orlando for one very memorable week at Disney World. I still vividly remember going to the Contemporary Hotel to see Trini Lopez (of "Lemon Tree" and "If I Had a Hammer" fame) perform at the Top of the World.

I'm not sure why it sticks in my mind, but I do remember that the man who arranged our entire week was named Joe Petrovich. I believe he worked in publicity for Disney; whatever he did, he did a top-notch job for us. Here is, sitting between my stepbrother and father.



Two shots of Trini performing that night:





Trini came over to our table:



Hard to believe, but I still have the little program from that evening:





After the show, we were able to visit with Trini in his hotel room. Dig that mod wallpaper! Nope...I don't have that hat anymore.





See more vintage and contemporary WDW Contemporary Hotel photos at my main website.