Oswald the Lucky Rabbit

In late 1927, Walt's cartoon character was "Oswald the Lucky Rabbit". It was distributed by Universal and a man named Charles Mintz. In February 1928, Walt headed to NYC by train to negotiate a new contract for the character. He had no idea that Mintz had hired out all but one of Disney's animators and basically stole the character from Walt. On the train ride home, instead of wallowing in self-pity and bitterness, Walt came up with another character.....and made sure he owned his rights this time.

Fast forward to 2006. Universal still owns the rights to Oswald, although he died out in animation shortly after Mintz stole him from Walt. NBC has earned the right to show an NFL football game on Sunday nights, and they want John Madden and Al Michaels to do the game since ESPN is now doing Monday night football. ABC, owned by Disney, negotiates with NBC for Al's rights to do play by play in the game. The new CEO of Disney asks NBC (which owns Universal) to give Oswald back to the company he belongs to. So, we have Al Michaels to thank for Disney getting Oswald back....almost 80 years later.

Just another lesson in things happening for a reason. I have a hard time seeing Oswald doing what Mickey Mouse did to the American culture. It's also a lesson that what goes around, comes around. Welcome back, Oswald!

DL and DW Parades

A tradition now for the past several years. Christmas morning at 9:00 cst, the Disneyland/WDW parades come on ABC with stars and Disney characters. It was taped earlier this month. We were there last year when they were filming it. Pretty warm but they make the audience wear santa hats anyway and take several takes until they get the right one. Then, they splice and dice it to perfection. If you're there like we were, find something better to do (like ride rides), and then watch it on Christmas Day. Check it out!

Merry Christmas!

Family Museum

For those of you interested in learning more about Walt...

http://disney.go.com/disneyatoz/familymuseum/

Blessings...

Remembrance

A well established description of Walt was that he had one foot in the past and one foot in the future. He was always worried about Tomorrowland b/c he knew that tomorrow would be in the past soon enough. Time does fly and before you know it, the future IS the past.

Walt died 41 years ago yesterday, Dec 15th, 1966. It's interesting how people remember the day Walt died very vividly. It was a shock to everyone. He'd only learned he had cancer 8 weeks earlier. I was born 4 years after his death and yet I can remember watching Wonderful World of Disney and not realizing this man on tv (the tv that sat on the red shag carpet with the three channel tuner) was not alive. Walt died of lung cancer..from smoking. He picked up the habit while driving an ambulance in France during the end of World War I, enlisting by faking his birthday. His employees could hear him coming down the hallway. He had that cough, ya know. Because he seemed to know it was a bad habit, he always tried to keep it hidden from the cameras. There are few shots of him with a cigarette. His daughter Diane actually gave him "filtered" cigarettes for Christmas one year, to try and get him weaned of the non-filtered ones. With an obsessive personality like his, I can only imagine how difficult it must have been for him to try and quit. Yet, it probably took 10 years off his life. He had much planned...WDW, Epcot. More on Epcot in the future. It ended up being a compromise on Walt's dream.

When Disneyland opened, Tomorrowland was supposed to be 1986. I believe this was how long Walt hoped to live. He would have been 85.

Happy Birthday Snow White

Why is it that my wife just looks at this title before I start writing and laughs. So what. I am who I am. See, here's the thing:

Yes, Snow White came out 70 years ago, in 1937. It was a story about an innocent girl with a high pitched voice, an evil queen, a prince, a talking mirror, a huntsman who almost takes Snow White out with an ax, a red apple, and 7 mysteriously single dwarfs who worked in the jewel mines. It was also called "Disney's Folly" and was panned even before it came out. How did Disney expect people to sit through a full length cartoon? All they knew to that point were cartoon shorts...gags, 3-5 minute punchlines before the real movie began.

It worked. Walt mortgaged the studio to make it, everyone in his employ worked on it, he was very demanding of the animation, and was masterful at what was needed to tell the story. The first people who saw it wept..no kidding.

It won a special academy award, with the main statue and 7 miniature statues alongside it. Shirley Temple presented it to Walt. We would probably not have Disneyland or DisneyWorld if it hadn't done so well. Full-length animated features worked! Snow White, if it hadn't been for you..no Pinocchio, no Dumbo, no Peter Pan, no Lion King, no Little Mermaid, etc. etc.

This one's for you Emmy (SW is the flavor of the month). Someday your prince will come...and I'll be waiting with the huntsman and his ax.

Christmas musings

Tis the season - Merry Christmas to all. Christmas is a great time at the parks, as I've mentioned before, so get there someday during this time, if you're able.

Christmas was a favorite of Walt's. He was legendary for handing out all sorts of Disney plush toys and merchandise to friends, kids and family. One Christmas, he gave his secretary some stock in his new corporation and told her to hang on to it, it might be worth something some day. When the secretary died, having lived humbly, her son found the stock while ministering her estate. She was a millionaire and apparently didn't realize it. Wow.

Also, there's a scene in Lady and the Tramp where Lady is given as a Christmas puppy. She pops out of a red and white striped hatbox. This was how Walt gave his wife Lillian there first puppy after they married. I also have this scene memorialized in ceramic, a gift from Heather...for Christmas one year no less.

Also, did you know that he named one of the fairies in Sleeping Beauty after his mother? Her name was Flora. That's not Christmas-related, just a bonus. You can do these sorts of things when you make cartoons for a living.

Hope you all are enjoying the Holiday season! God Bless!

Happy Thanksgiving

I was reminded this morning about the origins of Thanksgiving. It was the fall of 1863, just a few months after the Battle of Gettysburg, where the tide of civil war swayed back towards the Union for good. Abraham Lincoln decided the US needed a day of Thanksgiving and so, by proclamation, set aside the 4th Thursday of November for a day of thanks.

Walt loved Abraham Lincoln. I admire him greatly myself. Walt loved, and his staff basically invented, audio-animatronics which you see throughout the parks today. Although the Tiki Room birds were the first AA's that Disney did, his first MAJOR success was the likeness of Abraham Lincoln for the 1964 World's Fair. It was so good that the audience audibly gasped when Lincoln rose from his chair (another post on the exhibit that almost WASN'T). It was one of Walt's greatest achievements.

From Walt, President Lincoln and myself....Happy Thanksgiving.

Odds and Ends

Rental Car - Alamo is the official rental car co. at WDW. They have a pickup/drop-off location on property toward the front of Magic Kingdom. Kind of hard to find, so get directions..or ask someone.

We use a very sweet girl at Magical Journeys to handle all of our booking. You can e-mail her at wendy@magicaljourneys.com and she'll take care of everything..tickets, hotel, dining, character meals, disney express

Disney Express - All airlines flying into Orlando, except Southwest (they're working on it so maybe by the time you go, Southwest will be included) are participating in this service. Basically, you put a tag on your luggage when you check in at your home airport and the bags show up in your room at Disney. And, you get to ride on a bus to the resort and watch old disney cartoons. Great service...highly recommended.

Staying on-site vs off-site. I've done both...if you want particulars, let me know and I'll give them, but we prefer staying on-site by far. Immerse yourself in the experience, get transportation everywhere via bus/monorail/boat. A future post will compare value/moderate/deluxe resorts.

All of you going the next month...enjoy the holiday festivities. I loved our trip at this time last year. We will be doing it again and maybe making it a tradition..if the wallet can handle it!

More Must Sees at MK

Continued....

1. Splash Mountain - Zippity doo dah, the ride that an imagineer came up with while stuck in traffic one day. Uncle Remus and Brer Rabbit, one of the best stories that's locked away b/c of political correctness
2. Big Thunder Mountain - a fun, tame roller coaster ride. Let me know if you want the "story" of this ride.
3. Space Mountain - the third of the mountains...was actually conceived by Walt before technology could give it to them. All of these were built after Walt passed, but I'm sure he would have approved. They're all popular. Use the fast pass
4. Matterhorn at Disneyland - tell you what, I'll do Disneyland in a separate post. Good story behind that ride too.
5. Tiki Room - because it's an original, although they changed the show in Disneyworld. Original is still in Disneyland. Did you know originally it was going to be a sit-down dinner show? Try the Dole Whips.
6. Haunted Mansion - another that Walt had his hand in. They've recently updated it and added more special effects. A classic.
7. Mickey's Philharmagic - the best little show at Disneyworld. Kids love it. Adults do too.
8. You've got to ride the train around the park - because Walt loved trains and every version of the vision of his park had a train that went around it.
9. Carousel of Progress - built by Walt for General Electric and the 1964 World's Fair.

Kiddies will like the dark rides and Mickey's Toon Town but I could take or leave that. I'm also not too excited about the rest of Tomorrowland. I guess when I have a little boy, I might have to spend some time at Buzz Lightyear's Space Ranger Spin. I haven't seen Monster's Inc. laugh thing yet.

Next will be the Must Sees at Epcot. One of the last things Walt was thinking about before he passed in 1966 was the layout of Epcot, which is nothing like what ended up getting built. Another story for another day. Just remember, before Disneyland, there were no amusement parks. Only dirty carnivals and park carousels. Walt paved the way for the fun you have now at any amusement park.

Dos and Donts

We take this break from "Must Sees" to give you some "Do's and Dont's" - blogger's prerogative....ok, actually I got to thinking what are folks who might read this more interested in. So, here goes:

Do - make reservations for meals. With the dining package, you won't be able to walk in many places and get a table. Soon, we'll give you some of our favorite restaurants.
Don't - plan on keeping 2 year olds at the park all day.
Do - if you have kids, reserve a character breakfast at the Crystal Palace
Don't - go for a week in the middle of the summer
Do - take water bottles with you to fill at the water fountains..and snacks
Don't - sweat the small stuff...you'll sweat enough as is. Have fun, even when the plan runs off-line.
Do - plan on spending some time at the resort and Downtown Disney. Take a break from the parks.
Don't - try and ride every ride in a day. Not possible. Do the shows (Golden Horseshoe Revue), the character greets if you have kids, catch the Dapper Dans barbershop quartet.
Do - catch the fireworks show at Epcot and Magic Kingdom. Epcot is spectacular.
Don't - focus too much on what you're spending. No one has figured out how to get out of Disney on the cheap.
Finally, do leave the kids for a night with your folks and go as a couple to a restaurant at one of the countries in Epcot. If you can snag dinner at Le Cellier in Canada, DO it!

ok...restaurants another time. And more Must Sees coming! Actually, let me know what you all would like to know...I'm flexible. And new at this.

Must Sees

Love Magic Kingdom, where you're to escape reality and enter fantasy. It's always the first place we go. The favorite of the kiddos, close followed by Animal Kingdom. Here are the first 5 of a list of Must Sees in the Kingdom.

1. Walt grew up in Marceline, MO in the early 1900's and modeled Main Street USA after Marceline. Some day I'll post just on details of Main Street that you probably never noticed. Make sure you look around and up when you walk down Main Street. Notice the smells too. They pipe out the candy smell from the candy shop. Did you know that in Disneyland, they actually had a shop that sold bras? No lie.

2. It's a Small World - had to include this. It's Heather's favorite. Was conceived and built in one year for the 1964 World's Fair in New York. The song was thrown together by the Sherman Brothers. Mary Blair did the colors. She also did the coloring and background art for the Cinderella movie. Note the similarities.

3. Jungle Cruise - An original attraction, the skippers on this ride are considered to have the best job in the park. It's coveted. Did you know Walt wanted to use live animals, until they convinced him that animals would sleep during the day.

4. Pirates of the Caribbean - The movie was inspired by the ride, which was then re-inspired by the movie. Look for Jack Sparrow. The similarity is eerie. And, they now have the ladies chasing the men in one scene after our politically correct world found offense that pirates would actually chase women. Walt's shaking his head at that one.

5. The Fire Station in Town Square - At Disneyland, there is a candle that always burns in the window, signifying Walt's presence at the park. This is where his apartment was. Walt had an affinity for the fire department and had a fire pole installed so he could slide down in the morning...until a patron climbed up it one morning and surprised Walt in his pajamas. It's in the same place geographically at Walt Disney World.

Next....5 more from the Kingdom

Some Helpful Websites

I've been asked by several people that are going to the World soon when my next post is coming....well, finally, here you go. I had thought that my lovely wife would actually do the posting, but no..time for ole Scott to learn how to do this thing himself. Before I write anything more, if you're there in season and get a chance to go to "Mickey's Christmas Party", please do it. Also, the "Candlelight Processional" at Epcot (might want to to do this while others are taking care of little ones).

To start, and perhaps most important, following are websites you should check out:

For pictures of accommodations, menus of restaurants and other general info: www.allears.net

Every Monday you can find out what's going on at WDW and DL at the following site. It also posts a neat article every Wednesday called "Wade's Wayback Machine" where the writer talks about Walt Disney himself: www.mouseplanet.com

Both of these have discussion boards that allow you to ask questions and get answers, or look for a similar question and read responses. A good way to learn about what things you should take a child on, where to eat, when to go, etc. Enjoy! I'll be better about ongoing posts. Next..."must sees"

Fascination Explanation -- Part III

So, how does this story of a man, a dream and a mouse impact me? I have been told before that I’m an 'old soul'. I’ve also many times thought I was born in the wrong decade. I’m not that technologically savvy -- in fact, my wife handles that for our family. I long for a simpler time. I love the fact our house has a front porch. However, I have always been fascinated in things like space and inventions that can some day help mankind discover things only dreamt of in years past.

Many people have said that Walt had one foot in history and one foot in the future. I relate to that. Of the many things that Walt had that I don’t, one was the ability to dream the dream and then act through it’s completion. While he probably wouldn’t have been as successful as he was without his brother, who managed the business side, few can match his work ethic and perseverance. He laid everything on the line several times because he believed in the product he was offering -- a product that has brought smiles to countless millions then and since.

One more thing…his girls always thought Walt and his movies a bit corny, to which he told them "What’s wrong with corny?". I’ve been accused of the same thing, which I come by honestly. Thanks, Dad.

Over the coming months, at the encouragement of my wife, I will be listing some of our experiences at the Disney parks that might help some folks with decisions around this very important event. I love to hear from people who have taken their kids for the first time to witness the magic. Trips to Disney World and Disneyland can be daunting, and for those not prepared, not very fun. So, if I can help make it a better experience, great. We’ll see where this little experiment goes. I will admit that Disney today is a bit more short term in their thinking than I would like and seem to want to figure out every possible way to separate you from your money, but on the whole, I still think if you do it right, the return is worth the investment. So, stay tuned...

Fascination Explanation -- Part II

I have always been fascinated by American history, especially the time period in which Walt and my grandfather grew up. These Americans grew up in a time that saw the first automobiles, the first plane take flight, two world wars and the Vietnam War, the Great Depression, and the true impact of the Industrial Revolution. Due to living in a free democracy, American citizens were able to follow their dreams and create whatever their minds could create. (Fun Fact: I have read that the majority of patents issued in the United States were for this time period.)

The first half of the nineteenth century was an enlightened period: a golden age… a time when idealism was still thought achievable. [Walt died in December 1966, but he saw the start of the demise of idealism when Kennedy was shot in 63’.] Walt’s story is one where a person who never finished high school could get on a train, go to Hollywood with $20 in his pocket, start a business from scratch, and watch it grow into [arguably] the most recognized franchise in the world -- with perhaps the one exception being McDonalds (whose story is almost as interesting, but that’s for another day…).

When you think of the great minds and personalities of the 1900’s -- the Wright brothers, Henry Ford, Albert Einstein, Martin Luther King, Dwight Eisenhower, etc. -- the case can be made that the things they are remembered for were things for their time, and that we have moved beyond them. Walt is different. Walt’s ideas and dreams are still growing and being exposed to each new generation as a rite of passage.

more to come...

Fascination Explanation -- Part I

To begin, I must point out that there are several similarities worth noting about Walt Disney and my family.

* Walt’s family came from Ireland during the immigration explosion in the late 1800’s. My grandfather’s family came from Germany during the same time period. What, you've never seen a leprechaun in lederhosen? You get the gist...

* Walt grew up in a small Missouri town (Marceline), as did my grandfather (and myself -- if you consider Springfield a small town). He modeled Main Street, USA after Marceline.

*Walt's father built their first house and was a very fine carpenter. My great grandfather built my grandfather's house and my grandfather was a carpenter. Walt and my grandfather were very good with their hands.

* Walt went to World War I as an ambulance driver. He never saw combat, but did get to chauffeur General Marshall once in France. My grandfather went to World War II and never saw combat. But he did salute General MacArthur once.

* Walt had 2 girls, as did my grandfather. To make it even stranger, both eldest girls married a 'Miller'.

*My grandfather and Walt died of complications from smoking, and both had a pronounced smoker's cough.

For some reason, when I see clips of Walt, I think of my grandfather. Both loved a good joke, loved life, and were irreverent at times. My grandfather died when I was 16 and, although he was in poor health most of the time I knew him, he had an impact on those he knew -- as I learned at his funeral when the funeral home was packed with people I had never met and who hadn't seen my grandfather in years, yet respected him enough to be there. I saw how he was admired. He and Walt grew up in a different time and a different ethic, one of hard work and determination...and unbridled patriotism. I can imagine that Walt and my grandfather would have made great friends. So, in a way, my fascination with Walt is also a tribute to how I remember my grandfather.

to be continued.....