Fantastic news emerged yesterday for fellow Disney history buffs and Fans of Walt (TM). It turns out that Jeff Kurtti, prolific (to say the least) author, historian, former adviser to the Walt Disney Family Museum, producer of fabulous DVD content back when Disney actually released DVDs worth buying, and general all-around swell guy has signed on to do a weekly (for the time being) column for Disney Insider.
For his first essay, Kurtti ties in Disney’s new musical Newsies to Walt’s own paper-delivery past in Kansas City. This was a very formative time in Walt’s life, and as you’ll see it affected him for decades to come.
It’s incredibly exciting that we’ll now be getting weekly essays from Kurtti, so be sure and bookmark the site and check in regularly.
Now, feel free to use the comments section to demand that Disney Editions publish an updated release of Kurtti’s Since the World Began! Heaven knows I hear people asking for it all the time…
Update: In the comments below Nate Parrish points out something I meant to mention. There does not appear to be an RSS feed on the Disney site for these articles, nor a “homepage” where all of Kurtti’s “Wonderful World of Walt” articles are aggregated. I know that Disney’s web presence has, historically, tended to be a little “last generation” in its approach, but if they want to drive readership and keep it consistent they really, really need to add the little things like an RSS feed. That’s just a given anymore; every tween’s Tumblr has one. Hopefully it’s something they’ll get around to doing sooner rather than later – that way they won’t be relying on social media to get the word out every single time they publish something!
Sorry things have been dead around here for what, I see, is a surprisingly long time. What’s ironic is that during this period of silence there has been a remarkable flurry of activity and news in all corners of the Disney empire. The head of the motion picture division, Rich Ross, got canned and just yesterday was replaced by former Warner Brothers President Alan Horn. This was a huge, enormous upgrade and we’ll talk more about it soon.
Films have been greenlit, canceled, and announced; Glen Keane left Walt Disney Feature Animation. The Fantasyland remodel in Florida has been slowly revealed, with surprisingly impressive results, and Epcot’s Test Track closed (yay!) for a remodel that will give it an aesthetic that is “TRON but not TRON.” Yesterday, Snow White’s Scary Adventures closed forever to make way for a princess meet and greet area. Plans for Downtown Disney continue to founder, and get kicked up and down the corporate ladder, continuing an embarrassing saga that has gone on for years now.
But most of the news is good, and a lot of the spotlight is going to California Adventure, which is finally emerging from its five-year makeover. When the park is re-dedicated later this month, guests will find a park with a remarkably different vibe than they did in 2001. It has, amazingly, become a habitable environment that’s pleasant to visit.
Most exciting is the new entrance area themed to 1920s Hollywood. Buena Vista Street will revive the classic Los Angeles Red Car Trolleys, and bring back to life the long-defunct Carthay Circle Theater. I’m not really happy that they’re using the theater for a restaurant and bar, but at least it looks nice. With the new architecture, water features, and background music, the difference between new DCA and old is like night and day.
I took a trip down to Anaheim the other week to check out the changes; I hadn’t been in a long while and the difference amazed me. I took the following brief video of the construction that continues on Buena Vista Street as they try to meet their opening day deadline. Now, a caveat – first, this was taken on my (terrible) cellphone, so it isn’t spectacular. Also it was impromptu filming on a blustery day, so it’s not exactly Toland-grade cinematography. Nevertheless, I think you’ll get an idea of how things are progressing.
Looks good. I can’t wait to see it all finished. While the remodel won’t solve all of DCA’s problems, at least it will now have a fighting chance. There are still areas within the park that need major remodeling, and most of all the park needs ride capacity. Lots of ride capacity. When there’s always a massive queue for the slight and nonessential Monsters Inc. ride, you know you need more for the family to do. More people-swallowers like Pirates or Mansion in Disneyland; more animatronic theater shows like Carousel of Progress or the Tiki Room; more transportation like the Disneyland Railroad or the Red Cars.
Still, it’s looking good so far – now they just have to get it open on time!
I thought I’d drop in to make note of today’s deal of the day on Amazon. They’re bundling four Blu-ray Disneynature titles – African Cats, Crimson Wings, Oceans, and Earth – for the low, low price of $48 (or 55% off their regular price). For those of you who might have been thinking about checking these nature documentaries out, this would be a great time to pick them up. I’ve seen three of the four and they’re quite spectacular and well worth your time. The sale just lasts through today (Friday), and you can order here.
Under the cover of night, a ray of sunshine landed in Adventureland at Walt Disney World and the Florida Orange Bird reappeared at the Sunshine Tree Terrace, from which he had been absent for many years.
First, please watch:
So with the Orange Bird back and spiffed up, and Citrus Swirls back on tap, the Sunshine Tree Terrace is once more a must-stop destination for citrus-friendly visitors. What a change from a few months ago, when you could only get plain vanilla soft-serve and Cokes there! Hopefully this will reap dividends for the Mouse and management will realize that a differentiated slate of unique offerings throughout the parks benefit everyone in the long run. I can’t help but think those lines of people queued at the Sunshine Tree Terrace back up our argument: It’s possible to do things the right way and make money at the same time!
As we’ve talked about in the past, these small victories are always the result of hard work on the inside by people going out of their way to bring back little touches of the “real” Walt Disney World. After so many years of things being removed and lost without replacement, some of this texture is returning. So kudos to everyone involved! I can’t wait to see what’s next.
That begs a question – what would you like to see make a return to the parks next? What lost detail, snack, character or bit of atmosphere would you like back? Dreamfinder? Teriyaki burgers? The Penny Arcade? Let us know – and most importantly, let Disney know!
"Your bathing suit might catch on something on the way down..."
In February of 1976, River Country was hardly a water jamboree. It was still under construction, as we see from this picture which was published on February 27th.
Well, “thar’s bin aplenty goin’ up” in River Country since our last status report. The photo below may look like the skeleton structure from the “Wild Mouse” at amusement parks or some kind of strange staircase … but it’s actually the initial construction on the “belly slides” at River Country.
River Country would go on to open June 20, 1976 (with a guest appearance by presidential daughter Susan Ford!) and, sadly, would close forever in November of 2001. It continues to sit there, disused and overgrown, today. And, weirdly, just a few months after River Country’s closure, Walt Disney World would get one of those “amusement park” Wild Mouse coasters in the form of Primeval Whirl at Animal Kingdom. Coincidence? Believe it… or not!
From the Progress City archives comes this collection of 33 tall tales and true from Disney history. Available in paperback, hardback, and ebook formats.
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