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By Michael - November 4th, 2011 As you can no doubt tell, I’ve been digging through my old issues of Eyes and Ears lately trying to do some research. The perilous part of this is that any given issue from the 1970s can be full of distractions, from interesting historical tidbits that need sharing to things that are simply strange. Or, occasionally, borderline deranged.
Another running theme is simply the fact that Walt Disney World and the Disney company itself has changed a lot in ensuing years. Walt Disney World in the 1970s was a goofy organization with this weird sense of humor. From endless cast softball games to Cast Activities collecting lists of everyone’s CB handles to warnings to look out for all these “big city hucksters” coming to Orlando selling fake watches, the overall feel conveyed evokes some provincial mom-and-pop operation.
But another big difference appears in the snapshots we get of resort operations at the time. From swanky nightlife to cocktail cruises, things had a different vibe. We’ve lamented in the past the decline of resort merchandise; whereas Liberty Square used to offer a silversmith and antique store, today every inch of retail space seems packed with pirates, princesses and pixies. The heavy focus on “princesses” in the last decade made the following story all the more shocking when I happened upon it. From April 12, 1975, it describes a Magic Kingdom without… Cinderella?
 "He's still looking at me, isn't he? I feel like he's still looking at me. Is he still looking at me?"
Bob Colburn, Assistant Supervisor of the Crystal Palace, wrote EYES & EARS and said … “Many times a little girl has come up to me and asked where Cinderella is at. They are usually confused because they see Cinderella castle, but no Cinderella. I wonder how many little girls come to Walt Disney World excited about the idea of meeting their fantasy idol, Cinderella, and are disappointed when she is not here.”
A spokesman for the Entertainment Division told us that there is quite a history behind the use of Cinderella in the Magic Kingdom. Actually, there are two different Cinderellas … one in rags and one in her ball gown. Her formal gown is made of satin to give it an elegant look. From past experience, they found that her gown does not wear well when used everyday in the Theme Park. And synthetic materials do not give it that real “look of elegance” that her character needs. So Entertainment Division saves Cinderella in her formal gown for special events, parades and grand openings.
But what about putting the Cinder Girl in Rags into the Magic Kingdom? They tried it and none of the guests recognized her, even when she was with Gus Gus and Jacques. However, the Entertainment Division experimented using Cinderella in the Magic Kingdom over the Easter Holidays and found a place on the Fantasyland side of the castle where she could meet our guests and still have her gown protected. The spokesman told EYES & EARS that presently plans call for Cinderella to be there daily starting this summer.
Not having a walkaround Cinderella because a synthetic gown just wouldn’t look fancy enough? Wow. Also, I totally wish they still used hobo Cinderella in the park. That would be fantastic.
If all that wasn’t jarring enough, the next story was about how Walt Disney World used to refuse to allow weddings on-property. That’s right, Walt Disney World was once free of the yoke of the wedding-industrial complex.
Walt Disney World receives many unusual requests each year. And a good number of them read something like this letter we received recently:
Dear Sir:
We wish to tell you how much we enjoy Disney World. We have been there a dozen times since it has opened, and we enjoy it more each time we return.
We have an unusual request to make. We enjoy Disney World so much, we would like your permission to be married there.
If possible, we would like the ceremony performed in Liberty Square. Only a few people are in the party. We would also like to make a reservation for two at the Polynesian Hotel.
We would like to hear from you as soon as possible so we can make our arrangements.
By the way, EYES & EARS looked into this request and found that we have a policy of not allowing weddings here on Walt Disney World property. However, we do have facilities for wedding receptions at our resort hotels.
I love the implication that this was such a kooky request that they had to look into it. Getting married at Disney World? Whaa? Whoever heard of such a thing!
I also like the window into a past world provided by the fact that this transaction took place through a letter. It’s hard to imagine booking a reservation by writing “Hey, I’d like a room for two at the Poly. Take care of that.” and dropping it into the mail.
But a wedding at Disney World? That’s just craaaaaaazy!
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By Michael - November 2nd, 2011 One of the many operational issues facing Walt Disney World when it opened in 1971 was inadequate transportation capacity. Walt Disney Productions simply ran out of time before the resort’s debut, and so the Magic Kingdom opened without enough operational monorails and watercraft to bring visitors in from the Transportation and Ticket Center. Every moving vehicle was pressed into service in those early days, and Disney wound up relying on a motley collection of monorails, buses, and wheezing, under-powered parking lot trams to get guests across the Seven Seas Lagoon.
Disney didn’t have the large-capacity ferries you see today until 1972; prior to that, they utilized the resort’s smaller excursion craft that were eventually run into the ground due to overuse. In 1972 the Magic Kingdom I and Magic Kingdom II, based on the famous Staten Island ferries in New York, came on line to alleviate the situation. Still, this left Disney with little margin for error if ships had to go down for refit or repair, and so in 1975 work commenced on a third ferry. This ship would eventually be christened the Kingdom Queen when it entered service in 1976.
According to the invaluable Disney Watercraft site, this new ship was designed by naval architect Ben Ostlund of Newport Beach, California. Several years later Ostlund would go on to design the FriendShip launches for EPCOT Center in 1978.
The $1.25 Million Kingdom Queen featured a more efficient internal design than its predecessors, and a number of new features. Intended to accommodate evening excursion cruises on the moonlit waters of Bay Lake and the Seven Seas Lagoon, the Kingdom Queen featured two wet bars on either end of its upper deck. The top deck was bereft of benches or seating due to its intended alternate use as a dance floor, and the ship is the only Walt Disney World ferry to feature bathrooms – which remained locked to visitors during regular operating hours. Sadly, the wet bars were removed during a 2001 refit.
In 1999, the Kingdom Queen was renamed General Joe Potter to commemorate the Army veteran who had helped lead construction of Disneyland in 1955 and Walt Disney World in 1971.
Back in 1975, though, they had just laid the keel for the new vessel and the following article appeared in the December 19th, 1975 edition of Eyes and Ears of Walt Disney World:
 "Just a skosh more to the left, Luther..."
FERRYBOAT TAKING SHAPE HERE
Our third ferryboat to transport guests from the TTC over to the Magic Kingdom is well underway behind the Shops Building in the North Service Area, with the first of June as a proposed date to launch her.
The as yet un-named vessel has a steel hull and aluminum super-structure, a dance floor on the second deck, will be diesel powered, with a hull 120 feet long by 35 feet wide. Actual construction on the massive boat began in mid-October and will continue through the winter and spring months.
The construction site is behind the Shops Building near the drydock area. Pictured above, one of the steel hull sections is lifted into place where it will be welded into the rest of the hull. EYES & EARS will be following the assembly of our newest ferryboat and will occasionally be bringing you reports on how it is going.
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By Michael - October 31st, 2011  "House cleaning, Halloween style... Sitting in the lap of one of our 999 happy haunts is Jayne Polgar, one of our animation artists who finds that every day is Halloween around here! Jayne spends her time keeping up the appearances of dozens of ghouls and goblins in the Haunted Mansion." - Eyes and Ears of Walt Disney World, 28 October, 1977 The mention of Disney and Halloween almost instantly evokes a few images. Ichabod Crane, for one. For those of us of a certain age, Disney’s Halloween Treat (Which ABC, Disney Channel, and ABC Family should all be mortally embarrassed for ignoring). But mostly, it’s all about the Haunted Mansion.
From Halloween of 1977 comes this tale of the people that keep the Mansion spooky. And not a single squirty crypt required!
“MANSION” GREAT HAUNT FOR GHOST LOVERS
Ghostly white hands push upwards, raising the coffin lid ever so slightly. It creaks and groans, rising slowly to expose rusty spikes and bony fingers.
But there’s something definitely amiss … Jayne Polgar moves in to solve the case.
No! It’s not the ghostly movements that worry her. It’s the french cuffs on the skeletal wrists lifting the coffin lid. They’re slipping. And it’s Jayne’s job to straighten them out along with other ghostly shapes throughout our Haunted Mansion attraction.
Jayne’s specialty is make-up and grooming for 999 happy haunts who provide wall-to-wall running chills for millions of guests in the Magic Kingdom each year … because even a ghost must keep up appearances!
Jayne is one of four artists who spend their days … and more than a few nights … making ghosts appear frighteningly unlife-like. She joined the Audio-Animatronics Department staff several years ago while studying art at a local college. She claims she loves her work, though standing in the middle of a graveyard full of ghosts can be a little unnerving … even for a veteran!
Jayne’s job entails regular maintenance on the appearance of dozens of ghouls and goblins, spooks and spirits. In the early morning hours before the Mansion “comes to life,” Jayne and her three colleagues walk through the haunted hallways, looking for any outward signs of wear and tear from the continuous movement of the audio-animatronic figures. They adjust a hat on a graveyard picknicker, straighten a collar here, adjust a sleeve and check the ghostly white pallor of a graveyard caretaker there.
Working out of a trailer behind Fantasyland that is literally loaded with the special tools of their trade, the Animation Art Department also includes artists Lee Nesler, Tom Rodowsky and Randy Ogren.
“We take care of every attraction in the Park,” Lee explained. “We’re concerned with the overall show aesthetics and maintenance of all of them … but I guess Haunted Mansion is our favorite!”
Despite their familiarity with the Mansion and its ghostly inhabitants, the early morning visits sometimes hold surprises of near hair-raising proportions.
“As well as I know the effects, if I’m concentrating on a touch-up job and an animated figure is suddenly activated, I still jump!” Jayne told us.
The tools of her trade include translucent face powder, eye shadow, vanishing cream, and an extra supply of witch hazel … but no dust broom. All of the ghosts prefer a nice layer of dust over her handy work.
Lee, Tom and Randy have other specialities. You might find one making spider webs and sprinkling out dust, another doubling as a seamstress who specializes in disappearing thread, while the other works with the sound system … and his work is always a howling success!
If you’re a history buff, then working in the Hall of Presidents would be great. And if you collect dolls, It’s A Small World would be just the thing. But all four agree, there’s something about the Haunted Mansion that just “grows” on you! The last we heard, they were flipping a coin to see who would open the attraction Halloween Day … with the loser getting the honors!
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By Michael - October 31st, 2011 
Despite the fact that the Lake Buena Vista area is a critical element of the early Vacation Kingdom aesthetic, it often seems that Disney itself had a poor handle on what, exactly, the development was and why it existed. Trying to track the history of the Lake Buena Vista village’s intended purpose is a dodgy endeavor; seemingly every year in the early 1970s presented a new concept for the area. Was it a development for employees? For guests? For corporations? Was it a predecessor to EPCOT? Or merely overflow capacity for the Walt Disney World resort hotels?
At one point or another it seems to have been all these things. The idea of a “second city” in Walt Disney World went back to Walt’s original press conference announcing the Florida development. At the time he said he was considering building a “city of tomorrow” (which would become EPCOT) and a “city of yesterday.” As the EPCOT concept developed prior to his death, this other city seems to have evolved into a “satellite community” which is poorly elaborated but nevertheless always present in descriptions of the futuristic city. At times it seems the satellite community was intended for Disney retirees; EPCOT was only intended for working employees, and cast members would not have been able to live there in perpetuity.
As site planning for Walt Disney World continued, the satellite community came to be planned for the Lake Buena Vista area. As construction began on property, plans for the Lake Buena Vista community became more recreation and resort-oriented. Instead of full-time residences, which would require schools and other civic facilities, these would be second homes, available for sale or lease to corporations, those in search of a vacation home, or Disney clients.
The spin at the time was that the development, although not a permanent residential community, was laying the groundwork for EPCOT. Disney had no experience in the field of real estate development, and Lake Buena Vista would be their dry-run at city building. The small-scale, park-like atmosphere would allow a more gradual entry into home construction than the work required for the futuristic city of EPCOT.
It would also provide a place to put corporations that Disney was courting for sponsorships; the EPCOT effort (in both city and theme park form) depended entirely on the ability to recruit private participation and funds, and the Villas that were to be built in Lake Buena Vista would be a perq for visiting executives. They were also typically advertised as being available for “employee reward programs” or the like, the idea being that companies who bought townhomes in Lake Buena Vista could use them to reward hardworking underlings.
So Disney formed their own development subsidiary – the Buena Vista Land Company – and began building townhouses. Now they just had to sell them.
As with most things in early Walt Disney World, this is where it gets fun. Disney knew how to sell an idea back in those days, in verbiage so lush and savory you just want to bite down on it and chew. No guilt trips about buying your kids all the magic, dreams, and fantasy they can stand here. No pirates and princesses, no dependence on the memories of past glories. Back in 1972, Disney could take the sale of condominiums and turn it into an existential odyssey; a veritable dream quest into the heart of some fabled Shangri-La called Central Florida. This is how you do it, kids:
Continue reading Lake Buena Vista Chronicles: Selling The Magic, 1972
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By Michael - October 30th, 2011 One of Disney’s great, iconoclastic artists was Eyvind Earle, a master painter responsible for bringing a stylized flair to midcentury Disney animation. Earle was heavily involved in the unique backgrounds and production design of Sleeping Beauty. I would elaborate on his biography, but thankfully we are able to see his life through his own words.
Continue reading Eyvind Earle, A Biography
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The Progress City Primer
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