Featured Attractions

Friday, June 30, 2017

Freaky Fridays: From Condorman to Iron Man




Condorman starred Barbara Carrera who starred with Bette Davis in Wicked Stepmother. Bette Davis starred in Disney's The Watcher in the Woods.



Bette Davis was in Death on the Nile with David Niven, who starred in Disney's Candleshoe.




David Niven starred in No Deposit, No Return with Don Knotts.


Don Knotts lent his voice to the film Chicken Little, as did Garry Marshall.



Garry Marshall starred in the movie Soapdish which also featured Iron Man himself- Robert Downey, Jr.






Thursday, June 29, 2017

Theme Park Thursdays: Cool Down!


Looking for a spot to cool off in DISNEYLAND? Pirates of the Caribbean is one of the longer rides and always has the coolest air conditioning in the parks.



If you're looking for a quicker cool down, try a gift shop that features sweatshirts and jackets. The park will sometimes keep these locations at much lower temperatures to encourage people to try on the merchandise.

Tuesday, June 27, 2017

Toontown Tuesdays: Tummy Trouble


Hollywood originally had low expectations for Who Framed Roger Rabbit. Many derided it as another Howard the Duck, a film that fizzled out two years earlier.  The film, however, became a huge hit, taking the box office by storm. Disney and Amblin Entertainment soon rushed to take advantage of the film's success by putting cartoon shorts into production. The first one was released into theaters one year later before Honey, I Shrunk the Kids.

 

Tummy Trouble featured a sick Baby Herman being rushed to the hospital after swallowing a rattle, much to the consternation of the harried Roger Rabbit. It would be the first of a series of shorts.

Monday, June 26, 2017

Music Mondays: DISNEYLAND Records Release #12: Dixieland at DISNEYLAND


 

The twelfth release on the DISNEYLAND label was a return to the Magic Kingdom. The Strawhatters were a band who performed Dixieland style jazz from a stage in Frontierland that was located in what is now New Orleans Square. They also frequently played at the Golden Horseshoe. Guests who enjoyed the band's music could now take home a record allowing them to feel like they were sitting in the middle of DISNEYLAND.

Friday, June 23, 2017

Six Degrees of Disney: From Eddie Murphy to the Country Bears


Eddie Murphy starred in Disney's The Haunted Mansion. He also starred in Bowfinger with Steve Martin.

 

Steve Martin's very first job was in DISNEYLAND. 

 

When she was 60 years old, Elizabeth Taylor celebrated her birthday at DISNEYLAND.

 

Elizabeth Taylor starred in ABC's General Hospital as Helena Cassadine in a now legendary storyline.

 

Peter Renaday starred as John Jacks in General Hospital.

 

Peter Renaday also provided the voice of Henry in The Country Bear Jamboree.

 
 

Thursday, June 22, 2017

Six Degrees of Disney: From Danny DeVito to It's A Small World


Danny DeVito made the Touchstone Picture Ruthless People which co-starred Bette Midler...

 

Bette Midler starred in the Touchstone Picture Outrageous Fortune with Shelley Long...

 

Shelley Long gained fame by starring with Ted Danson in the classic series Cheers. Ted Danson starred in the Touchstone blockbuster Three Men and a Baby which featured actress Celeste Holm as his mother...

 

Celeste Holm starred in All About Eve with Bette Davis, who was in Disney's Return From Witch Mountain.

 

Bette Davis had a legendary rivalry with Mommie Dearest herself, Joan Crawford.

 

And oddly enough, were it not for Joan Crawford and her seat on the PepsiCo board, we might not have ever gotten it's a small world. It was she who setup the deal that led to Walt Disney building the Pepsi sponsored it's a small world attraction at the New York World's Fair.

 

Wednesday, June 21, 2017

Six Degrees of Disney: From Mickey to Yoda

This week we begin a new feature here at The Unofficial Disney Facts Page- Six Degrees of Disney! This feature will settle into Freaky Fridays, but this week, you'll be seeing it today, tomorrow and Friday.

 

From Mickey to Yoda

Steamboat Willie, Mickey's first cartoon, was heavily inspired by the animation style of Max Fleischer, whose main character was called Krazy Kat...

 

In 1954 Max Fleischer's son, Richard Fleischer, directed Walt Disney's 1954 hit film 20,000 Leagues Under the Sea. When Richard was first approached by Walt Disney, he asked Walt for some extra time to make a decision since he wanted to ask his father about it first. Despite being a longtime competitor of Walt's, Max enthusiastically gave his permission.

 

20,000 Leagues Under the Sea starred Hollywood legend Kirk Douglas, who would later star in the first film released under Disney's Touchstone Pictures banner- Tough Guys. (Previously the movies were released by Touchstone Films.)

 

Tough Guys featured Saturday Night Live alumnus Dana Carvey in one of his first roles. Another Saturday Night Live alumnus Tina Fey would star alongside Miss Piggy in the Disney film Muppets Most Wanted.

 

Of course, Miss Piggy was originally voiced by Frank Oz, who also provided the voice of Yoda!

 


Tuesday, June 20, 2017

DISNEYLAND vs. Walt Disney World: Overplanning?


We're often asked about what the differences between DISNEYLAND and Walt Disney World are. Today, we highlight one of them.

Theme parks have always been places where people could spontaneously experience things at their own pace and on their own terms. As a matter of fact, Walt Disney loved the more spontaneous nature of DISNEYLAND, encouraging his staff to ensure that guests would have unexpected experiences and surprises. For the most part, this spirit remains at DISNEYLAND, which has tried to balance the needs of guests who want spontaneity with those who want to plan most everything down to the minute.

 

Walt Disney World, on the other hand, has fully embraced those who want to overplan everything down to the second. Unfortunately, this means that those spontaneous surprises are reduced and guests who don't want to plan everything out are inconvenienced. Don't have lunch reservations for the Magic Kingdom theme park made months ago? Too bad, because you literally will find very little to eat within the park. Two overcrowded counter service locations or snack carts are your only choices.

 

While Walt Disney World partisans fault spontaneous guests for not doing research and planning ahead, guests shouldn't be forced to decide months in advance where they'd like to eat lunch. Walt Disney World pretty much does this, while DISNEYLAND still strikes a balance.

Thursday, June 8, 2017

Theme Park Thursdays: Long Ago DISNEYLAND Hotel Amenities


In the early days, DISNEYLAND would be closed on Mondays and Tuesdays during the off-season. Even when the park was open, it would often close at 6PM. As a result, the DISNEYLAND Hotel would find it difficult to fill rooms when DISNEYLAND Park was closed. Hotel operator Jack Wrather decided to bulk up his hotel's amenities to make it a destination in itself.

So the DISNEYLAND Hotel had its own golf course...

 

And its own miniature golf course...

 

Plus a helicopter service offering round trips to locations throughout the Southland...

 

There would be scenic marinas...

 

And dancing waters...

 

Did you drive your car to the Magic Kingdom? Why not fill up conveniently on the premises?

 

As the resort expanded, the extensive on premises amenities were no longer seen as being necessary. With a new theme park and entertainment district, there was much more to do outside the hotel.