END OF AN ERA:

Several hundred people danced the night away on April 28 2012, as Disneyland gets ready to transform the Carnation Plaza Gardens into the Fantasy Faire. This stage has hosted greats like Buddy Rich, Louis Armstrong, and The Elliot Brothers just to name a few and also holds the title of the longest running Big Band Swing Stage in the world! Stan Freese, head of the Disneyland Band was there that night, and he told me a little bit about how this stage came to be and Disney’s plans for the future.

Here is a picture of me along with the man himself, Stan Freese.

The Big Bands started playing at Carnation Plaza Gardens in 1959, and when the original band leaders started to pass away, the bands got different people to front the band, but Disneyland kept paying the same amount of money. When these big bands played seven nights a week in the summer, the money definitely added up, so Stan was asked to form their own ‘Disneyland Big Band’. Stan also encouraged the dancers to dress up in World War II costumes, and a lot of the non-dancing guests got a kick out of seeing guys and gals in uniform letting loose on the dance floor. The Carnation Plaza Gardens stage played a key role in the resurgence of Swing Dancing in the 90′s. While this stage is closed now, the bands and the dancers will be transplanted to the Downtown Disney District every Saturday night. Also, after the Fantasy Faire is completed, the stage area will again be used to host Big Bands and swing dancers at night, so all is not lost.

There are plenty of attractions that have been replaced over the years, but it’s definitely sad to see one of the last remaining venues go away that has been unchanged since opening day. However, I have to say that the bands and the dancers gave the perfect goodbye to their beloved stage that night. A lot of people were dressed in Hawaiian shirts to wave “Aloha” to the Carnation Plaza Gardens and to the end of an era.

That’s it for now. See you at the Parks!

Tommy

Greetings everyone! I was lucky enough to be invited to visit the  Walt Disney Studios in Burbank, about 40 minutes north of the hotel. The studio does not offer public tours like Universal Studios does. A few of the ways to get in is to obtain tickets to a live taping of a sitcom, buy a Disney/Hollywood package that includes a tour, or join D23 and wait for member tour days a few times per year.

As a Disney fan, this has to be one of the coolest places to visit other than the Parks themselves. This place is filled with Disney history, and fans can easily spend several hours here just walking around and exploring the Disney Acrchives. This is also where classics such as Mary Poppins and 20,000 Leagues Under the Sea were filmed.

Below are pictures from The Legends Plaza. It’s a courtyard with plaques and handprints of the people that have made a lasting impact in the Disney Universe. People like Tom Hanks, Julie Andrews, and Marc Davis, just to name a few.

Here’s a note for Disney Legend Robert Sherman that someone left for him after his recent passing:

There is a Partners Statue here just like the one in the theme parks, but this one is far more accessible!

There is also a statue of Walt’s brother, Roy

When I hear the term “Walt Disney Archives”, I envision something grand like the Library of Congress with tight security around the perimeter. It was quite the opposite actually. The sign said, “open” so I walked right in. The room was no bigger than our Kids Suites at the HoJo, and we were free to take pictures and look through old comics and magazines. I could have spent all day in this room. It was so neat looking through publications from the 60s and 70s and seeing what the park looked like back then.

Apart from the books, they also have a ton of memorabillia! My jaw dropped when I saw all of these collectiles in one place!

Am I the only one wondering how much these would go for on Ebay?

Here is the costume that Bootstrap Bill Turner wore in the Pirates of the Caribbean movies:

Aztec Gold!

Here is the Wardrobe used for the Chronicles of Narnia movies. I wasn’t able to go inside unfortunately.

The helmet that the Rocketeer wore was on display as well:

Here is a picture of the Multi Plane camera that revolutionized animated films during its time

Thats it for this update! Hope you enjoyed the pictures and see you next time!

See you in the parks!

Time Capsule Tommy

Just in case you didn’t know, Cars Land will be opening to the general public on June 15. In the mean time, Annual Passholders who can’t wait until then to start spending money on Cars Land Merchandise (this guy) had a chance to do so during the Merchandise Preview event .

The event was held in Stage 17 in the Hollywood Pictures Backlot in DCA and you had to show your Annual Pass along with a picture ID to enter.

There is a small display outside that shows the majority of the merchandise available for purchase.

It looked like Disney expected a lot of people by the amount of empty space they had inside. There were also plenty of cashiers to help out guests with their purchases.

Here is a preview of the costumes for Buena Vista Street:

After ElecTRONica powers down, The Mad T Party will take its place. There was a small section that showcased the costumes and merchandise as well, but none were available for purchase.

They did have some samples of the special food and drink items that will be available at the Mad T Party including Dill-Flavored Popcorn (?) and Cotton Candy-flavored and Granny Apple-flavored frozen drinks. I wasn’t a big fan of the popcorn, but the Cotton Candy drink was pretty good.

Heres a picture of the costumes for Cars Land:

Lightning McQueen and Mater were available for a photo op

And now for the Cars Land and California Adventure merchandise!

One last look at the preview area

That will do it for this update. Thanks for stopping by and see you at DCA & CARS LAND!

Cheers,
Tom-Mater

Its been years in the making, but the date for the official opening of Cars Land has been set for June 15, 2012! Ride testing is already taking place to make sure everything is ready for the big day. Over at the Blue Sky Cellar Preview Center, they have changed their displays to focus on Cars Land just in case you’re like me and just can’t wait that long!

Inside the center, they have plenty of concept art and blueprints to look at so you can follow the Imagineers’ creative process from the very beginning. It makes it that more special when you see it completed, which is why I love visiting this place!

There is also a scale model of Cars Land at the center of the room, where you can get a bird’s-eye view of how massive this expansion is. The main attraction, Radiator Springs Racers, takes up half of Cars Land!

While you’re there, make sure to take time to watch the video that plays in the theater. Its much longer than any other video I’ve seen them play there, but it’s well worth it. John Lasseter and his team talk about their journey into making Cars Land a reality. At the opposite end of the theater is the shovel that was used for breaking ground, signed by the team.

As of now, there is no word of any early previews for Passholders yet, but if they have one and I get selected, you can bet I will have pictures for you all. Until then, June 15 is circled on my calendar! See you all at the Parks!

.

Tommy

*Planning a stay near the Disneyland Resort? Make the Howard Johnson Plaza Hotel at Disneyland your home base for RETRO FAMILY FUN! Visit our website for the famous MATTERCAM, videos, and more information on this piece of Anaheim history!