Archive-name: disney-faq/part1a Last-modified: 11 Jun 1993 Frequently Asked Questions List For rec.arts.disney, part 1 Version 2.0, last revised June 11, 1993 This document is Copyright (c) 1993, by Tom Tanida. It is intended for public use, and may be redistributed freely in its original form. This is part one of the FAQ file for rec.arts.disney. I have tried to include the questions and threads which arise most often, as well as some interesting facts. Most of the information came from articles posted to rec.arts.disney since July 1990, about the time the group was started, although I'm missing quite a few articles from early on. Other information came from various books and magazines. Your input to this list is highly appreciated. The purpose of this list is to reduce the number of redundant questions posted to rec.arts.disney and to provide a source of information to Disney fans worldwide. Personally, however, I would invite discussion of questions included in this list if this list is not complete enough. For example, one of the questions lists the voices of popular Disney characters and where to find more info, but if the character is not listed here, I would still encourage you to post and ask, especially if the character is more obscure. Also, I couldn't possibly write the "complete guide to taking kids to the Disney Theme Parks" because there is no truly complete guide (not to mention the fact that there are many good guide books out there). So although I have offered some information and advice in part two of this list (the information which is most commonly suggested), I would still welcome discussion of the topic since everybody has their own opinions about what rides to go on, what to see, when to go, what restaurants to eat at in the area, etc. Again, I hope that this list will reduce the amount of redundant information posted to the net. Even more strongly, I hope this list will provide a unified source of information about Disney related material and provide a valuable reference for all. This is part one of the list, consisting of general topics and questions, as well as some time critical information. Part two of the list, which is contained in a separate article, contains topics and questions related to the theme parks, as well as miscellaneous trivia. There are three sections: I. A list of the questions in this part II. Answers to General Questions III. Answers to Questions with Time-critical Information Send comments, corrections, suggestions, and inside information to: tanida@esosun.css.gov. I am sure that no matter how long I work on this that it will never be perfect, but it doesn't hurt to try. :-) If you prefer Compuserve access, I'm at 76655,344. On Prodigy I'm xgsn74a. On America Online, I'm TomTanida. On the Sierra Network, I'm at mailbox 2173. If you would like to reach me by phone, my day number is (619)-546-6118. The most reliable way to reach me is via Internet, then Compuserve. If you would like a PostScript version of this document, which has much better formatting, feel free to send me a request; I can either mail it to you, or we can find a mutual FTP site. The standard text version of this FAQ, like all FAQs cross-posted to news.answers, is archived at rtfm.mit.edu. For information regarding how to FTP to rtfm.mit.edu, send me e-mail; I've written a quick tutorial. This document was originally created in MS Word For Windows 2.0. Note: the Disneyland FAQ is available from me or its maintainer, Walt Hoffman (whoffman@ganymede.jpl.nasa.gov), and via FTP from rtfm.mit.edu in pub/usenet/news.answers/disney-faq. Section I- Questions General questions: 0) Some information about rec.arts.disney 1) What are the Disney animated feature films? Which of the films have been released on videocassette? 2) Where can I get a copy of {Cinderella, Lady and the Tramp, other hard to find video(s)}? 2b) Can I get Song of the South in the US? Why doesn't Disney release this in the US? 3) Where can I get Disney-related GIF (JPEG, etc.) pictures? 4) What are serigraph cels? Are they "real" cels? 5) What art galleries sell Disney cels? 6) To what degree are computers being used in Disney animated films today? 6b) Since computers are being used quite a bit in Disney films now, does that mean there are no "genuine" cels from the movies? 7) I heard that Walt Disney is in cryogenic suspension. Is this true? 8) Who did the voice of {Ariel, Belle, my favorite Disney character}? 9) How do I get a job working for Disney? 10) Is Goofy a dog, a horse, or what? 11) How can I get the song lyrics to {The Little Mermaid, Beauty and the Beast, etc.}? 12) What are the Magic Kingdom Club benefits? 13) What are the stockholder benefits? 14) What is Club 33? 15) What are the names of Ariel's sisters in The Little Mermaid? 16) What are the Disney Stores? 17) Who are the "nine old men"? 18) Who are the current Disney animators? 19) Where can I get the movie poster for {Beauty and the Beast, other Disney movie}? 20) Where can I find a particular Disney book? How can I find an original version of a book that Disney adapted into a movie? 21) I remember a scene from Peter Pan where Tinkerbell is dying (having borne the brunt of the explosion from Captain Hook's trick present to Peter), and the audience is asked to clap to bring her back to life. Why isn't it on the Disney video? 22) What was the first Disney film ever to receive a PG rating? 23) What are some "in-jokes" in the Disney films? 24) Commonly used Disney terms and abbreviations on the Internet 25) Who does the voice of the singing merchant at the beginning of the film Aladdin? 99) Where can I get more Disney info? - Includes books, publications, computer services, phone numbers, and addresses Timely information: 1) What Disney shows/auctions/events are coming up? 2) What are some of the upcoming movie and video releases from the Walt Disney Studios? Section II - Answers to General Questions 0) Some information about rec.arts.disney rec.arts.disney is a Usenet newsgroup, distributed via the Internet worldwide to an estimated 33,000 readers. It is for the discussion of all things Disney-related, including the movies, the theme parks, books, and television shows. The group was created around May 1990, and the traffic has gradually increased to around 2.5 Mb of articles per month. 1) What are the Disney animated feature films? Which of the films have been released on videocassette? Here is the *official* list, numbered and listed in chronological order. Other notable Disney films with Disney animation are included after the list. The factors in what constitutes an "animated feature film" are the amount of screen time with animation on it, the total length of the film, the quality of the animation, and what kind of a mood the person at the Disney studios is in when they make the decision. With each film, I have made some notes regarding video release, Academy Awards, and other trivia. 1) Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs (12/21/1937) - Granted a special Academy Award for screen innovation in 1938. This is going to be re-released into the theaters in the U.S. in the summer of 1993. This film also has the distinction of being the only animated feature film owned by Walt Disney's family, not by the Company, which could impede its release on video. 2) Pinocchio (02/07/1940) - Released on video (US) in 1986, and re-released in the US in early 1993. Won the Oscar for Best Song ("When You Wish Upon a Star"), and Best Original Score. 3) Fantasia (11/13/1940) - Released on video and LaserDisc (US) in 1991 and will not be re-released on video in its original form. The Academy granted a special award to Leopold Stokowski for "widening the scope of the motion picture as entertainment and as an art form" in 1941. The music was conducted by Leopold Stokowski, and the narrator was Deems Taylor. Fantasia was re-released in 1982 with an Irwin Kostal conducted soundtrack and narration by Hugh Douglas, but was subsequently restored. 4) Dumbo (10/23/1941) - Released on video (US) in 1986. Based upon the serial number on the cassette, this was the first of the animated films to have been released on video. Won an Oscar for "Scoring of a Musical Picture" in 1941. 5) Bambi (08/13/1942) - Released on video (US) in 1988. Also released on LaserDisc. (This is the animated with the fewest lines of dialog.) 6) Saludos Amigos (02/06/1943) 7) The Three Caballeros (02/03/1945) - Released on video (US) in 1988 (?). This is somewhat of a sequel to Saludos Amigos. 8) Make Mine Music (08/15/1946) - Almost like a second Fantasia, but featuring more popular music in 10 shorter sequences, which lack the depth that Fantasia had. The excellent 'Clair De Lune' sequence in this film was originally intended to be included in Fantasia. It also included "Casey at the Bat." Parts of this film have been released separately on video, under the titles "Willie, the Operatic Whale" and "Peter and the Wolf". This film was never reissued in its original form. 9) Fun and Fancy Free (09/27/1947) - Contained the two stories "Mickey and the Beanstalk" and "Bongo," each of which have been recently released on video. 10) Melody Time (05/27/1948) - Some miscellaneous stories, including: a story based on Johnny Appleseed; "Little Toot" (a tugboat); "Blame It On the Samba", featuring Donald Duck and Jose Carioca from The Three Caballeros; and "Bumble-Boogie," a jazz version of Flight of the Bumblebee. This film was somewhat of a sequel to Make Mine Music, and also was never re-released in its original form. 11) The Adventures of Ichabod and Mr. Toad (10/05/1949) - Released on video as separate short films, under the titles "The Legend of Sleepy Hollow" and "The Wind in the Willows." 12) Cinderella (02/15/1950) - Released on video (US) in 1988. It has been said that this was Walt Disney's favorite film. 13) Alice in Wonderland (07/28/1951) - Released on video (US) in 1988 (?). Also released on LD. 14) Peter Pan (02/05/1953) - Released on video (US) in 1989. Also released on LD. 15) Lady and the Tramp (06/22/1955) - Released on video (US) in 1987. 16) Sleeping Beauty (01/29/1959) - Released on video (US) in 1987. 17) 101 Dalmatians (01/25/1961) - Released on video (US) in April, 1992. 18) The Sword in the Stone (12/25/1963) - Released on video (US) in 1988 (?). 19) The Jungle Book (10/18/1967) - Released on video (US) in 1991. Also released on LD. This was the last film that Walt Disney worked on, as he died prior to its release. 20) The Aristocats (12/24/1970)- Never released on video. 21) Robin Hood (11/08/1973) - Released on video (US) in 1986; re-released on video and LD in 1991. 22) The Many Adventures of Winnie the Pooh (03/11/1977) - This was a compilation of the three stories "Winnie the Pooh and the Honey Tree" (1966), "Winnie the Pooh and the Blustery Day" (1969), and "Winnie the Pooh and Tigger Too" (1974). All of these have been individually released on video. 23) The Rescuers (06/22/1977)- This film was the last that was developed by the original (Walt) generation of Disney lead animators. It was very successful in Europe during it's initial release. It is currently available on video, and should be out on LD (non-letterboxed) shortly. 24) The Fox and the Hound (07/10/1981)- At one time the film was stated by Disney publicists to be the 20th, then the 25th animated feature film. The first major effort by the "new generation" of Disney artists. 25) The Black Cauldron (07/24/1985)- This was the first film to be released in 70mm since Sleeping Beauty. Roy E. Disney, Walt's nephew, returned to the studios to contribute to the screenplay. The film suffered from delays and a then record-cost of $25 million. 26) The Great Mouse Detective (07/02/1986) - Score by Henry Mancini. This was released on video during the summer of 1992. 27) Oliver and Company (11/18/1988)- Made $54M in it's initial release, which at the time was the highest box-office gross of any animated film in its first theatrical run. 28) The Little Mermaid (11/17/1989) - Released on video (US) in 1990; also available on LD. Won the Academy Awards for Best Original Score, and Best Song ("Under the Sea"). Grossed $89M in its initial US release. 29) The Rescuers Down Under (11/10/1990) - Nationally released on 11/23/90. Released on video and LD (US) in 1991. Disney's first official animated sequel. Grossed around $28M in its initial US release. 30) Beauty and the Beast (11/15/1991) - Was nationally released on 11/23/91 and was released on video in the US at the end of October, 1992. Cost $30 million to produce. It won the Academy Awards for Best Original Score, and Best Song (title track), and was the first animated film to be nominated for Best Picture. In the first 42 weeks of its US release, this film grossed $144.725 million, and sold 1 million copies of the video nationwide by the end of its first day of release (10/30/92). A letterboxed LD version of this is due September 25, 1993. 31) Aladdin (11/11/1992). Was nationally released on 11/25/92. This features songs by the late Howard Ashman. The score was done by Alan Menken. Since Ashman passed away before this film was completed, Tony Award winner Tim Rice was hired to complete some songs for the film. Ashman wrote the lyrics to the songs Arabian Nights, Friend Like Me, and Prince Ali. Rice wrote the lyrics to One Jump Ahead, A Whole New World, and Prince Ali (reprise). This film reportedly cost $35 million to produce. Aladdin won two Academy Awards, one for Best Song (A Whole New World) and one for Best Original Score. 32) The Lion King (summer 1994)- Tim Rice and Elton John are working on the soundtrack for this film, set in Africa and telling the story of a young lion cub who finds himself awkwardly thrown into a new role as "king" of the jungle. 33) Pocahontas (late 1994)- Alan Menken and Stephen Schwartz are working on the soundtrack for this film. Here are some notable films and shorts that didn't make the Disney studio's official list. Because of space constraints, many shorts have been omitted. Ferdinand the Bull (1938) - Released on video with "Willie, the Operatic Whale." The Reluctant Dragon (06/20/1941) - Released on video. This title was originally conceived and released as a feature length film with a combination of live-action and animated sequences including a short story called "Baby Weems." The video version includes just the sequences related to the Reluctant Dragon story. Victory Through Air Power (07/17/1943) Song of the South (11/02/1946) - This has been released on video in Europe and Japan. It won an Oscar for Best Song ("Zip-A-Dee-Doo-Dah"). In addition, a special award was given to James Baskett for his role as Uncle Remus. So Dear To My Heart (01/19/49) - Features Bobby Driscoll, who was the child actor in Song of the South, and who had provided the voice of Peter Pan. Set in 1903, it has much of the style of Song of the South in its mix of live-action and animation. It was released on video in the US in early October, 1992. Lambert, the Sheepish Lion (1952) - Released on video as a Mini-Classic with "Willie, the Operatic Whale." Mary Poppins (08/27/64) - Nominated for Best Picture. An interesting and ironic story is that Julie Andrews originated the lead role in the Broadway version of My Fair Lady, but lost the part to Audrey Hepburn for the 1964 screen version. Andrews was subsequently cast as the lead in Mary Poppins, her first movie, for which she won Best Actress. Audrey Hepburn was not even nominated that year, although My Fair Lady won 8 Oscars that year, including Best Picture, beating out Mary Poppins for that award. Mary Poppins also won for Best Song ("Chim-Chim-Cher-ee"), Best Score, Film Editing, and Special Visual Effects. This was released on video in 1986. Bedknobs and Broomsticks (10/07/71) - Won an Oscar for Special Visual Effects. This has been released on video. Pete's Dragon (11/03/77) - Released on video in 1991. The Small One (1978) - A short film directed by Don Bluth. Tron (1982)- Significant for its use of computer graphics and effects. This was released to the rental markets on video some time ago. Mickey's Christmas Carol (1983) - Available on video. Winnie the Pooh and a Day for Eeyore (1983) - Available on video. The Brave Little Toaster (1988) - Released on video in 1991. The animation for this was done by Hyperion Pictures, not Disney. DuckTales: The Movie (1990) - Released on video. Although full length, this isn't included because it did not meet "classic" animation standards (whatever that means). The Prince and the Pauper (11/23/1990) - This was released in the theaters with The Rescuers Down Under. It was released on video in 1991. Many films have been released in Japan and elsewhere on LaserDisc, and such versions can be obtained via US dealers. Films in this category include: Lady and the Tramp, Song of the South, Dumbo, Sword in the Stone, Peter Pan, and Mary Poppins (in letterboxed format). Here are a couple of dealers who may carry these titles: Laser Land 1035 S. Saratoga-Sunnyvale Rd. Campbell, CA (408)-253-3733 (San Francisco Bay Area) Laser & Video 8780 Warner Avenue #9 Fountain Valley, CA 92708 (800)-342-9715 (mention you're looking for an import disc) Ken Crane's (714)-892-2283 2) Where can I get a copy of {Cinderella, Lady and the Tramp, other hard to find video(s)}? In general, the "premium" Disney animated feature films are released for a limited time. Like The Little Mermaid, that "limited time" may be a matter of two years and 8.5 million copies, but after Disney decides to stop taking orders and all the copies are sold, they are not replenished. The only way to get the videos are: to search smaller, more obscure video stores that might have some left over; to buy from somebody who has one and is willing to sell (check out your favorite Disneyana convention- there are often sellers there); to buy one from a used video store where somebody, by some offbeat chance, has sold it to the store; to buy one from a place that rents videos, and has multiple copies of the video you want (you might have to negotiate with the owner); or to rent it and keep it and take the extraordinarily high charge and whatever other penalty video stores dole out for people who don't return their videos. It might be hard to find a good copy of an older film. Films known to be out of print: Pinocchio, Sleeping Beauty, Lady and the Tramp, Cinderella, Fantasia (which is getting scarce), Peter Pan, and The Little Mermaid. The Jungle Book is on moratorium. Pinocchio is due to be re-released in March 1993. Beauty and the Beast will go on moratorium April 2. 101 Dalmatians and The Great Mouse Detective are due to go on moratorium within a few months. In the January 22, 1993 issue of Entertainment Weekly, on page 65 there is an article about out of print cartoon videos. Mentioned in the article is Norman Scherer, owner of the Video Oyster in New York, who finds hard to find videos for you. He has a catalog; call (212)-480-2440. He is quotes as saying that some parents paid up to $200 for a copy of The Little Mermaid, and the article gives $85 as the going rate for Lady and the Tramp. The Little Mermaid can be found at most Disneyana collectors shows for around $50. Will Disney re-release the movies? It's all up to speculation. Some contemplate a video re-release every 7 years or so, like the movies themselves into the theaters; I've heard "official" Disney sources say "never again," but similar sources have said that Fantasia would never be released onto video, and that became the best selling video and LaserDisc of all time. Pinocchio is being re-released onto video, but due to a poor showing in the theaters, Disney is withholding the re-release of Sleeping Beauty. Only time will tell. 2b) Can I get Song of the South in the US? Why doesn't Disney release this in the US? Song of the South is not available in standard, NTSC VHS format in the US. You can obtain it in the US as a Japanese import LD from any LD dealer that sells imported LDs, or as a PAL VHS tape overseas. It is widely believed that the primary reason Disney will not release the film in the US is their concern over the racial stereotyping of blacks as slaves in the film. This policy could change in the future. 3) Where can I get Disney-related GIF (JPEG, etc.) pictures? Disney considers it a violation of copyright to distribute images into a publicly accessible place. It is legal, however, to create images for your own personal use. There are many Disney GIFs floating around, but there isn't any official way to get them. Here are some common methods, however: Internet FTP- There isn't any "official" site for Disney GIFs. Many GIFs sites have some in their collection. tezuka.rest.ri.cmu.edu (128.2.209.227) has quite a few GIFs dedicated to the Disney Afternoon. garfield.catt.ncsu.edu (152.1.43.23; GIFs, Disney related text files) is a good source for other Disney GIFs. There are also some GIFs located at atbmac1.larc.nasa.gov (128.155.18.23), in pub/graphics, thanks to Phillip Morris, p.e.morris@larc.nasa.gov. There are also a few at wuarchive.wustl.edu (128.252.135.4), although you might have to search. If you know of others, please send me their name (and IP address, if you have it), and I'll mention them here. alt.binaries.pictures - This newsgroup will carry uuencoded versions of GIFs. The biggest problem with finding and distributing is that not all news sites carry this group. Compuserve- Compuserve has several graphics forums that carry Disney GIFs. One is the FLORIDA forum, which has a couple of Disney-dedicated sections. Use the Graphics File finder (go GRAPHFF) to find any others in the Graphics forums. Connect time on Compuserve is $8.00/hour at 2400 baud, and $16.00/hour at 9600 baud. Any images on Compuserve must have approval from the Walt Disney Company before they can be made available for download. Disney Software has a section in GAMBPUB. In their library, they have software demos and pictures. America On-Line- On March 4, AOL pulled its Disney GIFs after being contacted by a Disney representative. The Disney Software BBS - The Disney Software bulletin board, run by Disney. It's number is: (818)-567-4027. There are some images and animations available there. This BBS is primarily for the support of Disney Software, but also includes general Disney info. Settings are N81, 300-9600 bps. It supports the ANSI BBS protocol. 4) What are serigraph cels? Are they "real" cels? Serigraph cels (also called "sericels") are not real cels. The serigraph process involves creating a master cel by hand and then using a serigraph machine, which lays down the colors, to make copies. It is a normal art process (meaning that serigraphs are "art"), but in general, I wouldn't invest in serigraphs hoping to make huge amounts of money like those who deal with real cels. In fact, the Dec/Jan 1993 issue of Storyboard mentions that people who have tried to sell their serigraphs and other limited editions find that galleries typically offer around half of the original retail price. The current rate for Disney serigraphs is $250 for "limited-editions" of 2500 pieces. They are generally unnumbered. Disney has also released a line of hand-painted cels and backgrounds, around the price of $2000-3000 each. These too are NOT cels- they are painted by artists in the Disney Studio Art Program. These are *numbered*- i.e. you can see a number on the cel that looks like "322/500", which means that the one you are looking at is number 322 out of an edition size of 500. Some of the releases in this program include: a scene from Fantasia (Ben Ali Gator holding the Hyacinth Hippo aloft); a excellent Lady and the Tramp (Lady and the Tramp at the spaghetti table); a scene from Pinocchio (the Blue Fairy looking at both Jiminy Cricket and Pinocchio on Gepetto's bench); a scene from 101 Dalmatians (Pongo, Perdita, and puppies watching TV). Only the cels are hand-painted; the backgrounds are lithographed (reproduced). There are others as well. Here is a description of the different cel types sold by the Disney Art Program taken from a brochure on Disney animation art from the Disneyana store on Main Street at Disneyland: Production Cels - Original production cels are colorful paintings on acetate, created by studio artists, then photographed and actually used in a film or television program action sequence. Disney Art Editions offers these one-of-a-kind cels taken from more recent feature films and television programs. Hand-Inked-Line Limited-Edition Cels - Since few production cels from earlier animated features and shorts exist, Disney recreates cels of the most classic moments in limited editions. Hand-inked-line cels are made using traditional animation techniques, exactly as the production cels were originally made for so many classic Disney films. This includes tracing an animation drawing onto acetate by hand with different color inks and hand- painting it with gum or acrylic-based colors formulated exclusively in Disney laboratories. The work is done by a small cadre of Disney artists who have kept this almost-forgotten art alive. Some hand-inked-line cels are also combined with backgrounds. Xerographic-Line Limited-Edition Cels - Xerographic-line cels, instead of being hand-inked, are created by transferring the original animation drawing to the acetate cels by a special six-step xerographic process, a refinement pioneered by Walt Disney Studios in the late 1950s. 101 Dalmatians was the first feature film to be created entirely with this revolutionary process. Many of the cels are then enhanced with hand-inked lines before being painted with Disney colors and combined with a lithographic background. Serigraph Cels - Serigraph cels, or sericels, recreate images of Disney's famed cast of characters. To produce a sericel, Disney artists create a hand-inked, hand-colored painting or model of Disney characters, which is then transferred to the acetate cel by a silk-screen printing process known as serigraphy. Notes from the brochure glossary: Cel: An outline, or line drawing, of a character and sometimes certain special effects, either hand-inked or xerographically transferred onto a clear sheet of cellulose acetate. The image is then painted on the back side of the sheet. Cels are mostly in two standard sizes: a 12-field, about 12 by 10 inches; or 16-field, approximately 16 by 12 inches. Background: A painting of a scene to be used as a background for the animated action. Thousands of cels may be photographed over a single background to create one scene in an animated film. A production background is one actually used in a film. Cel Set-Up: One or more cels overlaid on a background. Animation Drawing: A pencil drawing on animation paper, created by the animator and used as the basis for an image on a cel. Storyboard Drawing: A drawing or story sketch made for the storyboard, which conveys visually the original plot and action. The storyboard serves as a preliminary guide for those working on the film. Publicity Cel: A cel not actually used in a film, but created instead solely for publicity or promotional purposes. Limited-Edition Cel: A cel created specifically for the collector market in a pre-determined quantity. Model Sheets: Drawings of a grouping of characters or a single character in a variety of attitudes and expressions, create as a reference guide for animators. 5) What art galleries sell Disney cels? Before I give you the list, I'll say a few words of advice about cel collecting that echoes what many people have said on rec.arts.disney over the years (or months): Buy only what you like. Don't get caught up in "auction fever." Many cels may not be worth close to their asking price. Make sure you check the condition of the cel closely. Cels that involve popular scenes and characters, and have good views of the characters (e.g. frontal view, both eyes showing) will be worth more. Shop around. Negotiate. There are several types of cel set-ups available (listed here in rough order of cost, from cheapest to most expensive): Full reproductions (e.g. serigraphs, or hand-painted reproductions, such as those discussed in question #3); actual movie cels with no backgrounds; actual movie cels with lithographed (reproduced backgrounds); and actual movie cels with real backgrounds. Some galleries also carry drawings, storyboards, etc. There are actually quite a few galleries. Many are owned by people who are simply interested in the field, like you and me; they're not necessarily "big time" operations. Here is a list I've drawn up (by no means complete). I've only listed phone numbers so that you can call and get information regarding addresses/catalog pricing/etc. Many places have free catalogs. I personally can't vouch for any of them, as I haven't ordered anything except catalogs from any of these places (you might just want to post to rec.arts.disney, and see what others who have had experience buying cels might suggest). I welcome additions to this list. Gallery Phone All American (800)-872-8850 (Fair Lawn, NJ) Collectibles Animation Alley (800)-772-8666, (714)-776-8666 (Anaheim, CA) Animation Art (215)-925-2009 (Philadelphia, PA) Resources The Animation (416)-928-2357 Celection Animation (818)-988-7706 (Los Angeles, CA) Collectible Center Animation Source (203)-776-7111 (New Haven, CT) ArtWorks (800)-535-5070 (Alexandria, VA) C.A. Brooks (516)-487-3556 (New York, NY) Animation Art The Cartoon Art (800)-245-6633 (Indian Wells, CA) Store Cartoon Galleria (800)-767-0928 (Sacramento, CA) Cartoon Kingdom (609)-243-9960 (Princeton, NJ) The Cel Block (800)-334-8799 (New Hope, PA) Circle Gallery (several branches, including the Disneyland Hotel complex) Cricket Gallery (800)-BUY-CELS (Atlanta, GA) Collector's (818)-785-4080 (Studio City, CA) Paradise Film Art Galleries (516)-935-8493 (Old Bethpage, NY) Gallery C (919)-828-3165 (Raleigh, NC) Gallery In Motion (800)-788-0445 (Kansas City, MO) Gallery Lainzberg (800)-553-9995 (Cedar Rapids, IA) Howard Lowery (818)-972-9080 (Burbank, CA) Leslie Brooks (718)-279-3861 (Little Neck, NY) Lewis Gallery (805)-584-8462 (Simi Valley, CA) Lynne Novick (609)-653-0770 (Linwood, NJ) Magic Moments (603)-883-9770, (603)-888-3457 (Nashua, NH) Marina Fine Arts (310)-305-7678 (Marina Del Rey, CA) Mike Cluff's (805)-927-1250 (Cambria, CA) M.j.Manfred (412)-561-6665 (Pittsburgh, PA) Mostly Art (203)-348-6270 (Stamford, CT) One-Of-A-Kind (404)-377-3333 (Decatur, GA) Cartoon Art Optimum Arts (707)-864-5709 (event recording), (707)-864-2132 (voice) Phillips (212)-570-4830 (New York, NY) Collectibles Reel Characters (201)-628-8714 (Wayne, NJ) Gallery Russ Wolkoff (818)-752-1755 (Los Angeles, CA) San Francisco (800)-8DAFFY8, (415)-441-8900 (S.F., CA) Animated Art, Inc. Saturday Morning (518)-482-5405 Animation Scott & Leslie's (714)-538-6893 (Orange, CA) Seaside Art (919)-441-5418 (Nags Head, NC) Silver Stone (310)-598-7600 (Long Beach, CA) Gallery Sir Issac Gallery (703)-834-1288 (Herndon, VA) Stabur Corp. (800)-346-8940, (313)-425-7940 (Livonia, MI) Stay Tooned Gallery (708)-382-2357 (Barrington, IL), (708)-234-3231 (Lake Forest, IL) Suspended Animation (407)-934-7683 (Walt Disney World Vacation Village) Sweatbox Art (408)-225-9698 (San Jose, CA) Toon Dude (818)-883-9056 (Tarzana, CA) Toys To Go (215)-649-2555, (215)-649-8444 (Ardmore, PA) Vintage Animation (213)-393-8666 (Santa Monica, CA) Gallery Cels are also sold at the Disney theme parks. Serigraphs and cels are sold at the Disney Stores (see question #14). The Disney Store was selling a line of production cels with reproduced backgrounds from The Little Mermaid. Archive-name: disney-faq/part1b Last-modified: 11 Jun 1993 6) To what degree are computers being used in Disney animated films today? There seems to be a lot of confusion on this issue, partly because Disney seems to be trying to remain at least a little secretive about the exact processes they use. But here's some information obtained and consolidated from various sources, including the periodical Computer Graphics World and some reference books on Disney animation and computer graphics. By far, CAPS holds the greatest mystery; it has won awards for its innovative capabilities, yet nobody except Disney knows a lot about it (and they aren't talking). Much of the computer graphics rendering work is done by the artists at Disney's Computer Generated Imagery (CGI) department in Glendale, CA. There were 14 animators and software engineers there for the production of Beauty and the Beast (they're listed in the credits). Computers are used for several different purposes in Disney animation. One purpose is to process the colorization of the "cels" (I put that in quotes because while there still are pre-production cels, they don't look like the final product- more on this in a moment). Another purpose for computers is for the generation of backgrounds. A third purpose is for the generation of certain types of animated objects. A fourth purpose is for simple modeling. There are probably others. Remember that the ultimate goal of any computer system, of course, is to increase the efficiency and creativity of its users by reducing or eliminating as much of the redundant, "grunt" work as possible. The colorization and compositing of the characters is the most notable use, as it represents the biggest change in the state of the art of Disney animation. In the original process, the animators would draw an image on paper to be transferred onto a cel by an inker, who would pass the cel on to be carefully colored by hand. In general, consecutive cels would use the same colors (i.e. although a particular character wouldn't always be the same color during the entire film depending on light and shadow, or other Disney magic, the next frame of animation is often times very similar to the frame before it). This represented a lot of redundancy. An aside: note that after Sleeping Beauty, however, Disney animators drew on paper, frame by frame, and had their drawings transferred to cels via a xerography process (rather than via an inker) to be individually colored. Also note that cel coloring was applied to the back of the cel, not the front. With modern computer graphics, this process can be eliminated, speeding up the rate of output significantly. The title for the new system is CAPS, which stands for "Computerized Animation Production System." Animators' drawings are transferred directly to a computer, where the computer colors the image based on color models. This is not an automatic process, but a given palette can be repeatedly applied by the computer artist far more quickly than an artist can color a bunch of cels by hand. The last scene from The Little Mermaid (Ariel and Eric kissing) used the process. Most, if not all, of The Rescuers Down Under, and all of Beauty and the Beast used the process. This is *not* to say there is no coloring of cels; models are needed for the computer. In addition, there is still quite a bit of cleanup work done by hand- including the process of transferring animators' original drawings onto clean sheets of paper to be scanned into the CAPS system. There is some final cleanup that is done via computer to make sure all is well and perfect with each individual image. There are other advantages of the process as well. Since the images are effectively digitized in a computer, they can be manipulated and merged at will. The impressive multiplane (3D) effect at the opening of Beauty and the Beast, where the camera travels through a forest past an animated waterfall took advantage of the CAPS process; in the past, a multiplane effect would be difficult at best. For example, the final scene in the "Ave Maria" sequence from Fantasia, involved building a horizontal camera crane, moving the camera along a track "through" panes of glass on which the images of the forest, cathedral, and sunburst at the end, with the panes of glass being yanked out of the way when they became out of focus. Since then, multiplane techniques have improved, but none of these is as easy as simply using a computer to move and blur images in pseudo-3D space. Other advantages of CAPS include: the ability to easily blur images that are "out of focus" relative to the camera position, to blend (e.g. the blush on Belle's cheeks) and to intricately shade the characters (e.g. Belle and the Beast dancing in the ballroom- you were watching them, not the spinning background, right? :-) ); and to combine images of different sizes seamlessly (i.e. you can draw the image at any size and enlarge/shrink to fit as necessary). Other miscellaneous benefits include access to a wider range of colors (if you've used any 24-bit color computer paint/DTP program on a Mac or PC, you can see how this works- you get 16.7 million exact colors versus whatever number you can come up with just mixing paint), and the coloring of the lines that border the characters. Note the black lines that border the characters in films after Sleeping Beauty: a Xerox process was used that introduced this. This was something that annoyed Walt Disney when it was introduced, but it helped speed up the production rate. Later, the studio experimented with different toner types, and was able to reduce the boldness of the lines. Also, exact color matching can be easily achieved, as a color is represented by a 24 or 32-bit recordable numeric value. An example of this would be how Jasmine's shadow matches the non-moving shadows of the trees in her garden, in Aladdin. Another significant use of computers is the generation of backgrounds. Although 99% of the backgrounds are painted (and colored) by hand (and then entered into the CAPS system), there are some notable exceptions. (Note that for a background, it's not necessarily better to color by computer since an artist can paint with a brush just as well, if not better, and there isn't a lot of redundancy since the same background is repeatedly used; incidentally, there were 1300 background created by 14 artists for Beauty and the Beast.) The most notable exception to date is probably the ballroom in Beauty and the Beast. The spinning ballroom sequence was first choreographed using Wavefront Technologies software on an SGI machine, then modeled in 3D using the Alias software and finally rendered frame by frame using the Renderman software (probably using some form of distributed processing, or at least rendering different images on different computers). The animators' drawings of Belle and the Beast were then merged normally using CAPS. In addition, a computer-rendered table was used in the "Be Our Guest" sequence (the scene where Mrs. Potts is singing, with little tea- cups circling her). The staircase that Ariel runs down before first seeing Eric with Vanessa in The Little Mermaid also was generated via computer. Yet another use of computers is for certain types of 3D objects. The modeling and rendering process is similar to that of the Beauty and the Beast ballroom. Some examples include: the gears in The Great Mouse Detective during the chase scene at the climax; the carriage in The Little Mermaid, external views of the villain's vehicle, and the Sydney opera house in The Rescuers Down Under; the dancing forks on the cake chandeliers in the "Be Our Guest" sequence in Beauty and the Beast. A final, minor use of computers, would be for simple modeling. For example, the ship at the beginning of The Little Mermaid was wireframe modeled on computers, but was drawn by hand. I'm sure the Disney artists have found other ways to use computers to assist them, much in the same way they might use clay models to visualize various objects (such as the characters themselves). (I'd be interested in hearing about other uses, by the way. In fact, if there's a Disney artist out there reading this who has anything to add to this description in general... :-) ) 6b) Since computers are being used quite a bit in Disney films now, does that mean there are no "genuine" cels from the movies? Unfortunately, the answer is that there are no more original production cels that were used directly for on-screen images in any Disney animated feature film after The Little Mermaid. Hand-inked cels are created as color models during the production process, and hand-inked cels will probably be created for the purpose of auctioning backgrounds (note: if you look closely through the Sotheby's catalogue for the recent Mermaid auction, it is advertised as a background auction, not a cel auction). For the Sotheby's auction for Beauty and the Beast, Disney auctioned genuine backgrounds with one-of-a-kind cels created by hand by Disney artists based on the directing animator's drawings. See also question #4 for a discussion of cel types. 7) I heard that Walt Disney is "cryopreserved"/"in cryogenic suspension." Is this true? No, this is an "urban legend," although a joke goes "Yes- he's in suspended animation" :-). Walt Disney died at 9:35 am on December 15, 1966, of lung cancer. He was cremated (quite the opposite of being frozen, ironically) and is buried at the Forest Lawn Memorial Park in Glendale, CA. His parents are buried there as well. This rumor did not come about completely out of the blue, however. Some of the reasons this rumor started were: there was a significant time period between the time of Walt Disney's death and the public announcement of his death; Walt himself is said to have shown an interest in cryogenics in his final years (ref. the book Disney's World, see "Books" in question #99, below); and even his animators have been quoted to say that it's an interesting thought that Walt might someday return to "set things straight" in the company. Incidentally, Walt was born on December 5, 1901, in Chicago, IL, making him just over the age of 65 when he passed away. 8) Who did the voice of {Ariel, Belle, my favorite Disney character}? I can't include the voice of *every* Disney character here, but here is a comprehensive list of the most popular characters. One good reference to the Disney movies is The Disney Studio Story, by Richard Holliss and Brian Sibley, Crown Publishers, Inc., New York, NY, 1988, ISBN #0-517-57078-5. The most complete list, however, is the Encyclopedia of Walt Disney's Animated Characters, by John Grant, ISBN 1-56282-904-1. (See "Books", in question #99, below.) If you're looking for the voice of a more obscure character, drop me a line, or just post. This list is in approximate chronological order (by appearance). Mickey Mouse: Walt Disney himself did the voices of both Mickey and Minnie in the early cartoons, including "Steamboat Willie." (Incidentally, "Plane Crazy" was Mickey's first cartoon, "Steamboat Willie" was the first cartoon with sound.) By World War II, Disney had fully trained and then turned over the task to Jimmy MacDonald, who in turn trained Wayne Allwine, the current voice of Mickey. Minnie Mouse: Currently voiced by Russi Taylor. Donald Duck: Initially voiced by Clarence Nash. First appeared in "The Wise Little Hen." Nash also voiced Donald in Mickey's Christmas Carol (1983). He is currently voiced by Tony Anselmo, as Nash later passed away in the late '80s. Goofy: Originally voiced by Pinto Colvig. He is currently voiced by Bill Farmer. Chip and Dale: Currently voiced by Tress MacNeille and Corey Burton, respectively. Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs - Snow White: Adriana Caselotti; Prince: Harry Stockwell; Wicked Stepmother: Lucille La Verne; Grumpy: Pinto Colvig Pinocchio - Pinocchio: Dickie Jones; Jiminy Cricket: Cliff Edwards Dumbo - Timothy: Edward Brophy; Stork: Sterling Holloway; Jim Crow: Cliff Edwards Bambi - Thumper: Peter Behn; Bambi's Mother: Paula Winslowe; Flower: Sterling Holloway Saludos Amigos, The Three Caballeros - Joe Carioca: Jose Oliveira Make Mine Music - Willie the Whale: Nelson Eddy Song of the South - Brer Rabbit: Johnny Lee; Brer Bear: Nicodemus Stewart; Uncle Remus/Brer Fox: James Baskett. The boy (Johnny) was played by a young Bobby Driscoll. Fun and Fancy Free - ("Mickey and the Beanstalk")- Giant: Billy Gilbert The Adventures of Ichabod and Mr. Toad - Ichabod was narrated and sung by Bing Crosby. Toad: Eric Blore; Cyril (the horse): Pat O'Malley Cinderella - Cinderella: Ilene Woods; Prince Charming: Mike Douglas (the TV personality/talk show host); Stepmother: Eleanor Audley; Fairy Godmother: Verna Felton. Alice in Wonderland - Alice: Kathryn Beaumont; White Rabbit: Bill Thompson; Cheshire Cat: Sterling Holloway; Queen of Hearts: Verna Felton Lambert, the Sheepish Lion (short)- Narrated by Sterling Holloway (Dumbo, Alice In Wonderland, Jungle Book). Peter Pan - Peter: Bobby Driscoll; Wendy: Kathryn Beaumont; Captain Hook/Wendy's Father: Hans Conried; Mr. Smee: Bill Thompson Lady and the Tramp - Lady: Barbara Luddy; Tramp: Larry Roberts; Peg/Darling/Siamese Cats: Peggy Lee Sleeping Beauty - Aurora: Mary Costa; Phillip: Bill Shirley; Maleficent: Eleanor Audley 101 Dalmatians - Cruella DeVille: Betty Lou Gerson; Pongo: Rod Taylor; Perdita: Cate Bauer; Roger: Ben Wright; Colonel: J.Pat O'Malley The Sword in the Stone -Wart: Ricky Sorenson; Archimedes: Junius Matthews; Merlin: Karl Swenson; Madame Mim: Martha Wentworth Winnie the Pooh: Initially voiced by Sterling Holloway (who you'll see pop up quite a bit in this list of Disney voices), who passed away in late 1992. The first two Pooh stories (Winnie the Pooh and the Honey Tree and Winnie the Pooh and the Blustery Day) were narrated by Sebastian Cabot (The Jungle Book). Other voices: Christopher Robin: Jon Walmsley; Tigger: Paul Winchell The Jungle Book - Mowgli: Bruce Reitherman (son of the director, Wolfgang); Baloo: Phil Harris; Bagheera: Sebastian Cabot; Kaa: Sterling Holloway; Shere Khan: George Sanders; Colonel Hathi: J. Pat O'Malley The Aristocats - Duchess: Eva Gabor; Thomas O'Malley: Phil Harris; Roquefort (mouse): Sterling Holloway: Scat Cat: Scatman Crothers; title song sung by Maurice Chevalier Robin Hood - Robin: Brian Bedford; Little John: Phil Harris (The Jungle Book, The Aristocats); Prince John: Peter Ustinov; Sir Hiss: Terry Thomas; Allan-a-Dale (rooster): Roger Miller; Maid Marian: Monica Evans: Sheriff: Pat Buttram; Friar Tuck: Andy Devine; Lady Kluck: Carole Shelley The Rescuers - Bernard: Bob Newhart; Bianca: Eva Gabor; Madame Medusa: Geraldine Page; Penny: Michelle Stacy; Mr. Snoops: Joe Flynn; Orville: Jim Jordan The Fox and the Hound -Tod: Mickey Rooney; Copper: Kurt Russell; Big Mama (owl): Pearl Bailey The Black Cauldron - Taran: Grant Bardsley; Eilonwy: Susan Sheridan; Dallben: Freddie Jones; Fflewddur Fflam: Nigel Hawthorne; the Horned King: John Hurt; Gurgi, Doli: John Byner The Great Mouse Detective - Basil: Barrie Ingham; Dr. Dawson: Val Bettin; Ratigan: Vincent Price Oliver and Company - Dodger: Billy Joel; Tito (Chihuahua): Cheech Marin; Georgette (poodle): Bette Midler; Einstein: Richard Mulligan The Little Mermaid - Ariel: Jodi Benson; Sebastian: Samuel E. Wright; Ursula: Pat Carroll; Eric: Christopher Barnes; Scuttle: Buddy Hackett The Rescuers Down Under - Bernard: Bob Newhart; Bianca: Eva Gabor; McLeach: (the) George C. Scott; Wilbur: John Candy; Jake: Tristan Rogers; Cody: Adam Ryen; Joanna: Frank Welker Beauty and the Beast - Belle: Paige O'Hara; Beast: Robby Benson; Mrs. Potts: Angela Lansbury; Luminere: Jerry Orbach; Cogsworth: David Ogden Stiers; Gaston: Richard White; Lefou: Jesse Corti; Maurice: Rex Everhardt; Chip: Bradley Pierce; Wardrobe: JoAnne Worley Aladdin- Aladdin: (speaking) Scott Weinger, (singing) Brad Kane; Genie/Trader: Robin Williams; Trader (singing): Bruce Adler; Princess Jasmine: (speaking) Linda Larkin, (singing) Lea Salonga; Abu, the monkey: Frank Welker; Jafar: Jonathan Freeman; Iago: Gilbert Godfrey; Sultan: Douglas Seal Other voices: Huey, Dewey, and Louie, and Webbigail (DuckTales)- Russi Taylor Darkwing Duck- Jim Cummings Gosalyn (Darkwing Duck)- Christine Cavanaugh Winnie the Pooh, Tigger (New Adventures of Winnie the Pooh)- Jim Cummings Uncle Scrooge (Mickey's Christmas Carol, DuckTales): Alan Young Roger Rabbit: Charles Fleischer Theme parks: Sam the Eagle (from "America Sings"): Burl Ives Robot-Pilot from "Star Tours": Paul Reubens ("Pee-Wee Herman") Ghost Host ("Haunted Mansion"), narrator from "Adventure Through Inner Space": Paul Frees Singing Statue in Haunted Mansion Graveyard (among others at Disneyland): Thurl Ravenscroft 9) How do I get a job working for Disney? Of course, the answer to this depends on what you want to do. All Disney employees go through a training program which introduces them to the Disney philosophy and some of the history of the company. If you're looking for a summer job at Walt Disney World, consult with "Central Casting," located near the Disney Village, where you can get an application. Or you can write to "Professional Staffing", c/o WDW, at the address in question #99 below. At Disneyland, go to the customer relations desk near the fire station on Main Street. If you do get a summer job, you'll probably be making minimum wage (and regularly shaving and getting a hair cut if you're male, since facial hair is not allowed if you're in the public eye- although animators at WDW seem to be an exception). To get a job at the Disney Store, simply request a job application, preferably from the store manager. They aren't always hiring, but like most retailers, will hire more employees for the Christmas season. When a new Disney Store is opened, a "Casting Call" advertisement is placed in the local paper, and they will interview 300-400 people for 20-25 positions. When a position becomes available, the hiring ratio is 15-20 interviews for one Cast Member position. If you would like to work at the Disney Store, ask for an "interest card," which lets the store know when you are available for work and an interview. If you are called for an interview, you will fill out a full application at that time. For more information on what's it's like to work at the Disney Store, see question #16, below. If you're interested in animation, you need to be talented and lucky. It helps if you attended the California Institute of the Arts ("CalArts"), which Walt Disney helped found, and currently has 900 students and five schools (art, dance, music, film video, theater). I suspect Disney currently helps to fund CalArts. (The address and phone information is given in question #99.) If you didn't attend CalArts, some other prestigious school of art with some animation training will probably do (some of the animators were hired out of the University of California at Los Angeles, the University of Southern California, and the Art Center at Pasadena). If you do get a job as an animator, you'll probably start out by working on "tweening" (i.e. drawing cels that lie in sequence between the cels produced by the primary animators), so you won't have a lot of creative freedom, and you'll probably be quite busy (i.e. working longer than 8 hour days on a regular basis). Show promise, get noticed, and the sky's the limit. At the very least, you get your name in the credits. :-) An address to try writing to regarding employment opportunities with the studios would be: Walt Disney Studios 1400 Flower Street Glendale, CA 91221 Job hotlines at the Walt Disney Company: (818)-560-1811: General Employment (818)-560-6335: Film Industry Opportunities 10) Is Goofy a dog, a horse, or what? Goofy is a dog. He originally started life as "Dippy Dawg" early in the history of the Disney studios, in both comic strips and short films, but evolved into "Goofy" by 1934. He first appeared in film in 1932 (as Dippy Dawg) in Mickey's Revue. This begs the question "well, if Pluto is a dog too, then why don't they act the same (e.g. why does Pluto not talk, why doesn't Goofy walk on all fours, etc.)?" My answer to that is because that's the way Walt wanted it. :-) Pluto is more of a pet to Mickey; Goofy is simply more individualistic and anthropomorphised. In addition, they're both different breeds of dog. :-) (I won't even get into the thread about how Goofy dated Clarabelle Cow.) 11) How can I get the song lyrics to {The Little Mermaid, Beauty and the Beast, etc}? Some of the lyrics to The Little Mermaid and Beauty and the Beast are available via anonymous FTP at garfield.catt.ncsu.edu. If you can't FTP, send me e-mail (tanida@esosun.css.gov) and I can mail them to you. Otherwise, you can order the sheet music from the Hal Leonard Publishing Corporation, 7777 West Bluemound Road, P.O. Box 13819, Milwaukee, WI 53213. There is also The Illustrated Disney Song Book which is published by Random House, Inc., of New York, NY, with the ISBN #0-394- 50745-2. It contains the lyrics (and piano music) to many of the most popular Disney songs. There is a "New" Illustrated Disney Song Book as well (bibliographical reference at the end of this question). Sam Goody's Musicland tends to carry a decent selection of sheet music. The address to the Walt Disney Music Company is given in question #99, below. There is quite a bit of Disney music available on CD and cassette; if there is a demand for it, I'll add a list of Disney music to this list. Disneyland/Buena Vista Records and Tapes (Burbank, CA 92521) is the "official" label that distributes the majority of the music. The New Illustrated Disney Songbook, introduction by Steven Spielberg Abrams, New York, 1986 ISBN 0-810-90846-8 (Abrams) ISBN 0-881-88467-7 (Hal Leonard) Notes: For voice and piano; includes chord symbols and guitar chord diagrams. Presents in sheet music format about eighty songs from such Walt Disney movies as "Cinderella," "Dumbo," and "Mary Poppins." 215 pages. 12) What are the Magic Kingdom Club benefits? As a Magic Kingdom Club (MKC) member, you receive the following benefits: - Special offers on Theme Park admission (usually 10%- there's a price guide), including EuroDisney and Tokyo Disneyland - 10-30% discount on WDW resort accommodations - Ability to take advantage of special vacation packages - 10% discount on merchandise at The Disney Stores - Reduced admission to Pleasure Island, Typhoon Lagoon, River Country, and Discovery Island (at WDW), and the Queen Mary and Spruce Goose attractions (Long Beach, CA) - Membership in Entertainment Publications' Travel America for half price - Up to 30% discounts with National Car Rental - 10% discount on Delta Air Lines tickets when traveling to the theme parks - 10% discount on Premier's Caribbean Cruise and Walt Disney World Week - 15% discount on cruises aboard the Royal Caribbean Cruise Line - 10% discount on the Norwegian Cruise Line - 20% nightly discounts at The Hotel Queen Mary - 10% discount at the Paradise Guest Ranch in Wyoming - Special Club Vacations in San Diego, CA There are a wide variety of vacation packages to choose from, with the prices depending on where you stay and for how long, and what time of year you visit the theme parks. I believe there is no charge for joining the MKC if your employer has a group number. You can also join as a MKC Gold Card member. You receive a personalized, embossed Gold Card, a two-year subscription to Disney News magazine (8 issues, worth $14.95), and a membership kit, containing a tote bag, key chain, travel video, and 5 Disney Dollars. The price for joining is $49 for two years. You also receive a list of toll free numbers to call to make travel reservations. There is also a Magic Years Club for those over 60 years of age. It costs $35 for a 5-year membership, and has the same benefits as the standard MKC, plus a few extras (an embossed card, tote bag, key chain, bumper sticker, Magic Key newsletter). The phone numbers for the MKC, MKC Gold Card, and Magic Years Club are given in question #99, below. 13) What are the stockholder benefits? The stockholder benefits have been discontinued for 1993. As a stockholder, you can obtain an Magic Kingdom Club Gold Card membership for $10 off the normal rate (see also question #12, above). Here is the body of a letter received by Michael R. Johnston (Ambrose@world.std.com), from Jennifer LaGrow, Manager of Shareholder Services, regarding this issue. ***** Begin quote ***** May 10, 1993 Due to the tremendous growth in our shareholder base of almost 100 percent over the last year, and the substantially lower stock price resulting from the four for one stock split in April 1992, it is no longer economical for the Company to continue providing free memberships to approximately 800,000 shareholders. It is important that the Company be run as efficiently as possible so that it can offer stockholders and above-average rate of return. Disney stockholders have enjoyed a 28 percent annualized return over the last ten years ending December 31, 1992. Over the same timeframe, the Standard & Poor's 500 has returned just 16 percent. The Company recently increased its quarterly cash dividend by 19 percent -- from 5.25 to 6.25 cents per share, beginning with the dividend which will be paid on May 20, 1993. There was a 100% increase in total shareholders, with approximately 430,000 new Disney stockholders in calendar year 1992. When we reviewed the costs involved in providing complimentary Magic Kingdom Club membership to these new stockholders, we determined that it would cost close to $3 million to service these new accounts in fiscal year 1993. We estimated that is would cost the Company an additional $600,000 in material and postage costs to provide complimentary MKC membership in 1993 to all the Company's record and beneficial owners. These figures do not even include the cost the Company incurs from the various discounts given to Magic Kingdom Club members. We also discovered that 30 percent of the Company's new 1992 record owners (as opposed to beneficial owners of stock held in "street name," for whom the Company does not have records) purchased only a single share of Disney stock. We estimate that it will cost the Company approximately $500,000 to service these one-share accounts in fiscal year 1993. In a recent survey, approximately 10 percent of the stockholders surveyed said that they purchased Disney stock solely to receive shareholder benefits such as MKC membership. Since the hotel discount offered to shareholders through the MKC membership can be as high as $100 per night, you can see why the Company determined that it was not economical to offer complimentary membership to its stockholders. Magic Kingdom Club does provide membership programs to eligible corporations, firms and associations, although this is a separate program and does not have any impact on the shareholder benefit program. ***** End quote ***** If you'd like an annual report, write to: Walt Disney Company 500 S. Buena Vista St. Burbank, CA 91521-7320 14) What is Club 33? Club 33 is a somewhat exclusive club located in Disneyland. It's not really *exclusive* in the sense that anybody who is willing to wait 2-3 years on the waiting list and can afford the membership fee and annual dues can join. To get more information, you can write to Club 33, c/o Disneyland (Disneyland's full address is included in question #99). Club 33 is located in New Orleans Square at Disneyland. It occupies most of the upstairs of the buildings in that area. As you exit from Pirates of the Caribbean, turn left. Just beyond the Blue Bayou restaurant is a green door with the address 33. In the atrium between the One of a Kind shop and the pirate shop is a large staircase and an elevator (behind a door) which serve as alternate entrances. (These directions were taken from the Disneyland FAQ.) If you'd like a copy of the text of the brochures, which includes the membership fees (if you have to ask, you probaby can't afford it), drop me e-mail at tanida@esosun.css.gov. 15) What are the names of Ariel's sisters in The Little Mermaid? Ariel's sisters are: Aquata; Andrina; Arista; Atina; Adella; Allana. (Note the second sister is "Andrina," not "Adrina.") This information was verified using both the songbook lyrics and the book The Little Mermaid: Tales From Under the Sea. There has been a debate over whether or not the spelling of Ariel's last sister is "Allana" or "Alana." The sheet music and most of the books give it as "Allana," but the new Encyclopedia of Walt Disney's Animated Characters lists it as "Alana." "Allana" is most likely correct. It is not a credited voice in the movie. 16) What are the Disney Stores? The Disney Stores are a chain of retail stores dedicated entirely to Disney merchandise. They are located throughout the US and UK, and will soon be opening in Japan and Europe; for the location of the one nearest you, try calling the Disney Catalog at (800)-237-5751- there is a list in the Disney Catalog itself. The first Disney Store opened on May 28, 1987 in Glendale, CA. As of May 1, 1993, there were 208 stores in operation, with plans to open over 60 new stores total by the end of 1993. I've found that the prices of certain merchandise at the stores are lower than the prices of the same items at the theme parks. The Disney Store model is different than an average retail store. As you enter, the Disney Store logo is large and prevalent, usually overhead. There are two glass cases to either side of the entrance one of which is used for seasonal features, and the other a Disney scene portrayed by plastic or wooden models. There are other exterior decorations, including a line of "film" which has in each frame a Disney character, being animated from one frame to the next. At the entrance of each store there is a "greeter" who stands and greets entering guests (customers), and says good- bye to departing guests. Inside the store, around the perimeter and overhead, are various scenes (called "Animations") which differ from store to store throughout the country. Some scenes are from the movies; most are from cartoon shorts or are original. Which scenes appear in which Disney Store is dependent upon the year in which the store opened. There are usually two cash register locations, behind which hang Disney art (cels, serigraphs, etc.). At the back of the store is a large, laserdisc-based projection screen for playing scenes from movies, cartoons, music videos, etc., for the purpose of entertainment (and marketing Disney videos and soundtracks). The stores are kept well stocked and well organized. The Disney Store receives entirely new merchandise on a regular basis (on average about every two to three weeks). There is a shipment of general merchandise every week. Every couple of months or so a new promotion with a different theme is emphasized, sometimes based on the season, other times based on the current movie in the theaters, etc. The employees, called Cast Members (like all Disney employees), are trained in Disney culture, and are routinely kept up to date with current activities at the theme parks, new programs on the Disney Channel, when new movies and videocassettes will become available, etc. This training program is called "Traditions," and (usually) takes place at the store, consisting of some videos and forms. There is an internal newsletter, called The Disney Store Scoop, and award programs for Guest Courtesy, Teamwork, etc. that are reflected in pins. One Cast Member told me that he received some rather substantial offers on his pins (which are not for sale). Cast Members also attend fully paid Disney Store trips to see the latest animated film release twice a year. See also question #9. 17) Who were the "nine old men"? The "nine old men" were the group of lead animators who worked closely with Walt Disney and the Disney studios from around the mid 1940's to the mid 1980's. The term "nine old men" was a takeoff from President Franklin Delano Roosevelt's term for the U.S. Supreme Court justices. The nine old men, in alphabetical order with a fraction of some of the notable characters and movies that they contributed to, are: Les Clark - Minnie Mouse, Mickey in Fantasia Marc Davis - Bambi, Cinderella, Sleeping Beauty, Cruella in 101 Dalmatians Ollie Johnston - Dopey in Snow White, Mowgli in The Jungle Book, Bambi, Mr. Smee from Peter Pan Milt Kahl - Pinocchio, Robin Hood, Medusa in The Rescuers Ward Kimball - The Three Caballeros, Captain Hook in Peter Pan, Lucifer in Cinderella, Dwarfs in Snow White Eric Larson - Figaro in Pinocchio, horses in Beethoven's 6th in Fantasia John Lounsbery - Ben Ali Gator in Fantasia, Bambi, Victory Through Air Power Wolfgang Reitherman - Goofy, Cinderella, Rite of Spring in Fantasia, The Aristocats Frank Thomas - Bambi, Sword in the Stone These nine men worked on many of the Disney classics, from Snow White to The Rescuers. Not all of the nine men worked on all of the movies (although there were some movies that all of them participated in, including Cinderella). Some of the other major animators at the Disney studios included Ub Iwerks, Norman Ferguson, Ken Anderson, Mary Blair, Bill Justice, Vladimir (Bill) Tytla, William Peet, and Wilfred Jackson (who was the first director for Walt Disney). 18) Who are the current Disney animators? Robert Cook (rcook@sdcc13.ucsd.edu) and Tim Pickett (quetzal@yoyo.cc.monash.edu.au) have created a comprehensive list of all of the animators who have worked for Disney over the years. These Cast and Crew lists are available via anonymous FTP at yoyo.cc.monash.edu.au (130.194.9.1) in pub/rec.arts.disney. Please use this site outside normal business hours (the site is 10 hours ahead of GMT- use the UNIX command "date -u" to get the current GMT time), namely before noon US time, or on a Friday or Saturday. Contact Tim Pickett (quetzal@yoyo.cc.monash.edu.au) for more info. Some (but certainly not all) of the animators include: Ruben Aquino - Ursula (The Little Mermaid); Maurice (Beauty and the Beast) James Baxter - Belle (Beauty and the Beast) Randy Cartwright- Magic Carpet (Aladdin) Lorna Cook - Contributed to Belle (Beauty and the Beast) Andreas Deja - Mickey Mouse (Prince and the Pauper); Triton (The Little Mermaid); Gaston (Beauty and the Beast); Jafar (Aladdin) Russ Edmonds- Max the dog (The Little Mermaid); Cody (The Rescuers Down Under); Philippe the horse (Beauty and the Beast) Eric Goldberg- Genie (Aladdin) Will Finn- Grimsby (The Little Mermaid); Cogsworth (Beauty and the Beast); Iago the Parrot (Aladdin) Mark Henn - Stationed in Florida. Contributed heavily to the character development of Belle and Mrs. Potts/Chip. Was the lead animator on Jasmine (Aladdin). Glen Keane - Supervised The Fox and the Hound; characters include Ratigan (The Great Mouse Detective); Ariel (The Little Mermaid); Eagle (The Rescuers Down Under); Beast (Beauty and the Beast); Aladdin (Aladdin). Glen Keane is the son of Bil Keane, artist of the Family Circus comic strip. Lisa Keene - Background artist/supervisor Duncan Majoribanks- Sebastian (The Little Mermaid), Abu (Aladdin) Tom Sito - Worked on layout and animated the Gaston wrestling scene in the pub (Beauty and the Beast) Dave Pruiksma- Bernard (The Rescuers Down Under); Mrs. Potts and Chip (Beauty and the Beast); Sultan (Aladdin) Nik Ranieri- Ursula (The Little Mermaid); Wilbur (The Rescuers Down Under); Luminere (Beauty and the Beast) Chris Wahl - Lefou (Beauty and the Beast), multiple characters (Aladdin) These animators led the teams that animated the characters they are credited with. Lead animators provide many of the story and character ideas, but I am sure that many other ideas (and a lot of hard work) come from the animators who work for the lead animator. 19) Where can I get the movie poster for {Beauty and the Beast, other Disney movie}? You can try just about any movie poster dealer that deals in current posters. Prices will vary. Some things to know: Posters aren't easy to mail. You may need to send the seller a mailing tube in which to hold the rolled poster. The following list was compiled from the periodical Movie Collector's World, published at P.O. Box 309, Fraser, MI 48026. Phone: (313)-774- 4311. You might want to get a copy (published bi-weekly at a cover price of $2.50) to see all the ads for yourself. All of those listed here had at least one Disney title in their advertisements. Disclaimer: I can't vouch for any of these places personally, since I have not ordered from any of them. As always, additions to this list are welcome. Comic Castle 3148 Midway Drive #113, San Diego, CA 92110 (619)-222-3302 (Tu, W, Th only, 11-6 PST) Mike Kinder P.O. Box 772198, Winter Garden, FL 34777 (904)-394-3569, after 5 PM Mark J. Myler 3300 S. Tamarac #N101, Denver, CO 80231 (303)-368-1306 The Movie Gallery 2072 Front Street, East Meadow, NY 11554 (516)-794-0294 Pamela Banner 3409 Lake Montebello Dr., Baltimore, MD 21218-3151 (410)-235-7427 (10-6 EST M-Sa) Poster Emporium P.O. Box 16681, Raytown, MO 64133-6681 (800)-877-7860 Richard Hubel 549 88th Avenue North, St. Petersburg, FL 33702 (813)-578-1236 Walls of Fame 2798 Nostrand Ave., Brooklyn, NY 11229 (718)-692-3200 If you do order from any of these (or other) places, I'd like to know about your experiences (positive or negative). Archive-name: disney-faq/part1c Last-modified: 11 Jun 1993 20) Where can I find a particular Disney book? How can I find an original version of a book that Disney adapted into a movie? One way is to consult your local big-chain bookseller (B. Dalton, Waldenbooks, BookStop, Bookstar, Crown Books, etc.). Many have listings, although many Disney books are out of print. If the book you are looking for is indeed out of print, your best hope is to search local used book resellers in your area. Otherwise, the best you can do is your local library. Incidentally, Hyperion Press is owned by Disney. A good place to get information about books of any subject without leaving the comfort of your UNIX machine is via the online Melvyl Catalog. The Melvyl Catalog, accessible via Telnet, is an online card catalog listing for every book in the vast University of California library system. To access, try the following at your favorite UNIX prompt: unix% telnet melvyl.ucop.edu (You can substitute 192.35.222.222 for melvyl.ucop.edu if you don't have domain name resolution.) If you can FTP, you should be able to telnet. If you get a "network inaccessible error", you probably don't have the proper access to the outside world. If you have trouble, feel free to send me e-mail (tanida@esosun.css.gov) and I can try to find the book you want for you. If you can telnet, you'll be prompted for a terminal type. Use "Z99" (w/o the quotes) as your terminal type. Then press return. From here, you can use the online help by typing "help ". Some useful commands: find su Disney = Finds "subject" Disney = any book with Disney as a subject word find pa Christopher Finch = Finds "personal author" Christopher Finch = books written by author Christopher Finch find tw Magic Kingdom = Finds "title words" Magic Kingdom = any books with the words "Magic Kingdom" Upon retrieving your results, you can use the display command: display all review = Display all in a review format display 10 long = Displays entry #10 in a long format (all the info- author, title, etc.) display 10 ISBN = Displays the ISBN number for entry #10 21) I remember a scene from Peter Pan where Tinkerbell is dying (having borne the brunt of the explosion from Captain Hook's trick present to Peter), and the audience is asked to clap to bring her back to life. Why isn't it on the Disney video? This scene never existed in the Disney version of Peter Pan. It did, however, exist in the Mary Martin stage version, which is also available on videocassette. The videocassette was released at about the same time the Disney version was released, so if you don't believe me, you can rent the play and see for yourself. :-) 22) What was the first Disney film ever to receive a PG rating? The first film was The Black Hole, on December 21, 1979. The first (and so far only) animated feature film to receive a PG rating was The Black Cauldron, on July 24, 1985. 23) What are some "in-jokes" in the Disney films? Here is what probably amounts to an incomplete list. If you find others, drop me a line. If the list gets long enough, I can separate it out of the FAQ. Aladdin: In the "One Jump Ahead" sequence, the directors, Musker and Clements, appear. Musker has a dark mustache, the Clements has a red beard. Sebastian, from The Little Mermaid, appears when the Genie is pulling items out of a recipe book just prior to granting Aladdin's first wish. The Genie turns his head into Pinocchio during a discussion with Aladdin at the oasis. When Genie turns Abu into an elephant, the magic words are "He's a mambo shimming Dumbo." There is a figurine of the Beast, from Beauty and the Beast, in the stack of toys the Sultan is piling up (which are subsequently knocked to the floor when Jafar enters), prior to the "Prince Ali" sequence. In the "Whole New World" sequence, Aladdin and Jasmine fly past the gazebo from the Beethoven sequence from Fantasia. The Genie, in the tradition of the Disney theme parks commercials, asks Aladdin "What are you going to do next?" after he has apparently won the heart of the princess. Also, the "When You Wish Upon A Star" theme is played here. Beauty and the Beast: When Maurice reaches the crossroads just prior to arriving at the Beast's castle for the first time, there is a street sign. Although faded, the sign that points towards the dark, scary side is labeled "Valencia," and the sign point towards the normal side is labeled "Anaheim." There is a hidden Mickey in the film, although it's location was under debate. I'll have to check the film Oliver and Company: In the "Why Should I Worry" sequence, Pongo, from 101 Dalmatians, is shown briefly, tugging at his master's leash. 101 Dalmatians: During the "Midnight Bark" several dogs from Lady and the Tramp appear in a pet shop window. 24) Commonly used Disney terms and abbreviations on the Internet 8(:-) = Mouseketeer smiley ADO = Approved Day Off (for Cast Members) BatB = Beauty and the Beast Cast Member = An employee of the Disney Company (the term was coined by Walt himself) Code 101 = Ride (at theme park) out of service Costume = Cast Member uniform DL = Disneyland ER = Early Release (getting off work early for a Cast Member) FAQ = Frequently Asked Questions list (which you probably know by now) Guest = Term for a Disney customer (e.g. at the theme parks or Disney Stores) MK = Magic Kingdom (referring to Disneyland's counterpart, in Florida). Disneyland is also called The Magic Kingdom, or "Walt Disney's Magic Kingdom". MKC = Magic Kingdom Club (see question #12) MSEP = Main Street Electrical Parade O&C = Oliver and Company On-Stage = Where a Cast Member is exposed to Guests (i.e. working) r.a.d = rec.arts.disney RDO = Requested Day Off (for Cast Members) RDU = Rescuers Down Under SotS = Song of the South TBC = The Black Cauldron TDS = The Disney Store(s) TGMD = The Great Mouse Detective TLM = The Little Mermaid WDW = Walt Disney World (in Orlando, Florida) 25) Who does the voice of the singing merchant (the Peddler) at the beginning of the film Aladdin? The singing voice is done by Bruce Adler (this is credited on the soundtrack). The talking voice of the Peddler, who gives the introduction to the story, is Robin Williams. Originally, a sequence was planned at the end of the film (after Aladdin and Jasmine ride off into the sunset- well, moonrise) where the merchant was to be revealed as the Genie, but this scene was cut. 99) Where can I get more Disney info? Mail Order: If you're interested in animation in general, or if you are looking for a good place to order harder to find videos, I recommend the Whole Toon Catalog. Call (206)-391-8747. Books: There are many books available about topics related to Disney, from biographies of Walt himself, to books about the near takeover of the Disney company in 1984, to books about Disney animation and history. Listed here are some of the many books available related to Disney subjects, in order by author. Many are probably out of print. Your contributions to this list are appreciated. Walt Disney's World of Fantasy, by Adrian Bailey; compiled and designed by Julie & Steve Ridgeway. Everest House, New York, 1982. ISBN 0-896-96117-6 Covers the cinematography, animation, and special effects in the films from the Disney studios. 252 pages. Walt Disney's EPCOT Center, by Richard R. Beard H.N. Abrams, New York, 1982. ISBN 0-8109-0819-0 An excellent work on EPCOT Center, covering its inception, design, and construction. Cover priced at $55.00. Disneyland: The Inside Story, by Randy Bright, forward by Michael Eisner. H.N. Abrams, New York, 1987. ISBN 0-810-90811-5 Coverage of the history of Disneyland. Highly recommended by more than one Disney fan on the Internet. 240 pages, including many color illustrations. Walt Disney's Fantasia, by John Culhane Harry N. Abrams, Inc., New York, NY, 1983, reprinted in 1987 ISBN 0-8109-8078-9 A discussion of Fantasia from its inception to completion. Individual chapters deal with each of the parts of the film. 221 pages. The Art of Walt Disney: From Mickey Mouse to the Magic Kingdoms, by Christopher Finch H. N. Abrams, New York, 1975 ISBN 0-810-90321-0 160 pages. Walt Disney's America, by Christopher Finch Abbeville Press, New York, NY, 1978 ISBN 0-896-59000-3 A biography of Walt Disney, focusing on his movie making. 301 pages. Prince of the Magic Kingdom, by Joe Flower John Wiley and Sons, Inc., New York, NY, 1991 ISBN 0-471-52465-4 History of the Walt Disney Company beginning with the appointment of Michael Eisner as CEO. Complete through 1991, the first third of the book covers the takeover attempt of 1984. The remainder of the book is a focus on Michael Eisner. 309 pages. Window On Main Street, by Van Arsdale France Laughter Publications, Inc., Nashua, NH, 1991. ISBN 0-941613-17-8 (softcover) ISBN 0-941613-18-6 (hardcover) Autobiography of Van Arsdale France, one of the major contributors to the creation and building of Disneyland. Includes many first-hand stories, original photographs, and illustrations. This book is published by the same group that publishes Storyboard magazine (information included below). 123 pages. Encyclopedia of Walt Disney's Animated Characters, by John Grant, foreword by David R. Smith, First Edition Harper & Row, New York, 1987 ISBN 0-060-15777-1 A comprehensive list of Disney characters through 1986, including filmographies and a complete index. Includes a bibliography. Currently a collector's item. 320 pages. Encyclopedia of Walt Disney's Animated Characters, by John Grant, forewords by David R. Smith and Roy E. Disney, Second Edition Hyperion Press, New York, 1993 ISBN 1-56282-904-1 A comprehensive list of Disney characters from the animated shorts, feature films, and television series through 1992 (with brief, preliminary descriptions of characters from Aladdin), including filmographies and a complete index. Includes hundreds of color pictures, and a bibliography. A must get for any Disney fan. 384 pages. The Man Behind The Magic: The Story of Walt Disney, by Katherine and Richard Greene Viking Penguin, 375 Hudson Street, New York, NY 10014, published in 1991 ISBN 0-670-82259-0 A more sugar-coated biography of Walt Disney's life than Leonard Mosley's Disney's World; it emphasizes Walt's role as a dreamer and covers how he achieved those dreams in the face of adversity. 183 pages. The Disney Touch: How a Daring Management Team Revived an Entertainment Empire, by Ron Grover Business One Irwin, Homewood, IL 1991 ISBN 1-556-23385-X The story of how Michael Eisner took over charge of the Walt Disney Company in 1984 and turned it into the company it is today. 315 pages. The Disney Studio Story, by Richard Holliss and Brian Sibley Crown Publishers, Inc. 225 Park Avenue South, New York, NY 10003, published in 1988 ISBN 0-517-57078-5 Covers the history of Disney films, from the creation of Mickey Mouse through the films of 1987. Includes a synopsis of every Disney film and short on record. Also includes a list of Academy Awards and Oscar nominations. 256 pages. Walt Disney's Mickey Mouse - His Life and Times, text and research by Richard Holliss and Brian Sibley (Justin Knowles Publishing Group) Harper and Row, Publishers, New York, 1986. ISBN 0-06-015619-8 Official biography of Mickey Mouse. 96 pages, $14.95. Justice for Disney, by Bill Justice Tomart Publications, 1992 ISBN 0-914293-13-3 Autobiography of Disney animator Bill Justice, including illustrations and photos. This was a limited, signed edition of 1000, with an original cover price of $45.00. 168 pages. Walt Disney and Assorted Other Characters: An Unauthorized Account of the Early Years at Disney's, by Jack Kinney, foreword by Leonard Maltin Harmony Books, New York, 1988 ISBN 0-517-57057-2 Biography of Walt and behind the scenes look at the Walt Disney studios. 207 pages with a cover price of $17.95. The Wonderful World of Disney Animals, by William R. Koehler Howell Book House, New York, 1979 ISBN 0-876-05810-1 Notes: Presents a behind-the-scenes account of the techniques and trials of training various animals who have appeared in Disney productions. 252 pages. Walt Disney: A Guide to References and Resources, by Elizabeth Leebron and Lynn Gartley G. K. Hall, Boston, 1979 ISBN 0-816-18004-8 The Disney Films, by Leonard Maltin ; research associate, Jerry Beck Crown, New York, 1984 (updated edition) ISBN 0-517-55407-0 (paperback) Written by Entertainment Tonight film critic and long-time Disney fan Leonard Maltin. Includes criticism and interpretation of the Disney animated films. 343 pages. Of Mice and Magic, by Leonard Maltin Crown, New York, 1987 ISBN 0-452-25993-2 Covers the major American cartoon studios, including Disney, Fleischer, Terry, Lantz, Warner Bros., etc. 485 pages. The Story of Walt Disney, by Diane Disney Miller as told to Pete Martin Holt, New York, 1957 Biography of Walt from the perspective of his daughter. Note that it was published ten years prior to Walt's death. 247 pages. Walt Disney, Master of Make-believe, by Elizabeth Rider Montgomery, illustrated by Vic Mays. Garrard Pub. Co., Champaign, Ill., 1971 ISBN 0-811-64568-1 Notes: A biography of cartoonist Walt Disney stressing his professional contribution to the film industry and influence on American life. 96 pages. Disney's World, by Leonard Mosley Stein and Day, New York, NY (hardcover, 1985) Published by Scarborough House, Chelsea, MI 48118 (paperback, 1990) Distributed by Independent Publishers Group, Chicago, IL 60610 ISBN 0-8128-8514-7 (paperback) One of the better biographies on Walt Disney's life that I've seen. Mosley is a noted biographer, and he obviously put a lot of research into this one. It is not wholly positive, but is certainly not the Disney-bashing found in Richard Schickel's The Disney Version. 330 pages. The Ultimate Disney Trivia Book, by Kevin Neary and Dave Smith Hyperion Press, New York, NY, December 1992 ISBN 1-56282-925-4 Contains 999 trivia questions (and answers) on the Disney characters, cartoon shorts, feature films, the Theme Parks, and Walt Disney himself. Walt Disney's Donald Duck: 50 Years of Happy Frustration, text by Flora O'Brian; edited by Charlotte Parry-Crookel Another Rainbow Publishers, Scottsdale, AZ ISBN 0-95095-171-4 Official biography of Donald Duck. Limited to 5000 numbered copies. 94 pages. Walt Disney's Goofy - The Good Sport, text by Flora O'Brian, research by Christopher Fagg and Justin Knowles (Justin Knowles Publishing Group) HPBooks. Tuckson, AZ, 1985. ISBN 0-89586-2 Official biography of Goofy. 96 pages, $14.95. The Disney Version : The Life, Times, Art, and Commerce of Walt Disney, by Richard Schickel Simon and Schuster, New York, 1985 ISBN 0-671-54714-3 A generally negatively critical book about Walt Disney and the Disney company. Walt: Backstage Adventures with Walt Disney, by Charles Shows, foreword by William D. Hanna Published by Windsong Books International, La Jolla, CA, 1980 Distributed by Communication Creativity ISBN 0-934-84601-4 Biography of Walt Disney. 212 pages. The History of Animation: Enchanted Drawings, by Charles Solomon Alfred A. Knopf, New York, NY, 1989 ISBN 0-394-54684-9 Not specific to Disney, but contains a lot of material related to the animation of the Disney studios. Oversized and full-color, I would recommended this to animation fans, although the cover price is $75.00. Published in 1989, over 300 pages, covers through the films of 1988 (e.g. Oliver and Company) ending with a discussion of computer animation. 322 pages. Storming The Magic Kingdom: Wall Street The Raiders, and The Battle For Disney, by John Taylor Ballantine Books, a division of Random House, Inc., New York, NY, 1987 ISBN 0-345-35407-9 An inside look at the famous events of 1984 surrounding the attempted hostile takeover of the Walt Disney Company by Saul Steinberg and the subsequent installation of Michael Eisner as CEO. An interesting read. 262 pages. Walt Disney: An American Original, by Bob Thomas Pocket Books, New York, 1980, c1976 ISBN 0-671-66232-5 A biography of Walt Disney. Currently out of print. 414 pages. Walt Disney and the Art of Animation; the Story of the Disney Studio Contribution to a New Art, by Bob Thomas with the Walt Disney staff, with research by Don Graham Golden Press, Inc., New York, c1958 The original Bob Thomas book about the art of animation. Covers the making of Sleeping Beauty. Out of print; now a collector's item. 181 pages. Disney's Art of Animation, by Bob Thomas Produced by Welcome Enterprises, 164 East 95th Street, New York, NY 10128 Published by Hyperion Press, 114 Fifth Avenue, New York, NY 10011, 1991 ISBN 1-56282-997-1 Covers Disney animation from Mickey Mouse through The Little Mermaid, with a separate section on the making of Beauty and the Beast. Very colorful, making it an excellent coffee table book, featuring a "cover that moves." Despite the fact that the inside cover reads "First Edition", Bob Thomas has written a previous edition on Disney animation (see above). 208 pages. The Walt Disney Biography, by Bob Thomas New English Library/Times Mirror, London, 1977 ISBN 4-500-32299 A biography of Walt Disney. 296 pages. Walt Disney, Magician of the Movies, by Bob Thomas Grosset & Dunlap, New York, 1966 Notes: "A Rutledge book." A biography of the internationally beloved cartoonist-creator of Mickey Mouse, Donald Duck, Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs, and Disneyland. 176 pages. Disney Animation: The Illusion of Life, by Frank Thomas and Ollie Johnston Abbeville Press, New York, NY, 1981 ISBN 0-89659-232-4 ISBN 0-89659-232-2 (deluxe edition) Published in 1981, this book is now hard to find. It is all about Disney character animation, and goes into great detail, including a lot of technical discussion. The most authoritative book by any of the "nine old men." Not written in chronological order, it covers mostly through The Rescuers (1977), although I did see a background from The Black Cauldron (which was under development when this book was written, though not released until 1984). 575 pages. Too Funny for Words: Disney's Greatest Sight Gags, by Frank Thomas and Ollie Johnston Abbeville Press, New York, 1987 ISBN 0-896-59747-4 223 pages. Walt Disney's Bambi, The Story and the Film, by Frank Thomas and Ollie Johnston Stewart, Tabori & Chang New York, 1992 ISBN 1-55670-8 Text and artwork from the animated film "Bambi" unfold the story of the deer who grows up to be King of the Forest and reveal the creative struggles and victories behind the making of the movie. 208 pages. Dedication: We dedicate this book to WALT DISNEY who asked for it fifty years ago. "I'd like to see a book - an edition of Bambi - put out afterwards, and I'd just like to see the text all broken up with these sketches." -- Walt Disney, Story meeting notes, December 12, 1939. Sorry Walt - you always said we were slow. The Musical World of Walt Disney, by David Tietyen Hal Leonard Publishing Corporation 7777 West Bluemound Road, P.O. Box 13819, Milwaukee, WI 53213 ISBN 0-88188-476-6 Published in 1990, but covers only through the late 1970's (e.g. Pete's Dragon). Includes a forward by the Sherman brothers. A discussion of Disney music, starting with Steamboat Willie, grouped film by film in different chapters for the different eras. 158 pages. Great Moments From the Films of Walt Disney, by Walt Disney Productions Rutledge Press, New York, NY, 1981 ISBN 0-817-33975-4 Notes: "Great and memorable moments from: Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs, Pinocchio, Dumbo, Bambi, Cinderella, Sleeping Beauty. Volume 1"--Cover. 92 pages. Treasures of Disney Animation Art, by Walt Disney Productions, preface by Robert E. Abrams, introduction by John Canemaker Abbeville Press, New York, 1982 ISBN 0-896-59315-0 Covers animation from the Disney animated films. 319 pages with an original cover price of $85.00. There is a new edition of this book currently for sale. Mickey Mouse Movie Stories, story and illustrations by the staff of the Walt Disney Studios, introduction by Maurice Sendak Harry N. Abrams, Inc., New York, 1988. ISBN 0-8109-1529-4 Facsimile edition of "Mickey Mouse Movie Stories, Book 2", published in 1934, containing a dozen stories illustrated with photographs of the original cel setups from the choice cartoon shorts of 1932 to 1934. 197 pages, 98 illustrations. The Art of Mickey Mouse, edited by Craig Yoe and Janet Morra-Yoe, introduction by John Updike Hyperion, 114 Fifth Avenue, New York, NY 10011, 1991 ISBN 1-56282-994-7 Art book covering various interpretations of Mickey by various artists. $35.00. There are also many guide books related to maximizing your visits to the theme parks. Consult your local bookstore's Travel section- there are plenty to choose from. My personal favorites are The Unofficial Guide books written by Bob Sehlinger. Most of the guides are updated yearly. The guide books are covered in part two of the FAQ, which focuses on the theme parks. Magazines: Storyboard/The Art of Laughter - Laughter Publications, Inc., 80 Main Street, Nashua, NH 03060 (603)-883-9770 A high-quality magazine dedicated to animation art. Published by Laughter Publications on a bi-monthly basis. Subscriptions are $22.97 for one year, with a cover price of $4.95. Features articles and advertisements related to cel and merchandise collecting, the Disney motion pictures, and historical articles about the animators. Disney News - (see below for addresses) Published quarterly as the Official Magazine of Walt Disney's Magic Kingdom Club. Subscriptions are free with a Gold Card Membership, $14.95 for two years otherwise. The cover price is $2.50; the only place I've ever seen it sold off the shelf is at the Disney Store and the theme parks. This magazine mostly covers current events at the theme parks and the Disney realms, with a few behind the scene looks. The "E" Ticket (as posted by mikkelson@breakr.enet.dec.com): The "E" Ticket is published 2-3 times a year. Subscriptions are $22 for four issues, or $6 for a sample copy. Write to them at: The "E" Ticket 20560 Alaminos Drive Saugus, CA 91350 The publishers of The "E" Ticket always have a table at the NFFC's annual "Strictly Disney" show in Anaheim, where you can browse through their magazine, sign up for a subscription, and/or purchase back issues. Online sources: There is a Disney following in the FLORIDA forum on the Compuserve Information Service, including libraries that have official Disney-approved GIF images. Another online source is the Disney Software BBS. It is primarily present for the support of the Disney software products, but has some interesting Disney GIFs and animations. The phone number is: (818)-567-4027 (somewhere in the Los Angeles area). Via the Internet: rec.arts.disney: Everybody's favorite USENET newsgroup, dedicated to the pursuit of happiness through the Art of Walt. Other than this FAQ, there is also a Disneyland-specific FAQ, and an FAQ of sorts on the Monorail system (not regularly posted- Monorail Green, are you out there?). Disney Fidonet Echo: If you have access to a BBS that carries Fidonet groups, check for the Disney Echo. (Fidonet is similar to the Internet in concept; it is composed of many participating BBSs worldwide, linked via modem. Hub BBSs collect/send/relay messages to other BBSs on Fidonet on a regular basis, with a large amount of work being done overnight.) The Disney Afternoon Mailing List- Discussion of Disney Afternoon related topics, and other related threads (and tangents). To subscribe, send a request to Stephanie daSilva, at arielle@taronga.com. The address of the list (not for maintenance, such as subscribing or unsubscribing), is ranger-list@taronga.com. The Disney Comics Mailing List- Discussion of Disney-related comic book materials, including Carl Barks and Don Rosa. To subscribe, mail to Per Starback, at disney-comics-request@student.docs.uu.se. The address of the list (not for maintenance, such as subscribing or unsubscribing), is disney-comics@student.docs.uu.se. Addresses: Here is a list of addresses and/or phone numbers: Buena Vista Home Burbank, CA 91521 Video (US) Buena Vista Home London, England W1V 6AP Video (UK) California Operator: (805)-255-1050; 24700 W. McBean Pkwy; Institute of Valencia, CA 91355 the Arts (Cal Arts) Disney Catalog P.O. Box 29144, Shawnee Mission, Kansas 66201-9144 (800)-237-5751 (orders; M-F 8a-11p ET; Sa-Su 8a-8p, ET) (913)-752-1095 (FAX) Disneyland Guest 1313 Harbor Boulevard, Anaheim, CA 92802-2398 Relations (714)-999-4565 Disneyland Hotel (714)-956-6400 Disneyland (800)-3MAIL-33 Inventory Services Disney News, P.O. Box 4489, Anaheim, CA 92803 correspondence Disney News, P.O. Box 3310, Anaheim, CA 92803-3310 subscription info Disney Software c/o Customer Service, 500 S. Buena Vista St.; Burbank, CA 91521-6385 (800)-841-3326 (8a-5p PST); FAX: (818)-846-0454 Disney Vacation (800)-800-9100; (407)-WDW-3100 Club Gladstone P.O. Box 2079, Prescott, AZ 86302 Publishing Hal Leonard Publishing Corporation (sheet music) 7777 West Bluemound Road, P.O. Box 13819, Milwaukee, WI 53213 Hyperion Press 114 Fifth Avenue, New York, NY 10011 Magic Kingdom Club, Disneyland Travel Packages P.O. Box 4180, Anaheim, CA 92803-4180 (714)-520-5000 (for MKC members) Magic Kingdom Club, Walt Disney World Travel Center P.O. Box 10160, Lake Buena Vista, FL 32830-0160 (407)-824-2600 (for MKC members) Magic Kingdom Club P.O. Box 3850, Anaheim, CA 92803-3850 Gold Card (800)-248-2665 Magic Years Club P.O. Box 4709, Anaheim, CA 92803-4709 (seniors) (714)-490-3250 Walt Disney Company 500 S. Buena Vista Street, Burbank, CA 91521 (818)-560-1000 Walt Disney Magazine Publishing Company (e.g. Disney Comics) 500 S. Buena Vista Buena Vista, CA 91521 Walt Disney Music P.O. Box 4740, Anaheim, CA 92803-4740 Company Walt Disney Studios 1400 Flower Street, Glendale, CA 91221 Walt Disney World Guest Relations P.O. Box 10000, Lake Buena Vista, FL 32830-1000 (407)-824-4321 (note: this address is a general address, so you should specify a particular department) Section III - Answers to Questions with Time-critical Information 1) What Disney shows/auctions/events are coming up? Here are some of the Disney-related events coming up in the future. If you know of any others and would like to have them listed here, please e-mail the appropriate info to me and I'll add it in. * Howard Lowery Gallery: Fine Animation Art and Related Items- August 29 Contact: Howard Lowery Gallery, 3818 W. Magnolia Blvd., Burbank, CA 91505 (818)-972-9080 * NFFC's 9th Annual Disneyana Collector's and Enthusiasts Convention- July 20th-25th Hyatt Regency Alicante Hotel, Anaheim, CA Contact: NFFC, P.O. Box 19212, Irvine, CA 92713; (714)-731-4705. For reservations, contact the hotel at (800)-972-2929 and mention the "National Fantasy Fan Club Disneyana Convention" when making your room reservations to get a special rate of $78/night. * 2nd Annual Disneyana Convention - September 16-19 Disneyland Hotel, Anaheim, CA This is set up by Disney, registration required. For more information about the itinerary and registration information, contact: Official Disneyana Convention, Special Events, Walt Disney Attractions Merchandise, P. O. Box 10,000, Lake Buena Vista FL, 32830- 1000, (407) 560-7232 * The Disney Store and the Disney Theme Parks are currently offering limited edition, commemorative Disney Dollars featuring Mickey Mouse on the front and Mickey's ToonTown house on the back, to celebrate Mickey's 65th birthday. * The Disney Store is currently taking pre-orders on Aladdin through September 27. As with the pre-orders on Pinocchio, they will be including a free lithograph (of Aladdin and Jasmine together) at time of purchase, as well as your choice of a watch or $5 Disney Store gift certificate at the time of pickup. There will be a $5 rebate with it as well. * There will be a showing and sale of cels with lithographed backgrounds, from The Little Mermaid at the following Disney Stores on June 13: Glendale Galleria, Glendale, CA: (818)-247-0222 Woodfield Mall, Schaumburg, IL: (708)-240-5255 Cherry Hill Mall, Cherry Hill, NJ: (609)-665-0611 The Galleria, Ft. Lauderdale, FL: (305)-561-7337 * The Disney Collectors Society is taking Charter Memberships until the end of this year. The membership price is $52, which includes, among other things, an exclusive Jiminy Cricket sculpture and a subscription to the Collectors Society's newsletter. The Disney Store currently has brochures regarding this, and the Society was featured in the most recent Disney News. You may also write to the Society at: Walt Disney Collectors Society P.O. Box 11090 Des Moines, Iowa 50336-1090 * Aladdin's Oasis opens at Disneyland July 2. This is featured in the current issue of Disney News. It consists of a multi-course meal, which each course featuring a different live entertainment segment with characters from the movie Aladdin. * Disney has created something called the "Symphonic Fantasy," which is a full evening of live Disney characters, combined with symphony music and songs from over 30 classic Disney films. It features hometown symphony orchestras, 32 singers, 18 dancers, and 200 characters. Confirmed dates are listed here: Hollywood Bowl, Los Angeles: June 18, 20, 21 The Pond, Anaheim: June 22 Shoreline Amphitheater: June 24 Seattle Center Stadium, Seattle: June 26 Metropolitan Opera House: New York: July 6-18 Merriweather Post Pavilion, Washington D.C.: July 22 Chastain Park Amphitheater, Atlanta: July 25 Riverbend Music Center, Cincinnati: July 27 Deer Creek Music Center, Noblesville, Ind.: July 28 Pine Knob Music Theater, Detroit: July 30, 31 Poplar Creek, Chicago: Aug. 1 Fiddler's Green, Denver: Aug. 4 Stoneridge Amphitheater, Camdenton, Mo.: Aug. 6 Sandstone Amphitheater, Bonner Springs, Kan.: Aug. 7 Riverport Amphitheater, St. Louis: Aug. 8 Wisconsin State Fair, Milwaukee: Aug. 10 Garden State Arts Center, Holmdel, NJ: Aug. 12 Jones Beach Amphitheater, Wantaugh, NY: Aug. 15 Starlake Amphitheater, Pittsburgh: Aug. 18 Canadian National Exhibition, Toronto: Aug 19 Great Woods. Boston: Aug 22 Tickets can be purchased at the box offices of the individual theaters. If you are an MKC member, you should be receiving a flyer regarding a show near you. For more info, try Disneyland Publicity at (714)-999-4445, or WDW Publicity at (407)-824-4531. * A stage musical version of Beauty and the Beast is scheduled to open December 2, 1993 in the Music Hall, home to Houston's Theatre Under the Stars, in Houston, TX. This will feature many of the original songs, as well as some additional songs, including "Human Again," which was written by the Ashman-Menken team (edited out of the Beauty and the Beast animated feature film) and four new songs by Alan Menken and Tim Rice. * The unauthorized biography, Walt Disney: Hollywood's Dark Prince, by David Eliot, is due to be published by Birch Lane Press in July. * Contact individual galleries (see Question #5) regarding showings and auctions. 2) What are some of the upcoming movie and video releases from the Walt Disney Studios? The current film still in release from the holiday season 1992 is Aladdin, which debuted in late November. This should be out in the theaters in many overseas markets during the summer of 1993. See also Question #1, entry 31. The in-store date for Aladdin on VHS video is September 28, 1993. Disney is expecting to sell 25-30 million copies of this, which would easily surpass Beauty and the Beast's record of around 20 million units. Disney will release Snow White nationwide on July 2, 1993. Disney had originally planned to re-release Sleeping Beauty into the theaters early in 1993. Since then they have discarded these plans, with speculation attributing this partly to the success of Aladdin, and partly due to Pinocchio's poor showing ($10 million) on its last re-release (remember that Pinocchio was the first film to have been re-released into theaters following a release on video). Pinocchio is currently available in its re-release on video. A Nightmare Before Christmas, using puppet/claymation-style animation, is due for the holiday season of 1993. This is being directed by Tim Burton. It features a story about a skeleton who kidnaps Santa Claus. There is a (very short) preview for this on the Pinocchio video. The film originally scheduled for 1993 but now delayed until summer 1994, is titled The Lion King. It features a story about a lion whose power is usurped by his evil brother. It is an allegory of Shakespeare's Hamlet. See also Question #1, entry 32. The film for the holiday season of 1994 is tentatively titled Pocahontas. This will have a more "bittersweet" ending than a typical Disney film. A company named Hi-Tech Toons is working on a film for Disney for the summer of 1995, tentatively titled Toy Story, about two toys and their battle over their young master's affections. Disney has been involved creatively on this film. For the farther future, Disney is working on a project based on Tchaikovsky's Swan Lake. Another film in the creative pipeline is Atlantis, a retelling of the story "The Man Who Would Be King." In 1996 or 1997, Disney will release Fantasia Continued, which will feature new segments mixed in with some of the old segments. It is not yet known what will remain and what will be taken out, but it is the studio's intent to release the film every seven years with modifications (and will subsequently release the modified version on video). Other contemplative titles include Song of the Sea (Bambi with whales?) and Silly Hillbillies on Mars (possibly a short- don't ask). Beauty and the Beast was released onto video in the U.S. in late October, selling 1 million copies on it's first day, and eclipsing Fantasia's record of 14.2 million copies sold (that's sold, not just shipped) in it's first month. Image Entertainment has released the Work-In- Progress version of this film (originally shown in New York for film critics) which includes pencil sketches, trailers, and computer tests. This was released on CAV LD and is now out of print; I haven't heard anything of other formats. A VHS collectors edition, much like the Fantasia collectors edition that included a lithograph and the soundtrack on CD, has been released as well; it includes a VHS version of the Work-In- Progress. The VHS version of Beauty and the Beast is on moratorium. Beauty and the Beast is to be released as a letterboxed LaserDisc on September 25. Mary Poppins is going to be (re-)released in letterboxed format as well. Sleeping Beauty and Lady and the Tramp, which are both CinemaScope movies (meaning they don't even properly fit into the standard 1.85:1 Academy ratio, let alone the 4:3 aspect ratio of a standard television) are being transferred for a letterboxed LaserDisc release. No definitive time frame has been set for these. Archive-name: disney-faq/part2 Last-modified: 11 Jun 1993 Frequently Asked Questions List For rec.arts.disney, part 2 Version 2.0, last revised June 11, 1993 This document is Copyright (c) 1993, by Tom Tanida. It is intended for public use, and may be redistributed freely in its original form. This is part two of the FAQ file for rec.arts.disney. I have tried to include the questions and threads which arise most often, as well as some interesting facts. Most of the information came from articles posted to rec.arts.disney since July 1990, about the time the group was started, although I'm missing quite a few articles from early on. Other information came from various books and magazines. Your input to this list is highly appreciated. The purpose of this list is to reduce the number of redundant questions posted to rec.arts.disney and to provide a source of information to Disney fans worldwide. Personally, however, I would invite discussion of questions included in this list if this list is not complete enough. For example, one of the questions lists the voices of popular Disney characters and where to find more info, but if the character is not listed here, I would still encourage you to post and ask, especially if the character is more obscure. Also, I couldn't possibly write the "complete guide to taking kids to the Disney Theme Parks" because there is no truly complete guide (not to mention the fact that there are many good guide books out there). So although I have offered some information and advice in part two of this list (the information which is most commonly suggested), I would still welcome discussion of the topic since everybody has their own opinions about what rides to go on, what to see, when to go, what restaurants to eat at in the area, etc. Again, I hope that this list will reduce the amount of redundant information posted to the net. Even more strongly, I hope this list will provide a unified source of information about Disney related material and provide a valuable reference for all. This is part two of the list, consisting of general topics and questions about the theme parks including some time critical information. Part one of the list, a separate document, contains general topics and questions with a separate section for time critical information. There are three sections: I. A list of the questions in this part II. Answers to Theme Park Questions III. List of lists available upon request Send comments, corrections, suggestions, and inside information to: tanida@esosun.css.gov. I am sure that no matter how long I work on this that it will never be perfect, but it doesn't hurt to try. :-) If you prefer CompuServe access, I'm at 76655,344. On Prodigy I'm xgsn74a. On America Online, I'm TomTanida. On the Sierra Network, I'm at mailbox 2173. If you would like to reach me by phone, my day number is (619)-546-6118. The most reliable way to reach me is via CompuServe. If you would like a PostScript version of this document, which has much better formatting, feel free to send me a request; I can either mail it to you, or we can find a mutual FTP site. The standard text version of this FAQ, like all FAQs cross-posted to news.answers, is archived at rtfm.mit.edu. For information regarding how to FTP to rtfm.mit.edu, send me e-mail; I've written a quick tutorial. This document was originally created in MS Word For Windows 2.0. Note: the Disneyland FAQ is available from me or its maintainer, Walt Hoffman (whoffman@ganymede.jpl.nasa.gov), and via FTP from rtfm.mit.edu in pub/usenet/news.answers/disney-faq.. Section I- Questions Theme park questions: 1) What are the park hours? 2) What rides are currently shut down for refurbishing? What current construction is going on? 3) What are the current prices at {WDW, Disneyland}? 4) How do I beat the crowds? 5) If I've been to the Magic Kingdom in WDW, what parts of Disneyland can I skip? 6) Where should I stay when visiting {WDW, Disneyland}? 7) What's the best time to go to {WDW, Disneyland}? 8) My child is 3 years old. Is that old enough to enjoy Disneyland/WDW? 9) What are good attractions to take younger children to? 10) Other considerations for children (strollers, etc.) 11) Some interesting things to look for at the theme parks 12) Differences between the Magic Kingdom at WDW and Disneyland 13) Who created the music from the Main Street Electrical Parade? 14) What is SpectroMagic at Walt Disney World? 15) What is Fantasmic! at Disneyland? How do I beat the crowds? 16) What is a "Character Breakfast"? 17) What is the Disney Vacation Club? 18) What are some good guide books on travel to {WDW/Disneyland? 19) What are "Hidden Mickeys"? Where can I find some? Other lists, available upon request: 1) Technical errors in Disney animated feature films (contact Robert Cook at rcook@sdcc13.ucsd.edu) 2) List of Jungle Cruise jokes (this is pretty long now) 3) Misc trivia Section II- Answers to Theme Park Questions Theme park questions: 1) What are the park hours? Here are the WDW hours, for February through April. Note that the Main Street section of the Magic Kingdom at WDW will often open 30 minutes to an hour ahead of the official opening time. ----------------------------------------------------------------- Theme Park Operating Hours for May-September 1993 ----------------------------------------------------------------- *** HOURS AND ENTERTAINMENT SUBJECT TO CHANGE WITHOUT NOTICE **** ----------------------------------------------------------------------- DISNEY-MGM STUDIOS THEME PARK ----------------------------------------------------------------------- June 7 - 13 .................................... 9 am - 9 pm June 14 - 30 ................................... 9 am - 10 pm July 1 - 31 .................................... 9 am - 10 pm August 1 - 21 .................................. 9 am - 10 pm August 22 - 28 ................................. 9 am - 9 pm August 29 - 31 ................................. 9 am - 7 pm September 1 - 30 ............................... 9 am - 7 pm Aladdin's Royal Caravan: June 6 - August 28 - 11 am & 3:30 pm August 29 - September 3 - 1 pm September 4 - 5 - 11 am & 3:30 pm September 6 - 30 - 1 pm Sorcery in the Sky: June 7 - 13 - 8:50 pm June 14 - August 21 - 9:50 pm August 22 - 28 - 8:50 pm ----------------------------------------------------------------------- EPCOT CENTER ----------------------------------------------------------------------- June 1 - 11 .................................... 9 am - 9 pm June 12 - 30 ................................... 9 am - 10 pm July 1 - 3 ..................................... 9 am - 10 pm July 4 ......................................... 9 am - 12 mid July 5 - 31 .................................... 9 am - 10 pm August 1 - 21 .................................. 9 am - 10 pm August 22 - 31 ................................. 9 am - 9 pm September 1 - 30 ............................... 9 am - 9 pm Illuminations: May 1 - June 11 - 9 pm June 12 - August 21 - 10 pm August 22 - September 30 - 9 pm ----------------------------------------------------------------------- MAGIC KINGDOM ----------------------------------------------------------------------- June 5 - 12 .................................... 9 am - 11 pm June 13 - 30 ................................... 9 am - 12 mid July 1 - 3 ..................................... 9 am - 12 mid July 4 ......................................... 9 am - 2 am July 5 - 31 .................................... 9 am - 12 mid August 1 - 21 .................................. 9 am - 12 mid August 22 - 28 ................................. 9 am - 11 pm August 29 ...................................... 9 am - 10 pm August 30 - 31 ................................. 9 am - 9 pm September 1 - 3 ................................ 9 am - 8 pm September 4 - 5 ................................ 9 am - 10 pm September 6 - 17 ............................... 9 am - 7 pm September 18 ................................... 9 am - 8 pm SpectroMagic: June 5 - 12 - 9 pm June 13 - July 3 - 9 & 11 pm July 4 - 10:30 pm & 12 mid July 5 - August 21 - 9 & 11 pm August 22 - 29 - 9 pm September 4 - 5 - 9 pm Fireworks: June 5 - July 3 - 10 pm July 4 - 10:30 pm & 12 mid July 5 - August 29 - 10 pm September 4 - 5 - 10 pm 2) What rides are currently shut down for refurbishing? What current construction is going on? If there's someone out there who regularly goes to WDW or Disneyland and is willing to keep the group updated, here's a big chance to help out. Otherwise, you can contact the respective theme parks directly. The number for Disneyland is (714)-999-4565. WDW: (407)-824-4321 3) What are the current prices at {WDW, Disneyland}? The following table lists prices for Passports to WDW. If staying at a Disney resort, you may benefit if you can find a package deal that includes lodging and a passport. Passport type General Public MKC Club Members Five Day Super $170 plus tax $153.88 plus tax Duper Pass, guest Five Day Super $135 plus tax $121.58 plus tax Duper Pass, child (3-9) Four Day Super $125 plus tax $113 plus tax Pass, guest Four Day Super $98 plus tax $87 plus tax Pass, child (3-9) Annual Passport, $190 plus tax $175 plus tax guest Annual Passport, $165 plus tax $155 plus tax child One-day, one park $34 plus tax $32.01 plus tax ticket, guest One-day, one park $27 plus tax $25.02 plus tax ticket, child Pleasure Island, $13.95 plus tax $11.00 plus tax one day Typhoon Lagoon, one $19.50 plus tax $17.50 plus tax day, adult Typhoon Lagoon, one $15.50 plus tax $14.00 plus tax day, child (3-9) River Country, one $12.50 plus tax $11.25 plus tax day, adult River Country, one $10.00 plus tax $8.75 plus tax day, child (3-9) Discovery Island, $8.00 plus tax $7.25 plus tax one day, adult Discovery Island, $4.50 plus tax $4.00 plus tax one day, child (3-9) Taken from the MKC price guide, with help from Len Goldberg (goldberg@ljohub.enet.dec.com): A Five Day Super Duper Pass includes unlimited admission to the Disney- MGM Studios Theme Park, Magic Kingdom Park and EPCOT Center any five days with no expiration date. Plus unlimited admission for seven days to Typhoon Lagoon, River Country, Discovery Island and Pleasure Island (valid for seven days after first visit to Magic Kingdom Park, EPCOT Center or the Disney-MGM Studios Theme Park). It also includes unlimited use of the transportation system linking the parks. A Four Day Super Pass is the same as the Five Day, but does not include admission to the minor parks. An Annual Passport includes twelve months of unlimited admission to the Disney-MGM Studios Theme Park, the Magic Kingdom Park and EPCOT Center during regular operating hours. It also includes special advance reservation privileges for Walt Disney World restaurants, free parking and unlimited use of the transportation system linking the Parks. Annual Passport holders can purchase separate admissions to the minor parks to supplement their passport. These expire at the same time the passport does. A One-Day One Park Ticket includes one day's admission to either the Disney-MGM Studios Theme Park, Magic Kingdom Park or EPCOT Center and bus transportation between the Transportation and Ticket Center, and Magic Kingdom Park, EPCOT Center or the Disney-MGM Studios Theme Park. There are six, seven and eight day Super Duper Passes, which can only be purchased at the resorts themselves. Parking is $4 per car. For Disneyland, here is a current price guide (as of June 1, 1993): Passport type General MKC Club Members Public Adult, 1 day/2 $30/55/75 $28/51/69 day/3 day Child (3-11), 1 $24/44/60 $22/40/54 day/2 day/3 day Seasonal Passport, $105 $95 adult Seasonal Passport, $85 $75 child (3-11) Annual Passport, $195 $180 adult Annual Passport, $155 $140 child (3-11) Parking in the Disneyland parking lot is an additional $5 per car. The Seasonal Passport can be used from September 1 through May 31, excluding Saturdays and December 25-31. Unlimited parking is an additional $17.50. Annual Passports include unlimited parking, and are good for one year from the date of issue. 4) How do I beat the crowds? One of the best strategies is to arrive early, before the park opens. An hour after opening is too late, by then, the lines have built up to a full frenzy. Another strategy, generally for those without kids, is to take on the more popular rides late in the evening (after 9 pm, through midnight, if you're there at the time of year when the park is open late). Also, the lines do shorten a little during major shows (the Main Street Electrical Parade, SpectroMagic at WDW, or Fantasmic! at Disneyland) and during dinner time. For Disneyland (from the Disneyland FAQ): Start by selecting a good day to go (see question #7, below). Fantasmic! has made nighttime on the west side of the park very unpredictable. Tremendous numbers of people show up. During the shows, lines for attractions are quite short (especially when the Electrical Parade is also running). When the show is over, many people avoid the herding affect by jumping into one of the nearest lines: Splash Mountain, Haunted Mansion, Pirates of the Caribbean, Jungle Cruise, and Big Thunder Mountain Railroad. Space Mountain is long most of the day and into the night, so first thing early morning is usually your best bet. Ditto Rocket Jets. Star Tours will shorten significantly in the late evening (when the line is completely inside, you're in good shape). Splash Mountain is good when it's raining or right before the park closes (avoid it when it backs up beyond the Briar Patch shop). An early-morning dash might also be a good idea (since it's at the back of the park). After dinner, the "kiddie" rides in Fantasyland shorten a bit, but not much. Dumbo, Alice in Wonderland, Peter Pan, and Mr. Toad will remain popular, but there will be almost no line for Snow White's Scary Adventures or Pinocchio's Daring Journey. Skyway line is almost always shorter from Fantasyland to Tomorrowland than the other way around. Small World should usually be a walk-on; if it's not, come back later. Country Bear Jamboree almost never takes long. Crossing the parade route is possible but time consuming. Plan which side of the park you want to be on during the parade and get there early. If you must cross, consider using the Disneyland RR or the Skyway. Parade crossing zones north of the Matterhorn are usually less congested than the one at the Hub. Main Street is tough (though not impossible) to negotiate during popular parades. 5) If I've been to the Magic Kingdom in WDW, what parts of Disneyland can I skip? The answer here is taken from the Disneyland FAQ: There are subtle differences in almost every corner of the park. If you're a Disney aficionado, you'll want to check out everything. If you're pressed for time, you can skip the following: - Haunted Mansion (I hate to admit it, but WDW's is better) - People Mover (more primitive) - Monorail (unless you want to go to the Disneyland Hotel) - Submarine Voyage (nearly identical to WDW's except for order of presentation and absence of little Jules Verne nuances) - Skyway (useful for getting around, especially during parades) - Captain EO - Circle Vision 360 (same as at WDW) - Autopias - Small World (biggest difference is the exterior facade) - Country Bear Jamboree (virtually identical but DL has 2 theaters) - Golden Horseshoe Revue (same show, different finale) Tough calls: (similar, yet different and worth experiencing) - Space Mountain - Big Thunder Mountain Railroad - Great Moments with Mr. Lincoln (a trimmed down version of the Hall of Presidents) - Splash Mountain Whatever you do, don't miss out on: - Fantasmic! - Star Tours (unless you've been on the one in Disney/MGM Studios) - Matterhorn Bobsleds - Jungle Cruise (my DL experiences have far surpassed the one at WDW) - Pirates of the Caribbean (parts are identical, but DL is better) - Disney Art Gallery (above Pirates) - Disneyland RR between Tomorrowland & Main Street for Grand Canyon and Primeval World dioramas (not quite as impressive as EPCOT's World of Energy dinosaurs) The parade route is different. North of Main Street, Disneyland parades proceed north along the east side of the Castle up to It's a Small World. WDW MK parades turn at the Hub, heading through Liberty Square and Frontierland. 6) Where should I stay when visiting {WDW, Disneyland}? For first time guests, especially those with kids, I recommend an on-site resort in order to make the transition easier. At Disneyland, the Disneyland hotel features the monorail; it is *very* convenient to flash your passport and hop on to go to the park, then hop back on in Tomorrowland to return to the hotel when you need a break. Likewise, the Contemporary Resort, among others, also feature easy Monorail-to-park access. For those without kids, or experienced travelers, off-site hotels can be cheaper. Although they won't feature the amenities of the more expensive hotels, this may be better if you're looking to save money and aren't interested in spending much time in your room (aside from sleeping). Be sure to check out vacation packages, however, before giving up on the Disney hotels. Birnbaum's Official Guide books give decent listings of the resort hotels, including phone numbers and addresses. For information regarding lodging in the Anaheim area, you may contact the Anaheim Area Visitor and Convention Bureau at 800 W. Katella Ave., Anaheim, CA 92802. Phone: (714)-999-8999. 7) What's the best time to go to {WDW, Disneyland}? For WDW, here's a quick and dirty table, from best to worst: 1) October, through a week before Christmas, except Thanksgiving 2) Post New Years through a couple weeks before Easter 3) Post Easter through Memorial Day 4) President's Day weekend 5) Spring Break week (the week up to and including Easter) 6) Memorial Day through the end of Summer 7) Thanksgiving weekend 8) Christmas through the New Year 8) My child is 3 years old. Is that old enough to enjoy Disneyland/WDW? As always, it depends on the kids and the patience of the parent. Two or three is about a minimum age (otherwise, the child is pretty much just along for the ride), but even children this young can get quite a bit of enjoyment from the visit. Children of this age might enjoy meeting the characters (in the park, or at a Character Breakfast (see #16 below)), and some of the milder rides. Detracting from the enjoyment would be the patience of the kids waiting in line for the rides; you probably know how to judge/handle your own child's patience levels better than I do. :-) To fully appreciate Disneyland/WDW, seven or so is probably a better age. Some info from the Disneyland FAQ: Kids age 2 and under are free. Strollers may be rented, but many people prefer to bring their own. Some rides have height and age requirements. Big Thunder Mountain Railroad 40+ inches Space Mountain 40+ inches Autopia (alone) 52+ inches Autopia (w/ adult) 1+ years Splash Mountain 3+ years and 40+ inches Star Tours (alone) 7+ years Star Tours (w/ adult) 3+ years Matterhorn Bobsleds (alone) 7+ years Matterhorn Bobsleds (w/ adult) 3+ years Children under 7 are supposed to be accompanied on other attractions as well (Snow White's Scary Adventures, The Haunted Mansion, etc.) 9) What are good attractions to take younger children to? (I'll take "younger" to mean below 5 years of age here.) Almost always OK: Jungle Cruise Swiss Family Treehouse (though some find this too dull and crowded) Dumbo It's A Small World Peter Pan's Flight PeopleMover Walt Disney World/Disneyland Railroad Mickey's Starland Show (WDW) Country Bear Jamboree Tom Sawyer's Island (WDW) Cinderella's Carousel Journey Into Imagination (EPCOT) Kitchen Cabaret (EPCOT) Universe of Energy (EPCOT) Disney Animation Tour (Disney-MGM) Anything in the EPCOT World Showcase, with the possible exception of the Norway Maelstrom ride. Possible fright factor: Haunted Mansion Tea Cups (motion sickness) Mr. Toad's Wild Ride (not as wild as the name suggests, but still rough) Space Mountain Star Tours Enchanted Tiki Room Captain EO (I'd be wary of the volume) Pirates of the Caribbean (can be threatening to the unaware, includes a couple of plunges) Body Wars (EPCOT; can be generally nauseating to people of any age) The Great Movie Ride (Disney-MGM- potential surprises) Snow White Ride (featuring the rather scary queen popping out of the dark) As always with kids, your mileage may vary; a good strategy would be to start with the milder rides and work your kid up to more "aggressive" rides if you think they're up to it. Certain aspects of a ride may frighten children, such as immersion in darkness (Pirates of the Caribbean). Also note that meeting Disney characters themselves is not a given, as some kids can be terrified of a gigantic Mickey or Goofy. Start from a distance and work forward. There is a "fright factor" chart in the 1992 edition of the Unofficial Guide to Walt Disney World, by Bob Sehlinger (see question #18 for a list of guide books). 10) Other considerations for children (strollers, etc.) (This question may be broken up and expanded to include phone numbers and specific locations in the future.) Physical health: In the summer months especially at WDW, it is easy for kids (and adults) to get sunburned and dehydrated. Bring along plenty of bottled water (much better than sugary sodas) and sunscreen; with the crowds you'll otherwise have to stand in line at the refreshment stands or drinking fountains, and if it's a hot day, you might have to stop often. Also guard against blisters (use broken-in shoes and consider two pairs of thin socks over one pair of thick socks). Make note of the First Aid centers (there is one in each of the three theme parks). Temperament: It's up to you, the parent to keep your temper. It might not be easy, given the crowds and the long waits for certain rides, the heat, etc. The best thing to do is to make sure you enjoy yourself. Maximizing your vacation is not a matter of cramming yourself on as many rides as possible: it's a good idea, especially with kids, to take time out for a breather periodically (not just standing in line). Find a place to sit down with some ice cream, or even return to the hotel room after lunch for a short nap. Strollers: Strollers are available for rent at each of the theme parks. The stroller centers are near the entrances, and the process of getting a stroller is fairly quick and easy. Rule number one is to keep your receipt. Rule number two is to keep your receipt (and don't keep it in the stroller itself). It's easy for your stroller to get swiped- not because there are roving packs of stroller thieves, but because people might mistake your stroller for theirs. If this should happen, you can go to the stroller center, show your receipt, and get a new one (they won't charge you to replace it). A good idea is to attach something to the stroller that will uniquely identify it as yours (nothing of great value, of course), such as a piece of paper with your name on it or a bright scarf. The stroller staff at WDW currently do take your name and put it on a card which is attached to the stroller itself. Baby-sitting services: There aren't any services inside the parks themselves, but there are child care services at the resorts. In general, you must have a reservation. They can be expensive (e.g. $6 per hour, with an $18 minimum), but include free video games, Disney movies, games and activities, and visits by a Disney character each night. They accept kids from 3-12 years of age. There is also a "Fairy Godmother" service available (also not cheap), who will come to your room at any hour of the day, 24 hours a day, and can even take care of your pet. Infants/Toddlers: All of the theme parks have Baby Care services, which have everything you need for changing diapers, making formula, etc. Supplies for purchase can be found at these places as well. Lost children: You may or may not be surprised at how easy it is to get your child lost. When you exit rides and shows, you should take your child by the hand to make sure they don't get lost in the bustle of people exiting. Also keep in mind there may be more than one exit to a bathroom; should your child wander out of the one you don't expect, he or she may find themselves to be lost. Also keep track of your kids during parades- they might otherwise wander off while trying to get a better viewpoint. 11) Some interesting things to look for at the theme parks WDW: Hidden Mickeys: list available separately- see question #19, below. Disneyland: - The Park Entrance, designed to look like a red carpet - Apartment above the Disneyland Fire Station; apartment in the fourth floor of the Castle; offices above Main Street - The names on the windows on the second story of the buildings on Main Street. These are named for notable people who were involved in the creation of Disneyland. - The Disney Gallery, above Pirates of the Caribbean in New Orleans Square, of interest to those into animation - Telegraph operator at Frontierland/New Orleans Square station, which types out a Morse code version of Walt's opening day speech - The Club 33 entrance, at New Orleans Square, near the Blue Bayou restaurant - The Haunted Mansion knight - Snow White's Grotto, to the right of the Castle before you enter Fantasyland. Note the song in the Wishing Well. Also note the dwarves are the same size as Snow White. - Platform where Tinkerbell lands as the Fantasy in the Sky fireworks begin; a fort tower located behind the Frontierland buildings hidden by trees, where she slams into some mattresses at the end - Infrared sensor bathrooms, located near Videopolis, which turn the water on when you put your hands under the faucet, and flush the toilets when you step away - Paul Reubens (Pee-Wee Herman) as the voice of the pilot of Star Tours - Leslie Neilson (of Police Squad/Naked Gun fame) as one of the singing heads in the Haunted Mansion 12) Differences between the Magic Kingdom at WDW and Disneyland The following are found only at the Magic Kingdom at WDW: The Hall of Presidents (Liberty Square) Dreamflight (Tomorrowland) Carousel of Progress (Tomorrowland) Mickey's Starland SpectroMagic (Main Street) The following are found only at Disneyland: Great Moments With Mr. Lincoln (Main Street) Sailing Ship Columbia (Frontierland) Big Thunder Ranch (Frontierland) The Story of Sleeping Beauty (Fantasyland) Pinocchio's Daring Journey (Fantasyland) Casey Jr. Circus Train (Fantasyland) Storybook Land Canal Boats (Fantasyland) Alice In Wonderland (Fantasyland) Matterhorn Bobsleds (Fantasyland) Motor Boat Cruise (Fantasyland) Star Tours (Tomorrowland; these are at the MGM studios in Florida) Main Street Electrical Parade (Main Street) At WDW, Space Mountain, the Castles in Fantasyland (which are bigger) are considered better than their counterparts at Disneyland. The Disneyland Railroad features the Grand Canyon Diorama and Primeval World, not found at the Magic Kingdom in WDW, and Pirates of the Caribbean is much longer at Disneyland. The Magic Kingdom at WDW also has the advantage of having much larger pathways, having been built with large crowds in mind. Disneyland has more of the details (see also Question #11) and personality that Walt added. See also the Disneyland FAQ. 13) Who created the music from the Main Street Electrical Parade? The music, which is titled "Baroque Hoedown," was written by Jean- Jacques Perry and Gershon Kingsley. The electronically synthesized version which you hear during the parade was arranged and performed by Don Dorsey, noted synthesizer performer. The introduction, as the music starts: "Ladies and Gentlemen, Boys and Girls Disneyland proudly presents Our spectacular festival pageant of nighttime magic and imagination In thousands of sparkling lights and electro-syntho-magnetic musical sounds The Main Street Electrical Parade!" Incidentally, you can request a summary of the parade with a description of each of the floats from Disneyland Guest Relations via mail. (Unfortunately, I lost my summary, but it was probably out of date anyway, as the parade changes slightly on an annual basis.) The soundtrack to the Main Street Electrical Parade is available on at least three different albums: the Fantasmic! soundtrack (Disneyland Records and Tapes, DIDX 013173); the "Music of Disneyland, Walt Disney World, and EPCOT Center" soundtrack (Disneyland Records and Tapes, CD-007); and "The Music of Disney: A Legacy in Song," which is the 3 CD boxed set. The Fantasmic! soundtrack's version is the most complete by far. 14) What is SpectroMagic at Walt Disney World? SpectroMagic at WDW is the successor to the Main Street Electrical Parade. It use fiber optics and live costumed actors and, like the Main Street Electrical Parade, features floats of varying themes. Opinions on SpectroMagic being better than the Electrical Parade vary. 15) What is Fantasmic! at Disneyland? How do I beat the crowds? Fantasmic! is somewhat like a stage show, but with dazzling pyrotechnics. It is performed nightly at the south end of Tom Sawyer's Island (you can't miss it- just look for the thousands of people standing around at show time). There are individual sequences with various themes from Disney's history, with particular emphasis on the animated films. These sequences are tied together by the main plot of Mickey's imagination being overrun by the evil forces of Queen Maleficent (from Sleeping Beauty), Ursula (The Little Mermaid), the Queen from Snow White, among others. To date, it has been extremely popular, making it difficult to obtain a good view. Incidentally, there is a Fantasmic! soundtrack available, which also includes the full soundtrack to the Main Street Electrical Parade (it's more up to date than the version included on the "Music of Disneyland, Walt Disney World, and EPCOT Center" album released in 1990). Unfortunately, the only place I've seen this sold is at Disneyland itself, but if anyone reading this knows where else it can be found off the shelf, drop me a line. You can order the soundtrack from Disneyland Merchandise Services, at (800)-362-4533. (The following was integrated from the Disneyland FAQ.) To appreciate Fantasmic! it's recommended that you get there early and endure the wait. All show times are very popular, but later shows are slightly less congested. One technique is to be near the Haunted Mansion when one of the earlier shows ends. Move toward the water, then join the crowd as they exit the area. When you get front and center, sit down and relax. Guests near the river are required to sit on the pavement and strollers are not allowed or must be broken down here. Guests farther back are required to stand and may have strollers. They do occasionally let people stand on the Art Gallery balcony, but VIPs get priority. A line for the balcony forms at the snack shop by the Pirates of the Caribbean entrance. I've also heard that standing on the bridge is also good. A front view is best, but side views are not bad. The more important factor is whether or not you can see over, around, or through the people in front of you. Be prepared to deal with angry people who lose their patience waiting. I've seen a few lost tempers. As crazy as it may seem, the cast members directing you into and out of the area *are* generally pointing you in the best direction, so cutting under ropes and around the ushers won't help much. 16) What is a "Character Breakfast"? A "Character Breakfast" is a breakfast held at specific locations early in the day where you (and your kids, of course) have the opportunity to eat breakfast while meeting popular Disney characters. They are held at different locations (listed below). Some locations need a reservation in advance. They do cost a little extra (around $10 for adults), but kids under 3 eat free, and kids 3-11 eat at reduced children's rates (around $6-7). All of the characters come and visit every table, so there is no pushing and shoving to meet them. There are also Character Brunches and Dinners, also included below. Young kids generally *love* these. Location Time Notes Contemporary 8-11 am No reservations Resort: Contemporary Cafe (WDW) Disney Beach Club: 7:30-11 am No reservations Cape May Restaurant (WDW) Dolphin Hotel: Th, Su 8:30a- Reservations: (407)-934-4085 Ristorante 12:30p Carnevale (WDW) Grand Floridian: 7:30-noon Reservations: (407)-824-2383 1900 Park Fare (Breakfast) Grand Floridian: 5-9 pm Reservations: (407)-824-2383. 1900 Park Fare $18 adults, $9 children. (Dinner) Pleasure Island: 8:30 am Reservations: (407)-934-7639 Empress Lilly seating, Riverboat (WDW) 10:30 am seating Polynesian Resort: 7:30-10:30 Reservations: (407)-824-1391 Tangaroa Terrace am (WDW) Stargate Restaurant until 11 am Counter-eatery; no (EPCOT) reservations; not necessary to purchase anything Swan Hotel: Garden W, Sa 8-11 No reservations. Info: Grove (WDW) am (407)-934-1281 Tomorrowland 7:30-10 am Exclusive to those who get Terrace, in WDW this as part of a package; early admission to park with voucher WDW Village: Chef 5:30-10 pm Better than average food, but Mickey's Village you only get to meet Restaurant Mickey. Disneyland Hotel, 7:30-10 am Contact the hotel for exact Disneyland information Plaza Inn, 7:30-10 am No reservations Disneyland This information is probably incomplete, as I suspect WDW/Disneyland change their schedules and add and delete locations. It might be a good idea to check with your hotel (if it's a Disney resort) or the Guest Relations of the park you will be visiting (see question #99 in part 1 of the FAQ for phone numbers). 17) What is the Disney Vacation Club? The Disney Vacation Club is a like a time-sharing resort. Essentially, you purchase a certain amount of points, then use those points to stay at Disney Vacation Homes on the Walt Disney World property. The minimum buy-in is currently 230 points at $56 per point (or $12,880) as of November, 1992. Where you stay and what time of year you go determines how many points you use- you can choose a studio (sleeps 4), a one (sleeps 4) or two (sleeps 8) bedroom houses, or a Grand Villas.(sleeps 12). It is up to you to choose where and when to go (reservations are required, of course). You may also stay at selected Walt Disney World hotels as well. If you'd like a copy of some articles discussing the DVC (which were previously used to answer this question in the FAQ) send me e-mail at tanida@esosun.css.gov. You can get more information by calling (800)-800-9100, or (407)-WDW-3100 (the latter if you in Florida) between 7 am and 5 pm ET, seven days a week. You can also write to: Disney Vacation Club at The Walt Disney World Resort 6751 Forum Drive Suite 220 Orlando, FL 32821-9900 If you call or write, you can request to receive brochures, which include floor plans, complete tables with the point allocations. 18) What are some good guide books on travel to Walt Disney World/Disneyland? Guide books can be found in the Travel section of your favorite bookstore. They are generally grouped under the California (for Disneyland) or Florida (for WDW) sections, which is under "domestic travel." The best all around guide for planning your trip and finding good advice is probably one of the The Unofficial Guide books by Bob Sehlinger. (In fact, a lot of the information in this part of the FAQ was derived from these books.) The Fodor's travel guide is not very useful, except perhaps for restaurants in the area. The "Official" guide books are OK as references to the various services at the parks and have some trivia about the rides that might be interesting reading while standing in line. Birnbaum, Steve, Guide to Disneyland Avon Books, updated yearly Birnbaum, Steve, Guide to Walt Disney World Avon Books, updated yearly ISBN: 0-380-71004-8 Labeled as the "official" Disney sanctioned guide Ritz, Stacy, Disney World and Beyond Ulysses Press ISBN 0-915233-37-1 Sehlinger, Bob, The Unofficial Guide to Disneyland Prentice Hall Press, updated yearly Sehlinger, Bob, The Unofficial Guide to Walt Disney World Prentice Hall Press, updated yearly ISBN 0-13-951047-8 Thorough, including sections on preparations for kids, evaluations of every ride, and clever strategies for waiting in line. A must get. Wiley, Kim Wright, Walt Disney World With Kids Prima Publishing ISBN 1-55958-140-9 Another good one for those going to WDW with children. Written by an experienced mom. 19) What are "Hidden Mickeys"? Where can I find some? Hidden Mickeys, found at the theme parks, are simply Mickey Mouse images, either the "mouse ear" pattern or a full figure, that exist in places you normally wouldn't notice them unless you were looking. They were brought to wide-scale attention in the Winter 1991 Disney News, which featured "the Secrets of Walt Disney World." Some examples given in this article include: Mickey ears on the manhole covers; a Mickey constellation in the geosphere of Starship Earth; a Mickey in the mural of Body Wars; Mouse ears on one of the Vikings in Norway's Maelstrom attraction in the World Showcase; and a Mickey Mouse cookie cutter in one of the baskets in front of one of the worker droids in Star Tours. Stan Sroka, at sroka@evax.gdc.com, has been keeping lists of Hidden Mickeys for both theme parks. Send him e-mail for the latest list, and be sure to send him your contributions/discoveries as well. Section III- Other lists, available upon request: 1) Technical errors in Disney animated feature films 2) List of Jungle Cruise jokes 3) Misc trivia