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Darren
04-14-2003, 07:51 PM
Hi, I'm a newly registered member but I've been lurking about reading the threads for a few weeks. ;) Feel free to welcome me.

I am not a frequent visitor to DL, but get there every couple years and would like to learn more about walt's special touches in the park.

It seems hard to find out what is fact or fiction when it comes to this amazing man. One thing I heard once that I found interesting is that he wanted a garbage can placed roughly 17 steps apart throughout the park as that was the distance it took him to eat a hotdog.

Can anyone confirm this and share other tales of walt and his vision for the park. Also if anyone has personal experiences with him I'd love to hear about it.

sames1
04-15-2003, 02:54 AM
I don't know for sure, but I found this:

Hidden Mickeys of Disney
There are hidden images of Mickey Mouse in Disneyland and other Disney parks around the world, put there by builders, artists, and workers, and it has become a game for some people to look for them. This web page describes hidden Mickeys and other behind-the-scenes facts about Walt Disney and his theme parks. Some examples: In 1945, Walt Disney designed insignia for Fighter Squadron VF-84 while getting ready for the invasion of Japan. The password to the invasion at Normandy was "Mickey Mouse." Walt Disney built a nine-acre network of tunnels so that cast members could move around out of public view, and appear in their positions as if by magic. When placing the garbage cans originally in Disneyland, Walt Disney ate a hot dog, counting how many steps it took him to finish it; in Disneyland there is a garbage can every 17 steps. In addition to these interesting stories, there are Disney links for movies, TV, and CD-ROMs; stores, discussion groups, and FAQs.
http://www.oitc.com/Disney/


Source:

http://www.stlcu.com/resources/links/archive/entnrevws3.html

Bill Catherall
04-15-2003, 08:21 AM
Here's a page (http://www.hiddenmickeys.org/Secrets/Walt.html) full of Walt Disney "Fun Facts" from the Hidden Mickey's website. According to #8 on that list the carbage cans are about 20-25 paces apart.

Darren
04-15-2003, 03:53 PM
Thanks for the links , I hope everyone finds them as interesting as I do.

Walt was so amazing to me. I never tire of hearing about him and great creativity and insight. He is truly a one-of-a-kind.

Think about what a great place he provided for us. Could anyone else have done this?

Toady The Eighth
04-15-2003, 03:56 PM
Originally posted by Darren
Thanks for the links , I hope everyone finds them as interesting as I do.

Walt was so amazing to me. I never tire of hearing about him and great creativity and insight. He is truly a one-of-a-kind.

Think about what a great place he provided for us. Could anyone else have done this?

:) He brought happiness to a lot of people....



Awwww....

eryn
04-28-2003, 10:31 AM
Darren! A fellow Canadian! I am a BC resident. Welcome. I completly agree with everyones statements. Walt was an amazing man with the best imagination I have ever seen in an adult. Let's hope more adults follow by example and start thinking like kids again! I personally don't know a whole bunch about him, basically just things found in the internet, which it's hard to know if they are all true. But I hope to learn more about this man. I feel his presence every time I walk onto Main Street. (Not physical, but a spiritual). I wonder if people get that same feeling in the parks that were built after his death since he wasn't present in them?

Darren
04-28-2003, 04:40 PM
Hey, I thought this thread was dead. Good to read a post of a fellow citizen.

I think I will take the Walk In Walt's footsteps tour next time I'm at DLR.

Has anyone taken it and found it not worth the money. Do the tour guides really know their stuff or are they just reciting the company line. Also, would kids enjoy it or do I ditch the wife and kids and go it alone?

Would I learn more on this tour than say if i asked the average custodial CM a few questions as i tour the parks?

Klutch
04-28-2003, 07:46 PM
If you want to separate the facts from fiction, try the Urban Legend Reference Pages at www.snopes.com and go to "Disney Legends".

While I'm not the first to recommend that site I will repeat that it has some great information that is well researched. I've been a fan of snopes since the page first hit the 'net years ago.

Beware that some sections of the Urban Legend Reference Pages include some graphic material.

merlinjones
04-28-2003, 09:27 PM
If you haven't seen the online Walt Disney Family Museum at Disney.com, run by Diane Disney - - not the Disney Company, only hosted by them - - check it out. Some nice material on the man and his words and works.

CrayZforDisney
05-18-2003, 08:16 AM
Next time you go to Disneyland, there is plenty to notice. People don't usually look at the details of Disneyland's themeing. I took a tour at Disneyland that taught me tons more about the magic. Here are some of the facts that I have learned:

Each land has its own music. For example, Fantasyland has an authentic organ behind Dumbo. Tomorrowland has the Observatron, a big machine on top of the Rocket Rods track that sends music into space. Adventureland has Tarzan's Treehouse jungle drum music that adds an adventurous beat to the land. New Orleans Square has great Jazz bands that play daily. And Main Street usually has a great piano player to add to the turn- of - the- century ambiance.

Each land has its own smell. When there was a pack mule ride in Frontierland, the smell of ( well, you know....) filled the air. New Orleans Square has a Cajun spice smell, and Fantasyland has the smell of popcorn and sugar. Tomorrowland Terrace cooks up Hamburgers to add to Tomorrowland's scent. Main Street has the smell of homemade fudge that comes out of specially made vents that are at the sides of the buildings.

Everything that grows in Tomorrowland is edible. All the plants can be eaten. However, I still don't recommend eating a Tomorrowland plant for lunch :D ! I'm not sure about other parts of the park that have edible plants.

Also, the last touch I would like to talk about are the little things. The vehicles that stroll Main Street are important, they add a nice touch to Disneyland. Also, there is one spire on Sleeping Beauty's Castle that is not gold. As long as it is not gold plated, Disneyland will continue to grow and change. The garbage cans and the popcorn machines are themed differently throughout the park! Guess who is poping the around the Matterhorn?

My father used to go to Disneyland when he was little, in the 50's. His family could barely afford it, they were very poor. One day my dad's friend called him and asked if he wanted to go to Disneyland. My father was delighted, and went to Disneyland. It costed one dollar per person in the 50's, when he first went. Still, that was tons of money for people to spend back then. Walt Disney used to walk around the park, monitoring everything. My father saw him a couple times on his visits to Disneyland. Walt's presence added one of the biggest, most charming touches to Disneyland.

These little touches add to the Disneyland experience. Smell, look, and listen for these special elements that make Disneyland so great. Use your senses, especially your most important sense, the sixth sense: the imagination. :)

cemeinke
05-18-2003, 09:01 AM
Originally posted by CrayZforDisney
Everything that grows in Tomorrowland is edible. All the plants can be eaten. However, I still don't recommend eating a Tomorrowland plant for lunch :D !

Last year the strawberries underneath the Observatron were quite good. :fez:

Not Afraid
05-18-2003, 09:30 AM
Originally posted by CrayZforDisney
Tomorrowland has the Observatron, a big machine on top of the Rocket Rods track that sends music into space.

(Mental picture of Martians yelling SHUT UP!!!!!!!!!! )

CrayZforDisney
05-18-2003, 04:29 PM
Originally posted by Not Afraid
(Mental picture of Martians yelling SHUT UP!!!!!!!!!! )

LOL :D !!!